view old/stories/eye-1.txt @ 4:69f0191c9016 moonlitnights tip

added error.log and access.log
author Robert McIntyre <rlm@mit.edu>
date Tue, 22 Jun 2010 13:42:35 -0400
parents fc00894c1d4a
children
line wrap: on
line source
1 Bishoujo Senshi Sailormoon - Infinity II Alternate
2 'Eye of the Beholder' - Chapter One
3 by AmazonessDuo
4 amazonessduo@hotmail.com
7 As the afternoon sun beat down, a lone girl made her way home. The
8 dark stockings and midnight-black hair almost helped her blend into
9 the shadows. But the lonely girl didn’t need them for that purpose.
10 She was used to being ignored, used to fading away into shadows. It
11 was so much better if to others if she didn’t exist. To exist meant
12 for them to torment her, to hate her. Why did they hate her? Why did
13 everyone hate her? What had she done? All she wanted was to be left
14 alone. Why was this impossible to allow her? And so she hid. In plain
15 sight, she hid. She was the quiet girl; the shy girl. The lonely
16 girl. But only when she was lucky. When she wasn’t, she was the
17 freak. That thing that was only to be hated, not pitied. A witch. No
18 one knew her. No one cared to.
19 Her eyes downcast, she walked slowly home, keeping to the shadows,
20 wishing she could fade away into them. As she passed a group of
21 students around her age on the sidewalk, she gripped the strap to her
22 school bag nervously. She silently prayed to go unnoticed, and as the
23 small group left her behind, talking and laughing happily, she
24 sighed. But her relief was short-lived, as two girls walking to
25 their next class spotted her and began to talk, just loud enough for
26 her to hear.
27 "That's the 6th grader, Tomoe-san," says one, as they catch up to
28 her. "She's carrying her bag. Is she leaving early again?"
29 "Isn't she really weak?" responds the other. "She's been wearing
30 those long tights all year."
31 Hotaru closed her eyes, hoping the two would just go away and leave
32 her alone. "She's such a dark person," they continued. "Her
33 expression is always so empty. It's well known that she's a bit
34 strange."
35 "Naturally. Her father's a mad scientist." This insult cut into
36 her. She was used to being taunted and tormented herself, but
37 resorting to attack her father..? The pain grew until it was almost
38 unbearable. "Doesn't she have any friends?"
39 The lonely girl collapsed, her bag and its contents spilling out
40 onto the pavement. Coughing and trying to see through the haze of
41 pain, the suffering girl reached out to gather her tin pencil case.
42 The girls, seeing this as a perfect opportunity to torture her,
43 quickly approached, one stepping on the pencil case to attract her
44 attention. "What's wrong, Tomoe Hotaru-sempai?" she said, grinning
45 down at the poor girl condescendingly. "You tired, need some help?"
46 Hotaru simply pulled the pencil case out from under the girl's
47 foot, and stood, having picked up everything else already. Glaring
48 at the two girls, she holds up the tin pencil case and crushes it in
49 her fist, dropping the now-useless scrap to the ground and continuing
50 her walk home. As she left, she heard the girls behind her gasp in
51 astonishment and continue talking: "W.. what?? She crushed it! Just
52 like that!!" "She looked so mad.. like a completely different person!"
53 Every day it was the same, and this was no different.. By now she
54 had grown used to it. One lonely day to the next, she dealt with her
55 classmates taunts, the emptiness inside of being truly alone even
56 amidst so many people. She was an outcast, an outsider to which
57 everyone, even other outcasts, looked down on her.
58 The fact that the school day was over brought little comfort to the
59 raven haired girl. The cycle would begin again the next day, or after
60 the weekend. It was unending, a constant in her life that she
61 couldn’t escape. She darkly contemplated what to do once she got
62 home. Her father would probably be in his lab, as usual. She hoped
63 his assistant, Kaolinite, would be as well. She would probably go
64 back to her room, close the curtains and try to escape her painful
65 existence in one of the many books she was reading. Maybe she could
66 even forget, at least for a short time. Or maybe she could come up
67 with a more permanent escape….
68 The dark haired girl gasped and froze in place at the sight ahead
69 of her. Her heart nearly stopped at the shock that washed over her. A
70 girl with beautiful pink hair stood with her hands clasped in front
71 of her near the front gate to the mansion Hotaru lived at with her
72 father. Hotaru brushed some dark strands of hair from her eyes and
73 blinked. Her eyes had to be playing tricks on her. No one would ever
74 come see her. She knew that much. The pink haired girl couldn’t have
75 come back to see her. Nothing like that had ever happened to her. No
76 one cared that much to come see her. Her pulse raced as she stood
77 nervously, completely unsure of what to think or do. She wanted to
78 shrink back into the shadows, to disappear. Then this couldn’t
79 confuse her like this. It wouldn’t be able to scare her as it did.
80 But something deep inside stopped her from leaving.
82 ~~~~~~
84 ChibiUsa stood nervously in front of the imposing iron gate. She
85 felt a knot in her stomach as she waited. And waited. And waited. She
86 had been thinking more and more of the pale, dark haired girl lately.
87 She had to see her again. She’d bought a new handkerchief to give
88 Hotaru since the other one had been stained with the blood from her
89 wound. Oddly enough, ChibiUsa treasured the cloth, keeping it hidden
90 behind some of the bunny dolls she collected. She would take it out
91 when no one was around, a reminder of Hotaru. She was a bit glad that
92 it had been stained, both to remind her of the dark haired girl’s
93 soft healing touch, and so she could keep the handkerchief for herself.
94 Releasing a sigh of defeat, ChibiUsa turned to leave. She gasped,
95 startled by the sudden appearance of the girl she’d been thinking of.
96 She wasn’t sure what to do, whether she should go to the dark haired
97 girl or stay and wait for her to walk up. ChibiUsa didn’t have to
98 worry about that decision because her sudden shock had taken her mind
99 from the task at hand. Her forward momentum kept her going, but her
100 feet weren’t moving. Before she knew what had happened, she tripped,
101 falling face first. She managed to land on her arm, the same arm that
102 had been cut by the Daimon. Pain coursed through it as she collapsed
103 to the ground.
104 The pink haired girl could dimly hear Hotaru yell something before
105 running over to her. It wasn’t so much the pain she felt as the
106 embarrassment that really got to her. It wasn’t exactly the first
107 impression she wanted to have on the dark haired girl when they met
108 again. ‘Why am I always so clumsy?’ ChibiUsa asked herself angrily.
109 ‘I’ll never be like my mother. Some graceful princess I am.’ Letting
110 herself be helped into a sitting position, she met Hotaru’s gaze with
111 difficulty, her cheeks still a flustered shade of red. One glance
112 into the violet eyes looking back at her completely rid ChibiUsa of
113 the embarrassment she’d felt seconds before. There was nothing but
114 concern in those large beautiful eyes.
115 “Does it hurt?” Hotaru asked, rolling up ChibiUsa’s long sleeves to
116 get a better look at her arm. She gently ran her hands across the
117 pink haired girl’s creamy skin.
118 ChibiUsa sat silently for a moment. Hotaru’s fingers caressing her
119 arm was sheer bliss. The dark haired girl’s soft touch pushed all
120 conscious thought from her mind. She looked back at Hotaru, not
121 saying anything, just enjoying the silence and the feel of her touch.
122 Finally noticing the other girl’s concerned stare, ChibiUsa shook
123 herself from that strange moment. ‘What just happened? I feel so
124 strange. How does she keep making me feel this way? Even when she’s
125 not there, she’s all I can think about. And now that she is here, I
126 can’t think,’ she thought to herself. She smiled and laughed
127 nervously. “Its nothing. I’m not exactly as graceful as I could be.
128 I’m used to it by now.”
129 A smile tugged at the corner of Hotaru’s lips. “Its cute,” she said
130 quietly.
131 ChibiUsa smiled broader. Hotaru thought it was cute? She’d always
132 wanted to be graceful, elegant, worried that she’d never be. But the
133 other girl actually thought her clumsiness was cute? She tried to say
134 something but all that came out was a quiet, “Thank you.” Still
135 feeling the gentle brush of fingertips against her skin, ChibiUsa
136 brought her gaze down to her arm. “Oh, you don’t have to worry about
137 that. I’m fi…” She winced as the dark haired girl’s fingers pressed
138 against a small place on her arm.
139 “You’re fine, are you?” Hotaru asked, starting to smile. “If you’re
140 normally like this, then at least someone’s benefiting from my
141 healing powers.” Her hands started to glow as she concentrated. The
142 pain began to recede from ChibiUsa’s arm.
143 The pink haired girl giggled as the warm glow healed her arm.
144 “That’s why I’m not scared of you. I could use the help when I get
145 hurt like that,” she joked. She noticed that though she hadn’t known
146 this girl for long, she felt completely at ease with her. A warm
147 feeling spread through her at the thought.
148 A small laugh escaped Hotaru’s perfect lips. “I’m glad I could
149 help.” Standing up, she offered her pink haired companion a hand,
150 which the other girl eagerly accepted. Brushing the grass from her
151 skirt, Hotaru looked sidelong at ChibiUsa. Now that the fall was over
152 with, she was back to wondering why the pink haired girl was here. No
153 one ever came to see her. What was going on? Was this a joke? No,
154 this couldn’t be. She knew the pink haired girl was incapable of
155 doing anything so cruel. As an uneasy silence set in, both girls
156 laughed nervously. Thinking for a minute, Hotaru grabbed ChibiUsa’s
157 hand. ‘Dad’s gone for at least a couple more hours and Kaolinite’s
158 probably with him, so I should be able to talk to her.’ “Would you
159 like to come inside?”
160 Nodding, the pink haired girl flashed a smile at Hotaru. “I’d love
161 to.”
162 That sweet voice and those warm crimson eyes sent tingles down
163 Hotaru’s spine. She couldn’t shake the feeling as she led ChibiUsa
164 inside the mansion. “Come with me.” Finally, the two entered Hotaru’s
165 room.
166 ChibiUsa let out a small ‘oh’ as she glanced around the dark room.
167 “There are lamps everywhere. Your room’s so romantic, Hotaru-chan.”
168 The room was filled with lamps of every size and description. They
169 were all placed around the room neatly keeping them from making the
170 room look cluttered.
171 Hotaru blushed, turning on a few of the lamps, though the room
172 remained fairly dark. In the darkness the lights shined like
173 fireflies, seeming to cast a faint glow on Hotaru. “I prefer
174 obscurity.. The quiet and the dark.” She said softly. "Would you
175 like something to drink?" the mysterious girl quickly asked, trying
176 to get off the subject.
177 The pink-haired girl nodded enthusiastically. "Hai, that sounds
178 good." Hotaru silently slipped out, leaving ChibiUsa alone in the
179 dimly-lit room. Ever curious, ChibiUsa couldn't help but wonder why
180 the girl was so shy, so lonely.. so mysterious. Her wonderings were
181 cut short when the door opened to reveal Hotaru, now clad in a simple
182 black dress complete with tights, and carrying a tray with two
183 teacups on it. “Do you like dark clothes, too?” she asked,
184 indicating the dress.
185 Hotaru nodded slowly. “Hai. I feel better in the shadows.”
186 “Hotaru-chan… Why do you always cover up so much? I mean, with
187 sweaters and long sleeves and stockings,” ChibiUsa asked.
188 “I had an accident a long time ago. I have many wounds from it,”
189 Hotaru said simply, looking away. To change the subject, she asked
190 what had been on her mind all along. “Why are you here?”
191 ChibiUsa smiled sheepishly, almost having forgot. She handed Hotaru
192 the new handkerchief she bought. “I wanted to give it back to you,
193 but the blood wouldn’t come out of the old one. So here’s a new one.”
194 Hotaru blinked at the handkerchief in ChibiUsa’s outstretched hand.
195 “You came all this way to see me… just to give me back my
196 handkerchief?” She was astonished. This girl had come to see her over
197 something as insignificant as a strip of cloth, something no one else
198 would ever have worried about with her involved. Before she could ask
199 the pink haired girl why she did it, she started coughing
200 uncontrollably. Her heart beat faster as she slumped to her knees.
201 The tray clanged to the floor, spilling tea and cups alike, forgotten
202 by the two in this moment of crisis.
203 “Hotaru-chan!!” ChibiUsa ran to her side as Hotaru suffered another
204 of her fits. “Hotaru-chan!!!” she yelled worriedly, clutching onto
205 the raven haired girl. The look of excruciating pain on Hotaru’s
206 beautiful face tore through her heart like a knife. Her mind raced
207 desperately to find a way to help.
208 “My…medicine…” Hotaru barely managed to get out. A shaky hand
209 reached towards her desk, too far out of reach.
210 ChibiUsa’s eyes frantically searched the desk, but she couldn’t
211 find the medicine Hotaru had mentioned. Hearing Hotaru say something
212 about an amulet, she fumbled for her broach. “It’ll be okay, Hotaru-
213 chan. I’ll help you, I promise,” she whispered soothingly.
214 ‘You can’t help me. No one can help me,’ Hotaru thought sadly. Her
215 eyes closed, trying to block out the immense pain. "No.. don't come
216 closer... you shouldn't.. be near me.." she managed to whisper
217 between gasps for breath, wishing she would pass out. Or worse…
218 Finally getting at her broach, the pink haired girl pulled out the
219 Silver Crystal, the one from the future that her mother had given her
220 to take care of when she’d come back to train as Sailor Chibimoon.
221 Her breath caught in her chest as she watched the dark haired girl
222 writhe in pain. She brushed wisps of pink hair from her own tear
223 streaked eyes, praying this would work. A soft glow slowly began to
224 emanate from the crystal, quickly growing brighter.
225 Hotaru gasped as a warm glow blanketed her body. The wonderful
226 feeling spread through her. The pain ebbed away, her body once again
227 her own. Her pain had never disappeared so quickly, vanished so
228 completely in such a short time. The room was silent for a moment,
229 the only sound was the breathing of the two girls. Hotaru could do
230 nothing but look at ChibiUsa’s worried face. She had wanted to
231 express her gratefulness, but her voice caught in her throat as her
232 violet eyes gazed into ChibiUsa’s glittering crimson ones. ‘She looks
233 so worried,' Hotaru thought to herself. A sudden realization shocked
234 her. ‘About me? She’s worried about me? But how? No one worries about
235 me…’ The raven haired girl’s pale cheeks flushed as crimson as
236 ChibiUsa’s eyes. She tried to say something, but her mind was having
237 trouble locking onto anything than the fact that this girl could be
238 worried about her. “Thank you…” she managed quietly.
239 ChibiUsa sat down on her knees in front of Hotaru. She smiled
240 happily. “I’m just really glad you’re okay, Hotaru-chan. You had me
241 so worried for a moment.” A strange feeling filled her as she looked
242 into those lonely violet eyes. The intensity of the gaze, the way
243 she was looking at her, part of it scared her. Yet an odd excitement
244 coursed through her as their eyes met. She sat completely still, half
245 scared of what might happen next, but anxiously hoping something
246 would. She swallowed nervously as her eyes slowly traced Hotaru’s
247 beautiful features. From her soft lips, down to her elegant chin, to
248 her dark eye lashes, to the slight blush coloring her pristine
249 cheeks. ChibiUsa’s lungs ached for air as she quietly waited.
250 Hotaru slowly brought a hand up towards ChibiUsa’s. The pink haired
251 girl started reaching for Hotaru’s hand instinctively, as if it was
252 exactly what she should do. Releasing her grip on the Silver Crystal,
253 it fell from her grasp. Time seemed to slow as the glittering crystal
254 dropped towards the ground. Hotaru barely caught the crystal before
255 it hit the ground. “Your amulet, it's wonderful,” the raven haired
256 girl said at last, breaking the silence.
257 ChibiUsa finally released her breath. She wasn’t sure if she was
258 glad or disappointed that nothing had happened. ‘What was I thinking
259 might happen, anyway?’ she asked herself. Try as she might, she
260 couldn’t come up with an answer to that. Looking back up at Hotaru,
261 she couldn’t resist the urge to reach out and take her hand in her
262 own. The raven haired girl almost flinched at the sudden contact of
263 the warm hand against her skin, but ChibiUsa continued to hold her
264 hand gently. “Oh, that? Yeah, I guess you can call it my amulet.” She
265 laughed a bit, lightening the moment. “It used to be my mother’s but
266 she gave it to me, sort of as a going away present until I returned.”
267 “Return where?” Hotaru asked, as if picking up on the pink haired
268 girl’s thoughts of home. She started to relax, greatly enjoying
269 ChibiUsa’s gentle touch.
270 ChibiUsa laughed again, nervously this time. “Well, its kinda hard
271 to explain.”
272 Handing the crystal back to ChibiUsa, Hotaru smiled softly. “I
273 won’t tell anyone your secret, Chibimoon.” Her eyes widened as she
274 remembered something. “Oh, I’m so sorry. I don’t even know your name.”
275 ChibiUsa grinned broadly. She felt good that the other girl wanted
276 to know her name. “I’m ChibiUsa Small Lady Tsukino. Well, my real
277 name's Usagi, but while I’m here everyone’s calling me ChibiUsa.”
278 Hotaru brushed some dark hair from her eyes, looking intently at
279 the other girl. She couldn’t help but giggle. “Little Rabbit. That
280 fits you perfectly.”
281 ChibiUsa couldn’t help but laugh as well. “You really think so?”
282 “Yes. It's cute. It really seems to fit you.” Hotaru blushed and
283 looked away.
284 Tilting to the side, ChibiUsa managed to catch Hotaru’s gaze again.
285 She wanted to see those beautiful violet eyes pointed her way again,
286 looking out from that gorgeous face. “Thanks,” she said, feeling her
287 own cheeks blush slightly. “Hotaru’s a really pretty name. Firefly.
288 It makes you sound kinda mysterious.”
289 Hotaru sighed and shook her head. “No. People want to know about
290 the mysterious. I just frighten them.”
291 Taking Hotaru’s hand with both of her own, ChibiUsa kept gazing
292 intently into the mysterious girl’s dark eyes. “I want to know about
293 you. And you don’t frighten me. I don’t know how anyone could see you
294 like that.”
295 Hotaru tried to look away, these new feelings threatening to
296 overwhelm the poor girl, her mind already lost in confusion. Those
297 crimson eyes captivated her. Escape from them seemed impossible. This
298 was too good to be true. She had never had a friend before, someone
299 who wanted to know about her, who cared for her. No one cared about
300 her, right? Hadn’t life seemingly banned her from having a single
301 soul that could be her friend? So why was this pink haired girl here?
302 She flinched away from the contact of the other girl’s hands against
303 her own, but ChibiUsa held tight, not letting go. “But you don’t know
304 me,” she said quietly.
305 “I want to,” came ChibiUsa’s earnest reply. She looked pleadingly
306 into Hotaru’s violet eyes. “Please let me get to know you.”
307 Hotaru was silent for a long moment. This caught her by surprise.
308 All sorts of emotions ran through her. Happiness that ChibiUsa could
309 care that much, fear that this might all be a dream or that ChibiUsa
310 would change her mind when she did learn more about her, hope that
311 her loneliness could finally come to an end. “Thank you.” She slowly
312 smiled, a broad genuine smile. “ChibiUsa-chan.”
313 ChibiUsa smiled happily. She had managed to see that beautiful
314 smile again. “Hotaru-chan, you’re the most interesting, most
315 beautiful person I’ve met since I came here. I really want to be your
316 friend.” ‘That’s all I want to be, right? What else would I want to
317 be?’ ChibiUsa shrugs off the thoughts, leaning forward and hugging
318 Hotaru.
319 The dark haired girl’s eyes went wide as she felt the pink haired
320 girl against her. She relished in the sensation. She tentatively
321 placed her arms around ChibiUsa, hugging her back.
322 The two girls stayed that way for a long time, both enjoying the
323 companionship and warmth. ChibiUsa glanced up from Hotaru’s shoulder
324 and noticed how dark it had gotten. “I’m sorry, but I’ve got to go.
325 It’s getting late and I don’t want Ikuko-mama to worry." Releasing
326 the embrace, ChibiUsa frowned reluctantly. “I wish I didn’t have to,
327 but she doesn’t know where I am. I really want to see you again.”
328 Hotaru blushed again, standing up as well. “You do? ChibiUsa-chan,
329 you’re sweet. I really hope I can see you again, too.” She smiled a
330 little shyly at the pink haired girl.
331 ChibiUsa grinned brightly, her hands placed behind her back.
332 “Really? Then you will. I’ll try to see you soon.”
333 Brushing a few strands of dark hair from her eyes, Hotaru stood in
334 front of the pink haired girl awkwardly. She smiled softly. “I’d like
335 that.”
336 “Me too.” ChibiUsa gave Hotaru another hug before following her to
337 the door.
341 ~~~~~~
344 It was near the end of the day at Minato Ku Juuban Elementary, and
345 ChibiUsa's mind wandered from her teacher to hey shy, mysterious
346 friend. 'She's got such pretty pale skin..' she thought, tuning
347 everything else out. 'Like new-fallen snow..' Momoko poked her,
348 whispering that she should pay attention to what her teacher was
349 saying as she explains that all the clay works they did recieved
350 compliments from the other classes. "But, it's time now to take your
351 sculptures home. Give them to someone important to you, like your
352 mom or best friend, in gratitude."
353 ChibiUsa took her jeweled chalice from the display, holding it up
354 to the light and silently cursing. 'Do I really have to give this up?
355 I worked so hard on it..' She turned to Momoko and verbalized the
356 thought. "Momochan, what will you do with yours?"
357 "My mom's birthday is coming up in a few days," the other girl
358 replied. "I'll give mine to her." Just then, one of the clay cups
359 found its way to ChibiUsa's desk. It had a profile of Sailormoon
360 worked into the side. "That's a nice design, Kyosuke. But why are
361 you giving it to Chibiusachan?"
362 The somewhat annoying boy put his hand behind his head as he
363 laughed nervously, blushing a little. "Well.. I've been a really bad
364 friend. So I thought this might make up. Kind of a sign of
365 friendship." Immediately upon those words, ChibiUsa's mind pops up
366 with a picture of Hotachan.
367 "A sign of friendship! That's it! I'll give it to Hotaru-chan!!"
368 Momoko groaned. "Isn't that the Mugen student?" ChibiUsa nodded
369 and began to explain. "Yeah! She's my new friend, and she's really
370 pretty, but she's kinda lonely, and mysterious too!" Momoko snorted,
371 replying semi-sarcastically. "You're so obsessed with her, what is
372 she, your girlfriend?"
373 The commotion of the class leaving as the bell rings served to hide
374 ChibiUsa's deep blush.
376 ~~~~~~
379 By the time she got home, Momoko’s comment had faded to the back of
380 ChibiUsa’s mind, replaced by much more urgent things. Like seeing
381 Hotaru again. The fact that it was starting to rain heavily outside
382 hardly seemed to matter to the future princess. The thought of seeing
383 her lonely friend was all consuming. ‘Is she okay? Does she miss me?
384 What’s she doing?’ she thought to herself as she dropped her book bag
385 on her bed and hurried downstairs. Her mind was hazy with the
386 thoughts of her new friend swirling through her mind. She wasted no
387 time in getting an umbrella and pulling on her shoes. There wasn’t
388 any thunder, so she might be able to make it there despite the rain.
389 A cold pit formed in her stomach at the thought of thunder and
390 lightening along the way, but she pushed it aside. She’d see Hotaru
391 soon enough and then it wouldn’t matter what she went through to get
392 there. A sudden burst of cold, wet air made ChibiUsa look up towards
393 the opening front door.
394 Usagi stood there for a moment, her blonde pigtails glistening with
395 the raindrops from walking in the rain. She took in the scene before
396 her, her ‘cousin’ obviously ready to leave. Again. ‘Why is she always
397 leaving to see that girl?’ Usagi asked herself. ‘Hotaru Tomoe might
398 be part of The Enemy. Her father’s in charge of them. ChibiUsa might
399 be in danger and she doesn’t even realize it.’ Feeling herself begin
400 to get a bit angry at whatever ChibiUsa was keeping from her, she
401 demanded the smaller girl tell her where she was going.
402 "Hotaru-chan’s," ChibiUsa said simply, standing up and moving to
403 get past Usagi. Her future mother barred her exit. ChibiUsa frowned
404 as she pulled the umbrella up against her shoulder.
405 Usagi shook her head stubbornly, droplets of water flying about.
406 "Not on your own you aren’t."
407 "But..." ChibiUsa began indignantly.
408 "It's raining really hard and its already getting dark. I’m going,"
409 Usagi argued obstinately. "You’ve been going to see this girl for a
410 while now and this time I’m coming with."
411 "That’s not fair! She’s my friend!" ChibiUsa replied angrily.
412 "Well, if you want to see her this time, I’m going, too." The blonde
413 girl crossed her arms in front of her.
415 Earlier that day, Usagi had been with Luna and Artemis under the
416 Crown Arcade at the computer they used to gather information. They’d
417 been trying to find research on The Enemy in the hopes that they
418 could use it to their advantage. Nothing had come up on the two
419 mysterious Sailor Senshi and whether they were friends or foes.
420 Nonetheless, Usagi couldn’t help but wonder about the tall,
421 intriguing woman, Sailor Uranus. The kiss they’d shared in the
422 forest...
423 Luna’s voice shook her from her thoughts as an image of a white
424 haired man with glasses appeared on the screen. A star took the place
425 of where one of his eyes should be.
426 "The Delta Area is where all the abnormal energy has been coming
427 from. Especially the Infitity Zone. It seems all of our problems are
428 coming from there. The Enemy must be situated there. This has to have
429 something to do with their plan."
430 "That’s the guy who owns the Infinty Zone and Mugen Gakuen. He looks
431 suspicious," Artemis added.
432 Usagi sat down and began reading the data on the screen. His name
433 was Souichi Tomoe and he was indeed owner of the prestigious school
434 and the surrounding area. His field of expertise was genetic
435 engineering. He lived at the Tomoe Research Labs with his daughter,
436 Hotaru Tomoe. Usagi paused for a moment, rereading the name. It
437 sounded familiar, as if on the tip of her lips, but she couldn’t
438 quite remember where she’d heard that name before. A small
439 description of Hotaru popped up on the screen next to the
440 Professor’s. Usagi’s eyes went wide when she saw the picture. It was
441 the girl who had healed ChibiUsa. That’s where she’d heard the name!
442 ChibiUsa had been mentioning her all the timelately. She gasped, her
443 hand going to her mouth at the implications. She very well could be
444 with The Enemy. "ChibiUsa’s been becoming really good friends with
445 her lately. She’s been going over to her house all the time for the
446 past few weeks to see her. I hope ChibiUsa’s okay..."
448 As the two girl’s entered Hotaru’s home at the Tomoe Research Labs,
449 Usagi berated ChibiUsa in a harsh whisper. “We can’t just barge in
450 like this! It’s rude. And who knows what they’ll do if we get caught?
451 You’re a princess, aren’t you?”
452 ChibiUsa stuck her tongue out at the older girl, her thoughts still
453 elsewhere. “I couldn’t find the intercom anyway. Besides, Hotaru-chan
454 probably already knows I’m here so she won’t mind.” After a moment’s
455 pause, the pink haired girl smiled politely and managed a “Hello.”
456 Usagi looked at ChibiUsa puzzled for a moment. The younger girl
457 seemed to be looking behind her oddly. Turning around, Usagi almost
458 jumped when she noticed the red haired woman in a lab coat watching
459 them both coldly. Her heart pounded worriedly in her chest. This
460 woman had to be part of The Enemy.
461 “What business do you have here? You’re trespassing. This is private
462 property. If you don’t leave now..” Kaolinite began before being
463 interrupted by a soft, but sweet voice.
464 “They are my guests,” Hotaru said, glaring at Kaolinite as she
465 walked out of one of the rooms. She once again was clad all in black,
466 her pale skin the only contrast against the tight black clothes and
467 her own raven hair. Her gaze shifting to the pink haired girl, her
468 deep violet eyes gained a sparkle to them. Her heart swelled as she
469 looked at her visitors. She almost felt sick from the sudden anxiety
470 that washed over her at their arrival. It was as if she could sense
471 some sort of great aura from the blonde haired girl, but her
472 attention was still riveted to the kind pink haired girl whose
473 crimson eyes smiled back at her. The aura might not be as strange,
474 but everything about ChibiUsa captivated her. Why had she rescued her
475 heart from its lonely prison? Why had she become her friend? Her head
476 swam in circles as she tried to answer these questions, but for now
477 she had to attend to her guests.
478 “Hotaru-chan!” ChibiUsa exclaimed happily at the sight of their
479 mysterious savior.
480 Kaolinite turned from the small group and left, thinking to
481 herself. ‘She has guests? But no one ever wants to see her. This is
482 odd..’
484 The pale wisp of a girl bent down ever so slightly to pour some tea
485 for the two visitors. She shyly brushed back some dark hair from her
486 eyes as she felt their eyes baring down on her. She wasn’t used to
487 this. Without knowing what to say, she asked the first thing that
488 came to mind. “Why did you both come here?”
489 ChibiUsa smiled broadly and set the chalice she’d brought with her
490 on the table. “I made this at school. Well, after school with Usagi
491 and Mamo-chan’s help. But I want to give it to you as a present. It’s
492 supposed to be the Holy Grail.”
493 Usagi’s eyes go wide as she turns to the younger girl. “What? But
494 Mamo-chan and I worked so hard on that for you to just give it away.”
495 The blonde girl frowned as she remembered all the time she and her
496 boyfriend had put into working on the chalice when ChibiUsa had come
497 to them for help on the art project. It seemed like such a waste for
498 her to give it to this girl who very well may be part of The Enemy.
499 ChibiUsa just ignored Usagi as if she weren’t even there. Her smile
500 grew warmer, her crimson eyes never wavering from the darkly dressed
501 frail girl across the room. She felt butterflies in her stomach as
502 she kicked her legs almost nervously. “We were supposed to give our
503 projects to someone special to us this week. To someone very
504 important to us. Well, I was just thinking about how much you mean to
505 me and I wanted to give it to you as a sign of friendship.” Why was
506 it so hard to tell the other girl she wanted her to have it because
507 of their friendship? It felt different somehow than with her other
508 friends. This girl was so…. so…. amazing, wonderful, pretty, kind,
509 sweet, mysterious, sad, and so much more. Hotaru intrigued ChibiUsa.
510 She’d never met anyone like her. The pink haired girl always felt a
511 warm feeling inside when she was with Hotaru. She felt safe with her.
512 Her homesickness for Crystal Tokyo and her parents always faded away.
513 The quiet raven haired girl was so shy, but it just made her want to
514 get through to her all the more.
515 “Why aren’t you giving it to Mamo-chan, then?” Usagi questioned the
516 pink haired girl. She still thought of ChibiUsa as her rival for
517 Mamoru’s attention.
518 ChibiUsa looked down at her kicking feet, her hands on either side
519 of her on the couch. Why did Usagi have to come with her? It just
520 made everything more difficult. Besides, she wanted to be alone with
521 Hotaru, not arguing the point with Usagi. “You and Mamo-chan helped
522 make it together, so I couldn’t give it just to him anyway.”
523 A tiny smile started spreading across Hotaru’s lips. She felt so
524 honored to be the one this cheerful pink haired girl thought was
525 important enough to give the chalice to. The shock and surprise of
526 the gift along with the other girl’s presence was a little
527 overwhelming. It was strange enough having a friend, but one that
528 thought so highly of her was such a foreign concept to her. It seemed
529 an utter impossibility. Everytime she saw ChibiUsa it seemed more and
530 more as if it had to be a dream. A wonderful dream. But the pale girl
531 hadn’t had any good dreams in years. That seemed almost as impossible
532 as if it were real. Whatever it was, she prayed it would never end.
533 “You made this for an important person, ChibiUsa-chan? But I… I
534 shouldn’t be the one to have this. You should be the one to keep it.
535 Thank you, ChibiUsa-chan,” she spoke up in her quiet voice. Glancing
536 at the Holy Grail ChibiUsa had given her on the table, she began to
537 think of where in her dark room to place it. It was already
538 significant to her. She wanted to make sure it had an important place
539 amongst her lamps. She smiled shyly as she turned back to the other
540 two girls.
541 Usagi leaned forward ever so slightly, her curiosity increasing
542 about this mysterious girl. Was she part of The Enemy? Was she using
543 ChibiUsa? What was she up to? She feels a cold chill run down her
544 spine as she gets a good look into those infinitely sad, dark eyes.
545 ‘Its like I’m being drawn in. Her eyes seem to know everything,’ she
546 thinks. The cold feeling grows worse before she realizes the room has
547 been utterly silent for a long moment. Laughing nervously, the blonde
548 girl stands up, eager for a moment’s respite to think. “Could you
549 tell me where the bathroom is?”
550 The dark haired girl turns and points out of the room. “Its right
551 down that hall.”
552 “Thanks,” Usagi says quickly, leaving the room, confused. The pale,
553 raven haired girl was even more of a mystery to her now. And her
554 seemingly mystical hold over ChibiUsa baffled her. She resolved to
555 get to the bottom of things, no matter what.
557 ~~~~~~~~~
559 "Hotaru-chan!?" I watch as Hotaru collapses into a fit on the floor.
560 I run over, fear coursing through my entire body. I’ve only seen this
561 happen once before, but I kneel beside the dark haired girl, my heart
562 racing. "Hotaru-chan!?" I feel so helpless, seeing this happen to
563 her. Why can’t I do anything? Isn’t there some way I can help her?
564 Why did this have to happen now?
566 Clutching her chest, she looks up at me with pain-filled eyes. My
567 heart goes out to her. I want to go to her, to stop her suffering,
568 but I don’t know how. Her shaky hand slowly reaches out, touching my
569 broach.
571 "..it’s better.. when I touch your amulet... I’m being filled with
572 power..." she says softly. Her body seems to relax as the fit finally
573 comes to an end. Her breathing slowly returns to normal. She looks up
574 at me with a strange look in her dark eyes.
576 I smile slightly, relief flooding through me. "Really? Then I’m
577 glad, Hotaru-chan." It feels good to be able to help her. She’s
578 already healed me a few times, I’m glad to repay the favor. And to
579 see her in such pain… I’m just glad she’s alright now.
581 The dark, distant, pale girl echoes my smile, still looking up at me
582 with that odd look in her eyes. "Your amulet... it has great power..
583 what power is it..?" Something isn’t quite right… but does it matter?
584 She’s alright now, that’s all that matters. I sigh, relieved that her
585 pains gone, if only for now. I smile again, a hand going to my
586 broach. "It’s the Mystical Silver Crystal," I say, telling of the
587 crystal inside my broach.
589 "Mystical Silver Crystal.." Hotaru repeats. Everything about her is
590 different, somehow. The voice, its not the soft, sweet voice I’m used
591 to. Her eyes, seeming even darker than before. Its like she’s a
592 totally different person now. Suddenly the frail girl recoils in
593 horror, her eyes widening as she draws back from me, raising a shaky
594 hand to her mouth.
596 "Hotaru-chan?" I pull my hand from my broach, forgetting about it as
597 concern gets the better of me. "Are you alright?" I take a nervous
598 step forward. What happened? Why is she so scared? The frightened
599 look in her eyes chills me. I shudder, not knowing why. Is she afraid
600 of me? Did I do something wrong? I frantically want to reach out to
601 her, to make sure its okay, to know why she’s so scared. I don’t ever
602 want her to be scared again. I know that its probably foolish to
603 think that I could do something like that. But I can try.
605 Hotaru stays back from me, still seated on the floor. "I.. I... I’m
606 sorry.. I didn’t mean,,,! It’s like.. it wasn’t me..." Her soft voice
607 sounds almost desperate, pleading. Does she think I would leave? I’d
608 never leave her like that, not now.
610 I take another nervous step forward, smiling reassuringly at the
611 obviously grief stricken pale girl. I want to hug her, hold her
612 close, make her know that its all okay, but I’m afraid she’d run away
613 from me. She’s so delicate, so fragile, like a china doll. "It’s
614 okay, Hotaru-chan. Don’t worry," I says soothingly, trying to get the
615 mysterious girl to relax.
617 She grants me just a bit of a nervous smile. I feel relieved again.
618 I was so worried that she might flee her own room to get away from
619 me. I know it’s a silly thing to worry about, but she looked so
620 frightened. My heart flies just to see that hint of a smile. She
621 manages a tiny nod, not saying a word.
623 Seeing her visibly relax, I take a sigh of relief. This beautiful
624 girl in front of me should never have to be hurt again. "I’m just
625 glad you’re feeling better, Hotaru-chan. I hate seeing you in pain
626 like that. I want to help you." And I do. I just don’t know how.
628 "..thank you.. ChibiUsachan.." A small smile plays across her thin
629 lips. She looks more confident as she tries to speak. “..you’re the
630 only one who’s ever cared... it’s like..." her soft, whisper-like
631 voice trails off. Like what? What are you trying to tell me? She
632 seems to withdraw from me again, nervous.
634 I frown as I walk closer to her, closing the distance between us
635 quickly. There’s so much I want to know. There’s so much I want to
636 say. But what, exactly? I wish I knew. "I don’t know why I’m the only
637 one who seems to notice how great you are, Hotaru-chan. I can’t see
638 why anyone would ever be mean to you, why anyone would ever want to
639 hurt you." Because I can’t stand to see you suffer, firefly.
641 Her deep violet eyes gaze up at me, working their magic on me. How
642 can I hope to keep from losing myself in their depths? I find myself
643 being drawn further into those beautiful dark eyes. I see tears start
644 to form in those perfect violet spheres. Please don’t cry, firefly. I
645 don’t ever want you to hurt. "I.. don’t know.. but... It doesn’t
646 matter.. as long as I have you..."
648 I feel my cheeks burning as I begin to blush. Had the raven haired
649 girl really said that? But… what did she mean by it? She didn’t
650 mean... "I.. I... Thanks, Hotaru-chan." My mind swims in confusion.
651 Why would she say that? Do I really mean that much to her? I kneel
652 next to her, smiling. As long as she has me... but how does she have
653 me? I’m not so sure myself.
655 The quiet girl blushes as well, her pale cheeks darkening as she
656 looks at me. I look into those beautiful eyes for a long moment. She
657 just looks at me silently. This moment, so much like the last time.
658 It ended off so... I don’t know. What had I been expecting that time?
659 A kiss? I almost laugh aloud. But then what Momoko said comes back to
660 me as well. My girlfriend? A kiss? How did I really feel about this?
661 Her blush deepens and she looks away from me.
663 I tilt my head, trying to catch her gaze. A soft sigh escapes my
664 lips. Why won’t she look at me again? Did I say the wrong thing?
665 Please let me see those beautiful violet eyes again. I try to meet
666 her gaze, to see those dark eyes.
668 Hotaru quietly looks up slightly. Its obvious she’s nervous. Why?
669 Why are you nervous, firefly? Don’t you know I’d never do anything to
670 harm you? Her eyes look at me questioningly, almost as if she’s so
671 shy that she may flee from me at the hint of anything at all. The
672 silence envelops us. I want to break the silence, but my mind can’t
673 think clearly with this mysterious girl in front of me. She invades
674 my thoughts, making it impossible for me to think of anything but
675 her. But is that so bad?
677 "Hotaru-chan, you’re so pretty," I hear myself breath softly. I
678 smile at her, once again losing myself in those violet pools. It’s
679 the truth. She’s the most beautiful creature I’ve ever seen. Yet so
680 timid. Please let me get close…
682 The dark haired girl blushes profusely, as if no one had ever said
683 that to her before. Is the world that blind? She’s,,, heavenly. She
684 seems like she’s trying to reply, but nothing comes out. She looks so
685 afraid still.
687 "I would never want to hurt you, Hotaru-chan. I want to be your
688 friend. I want to be.. I don’t know." This time, I’m the one to look
689 away. I don’t know what I had meant to tell her. That thought scares
690 me. "I just want to make you happy." And I know I do. Oh, how I want
691 her to be happy. To see another one of those beautiful smiles...
693 Though she smiles at me in relief, I can see disappointment in the
694 mysterious girl’s violet eyes. She seems to relax at what I said,
695 though. "..I.. I wish I could be half as good a friend to you.. I
696 don’t know... I’m not really good at it, ne.. inexperience..."
698 I gaze into those eyes, wanting to know what caused her
699 disappointment, but quickly losing myself in them. "No, you’re
700 perfect, Hotaru-chan," I whisper softly. Everything about her fills
701 me with wonder. I so want to tell her, but I don’t know how. I don’t
702 even know what I want to tell her.
704 A slight blush colors her pale cheeks as she looks back up at me.
705 She seems more sure about something now, but I can’t tell what.
706 "..no.. I can't be.. but... Chibiusachan... Chibimoon.. when did you
707 fall from heaven..? I want to know.. so I can give you a gift before
708 you have to return..." her soft voice whispers to me.
710 I blush hotly, looking down, averting my eyes. I laugh nervously,
711 trying to relax. I’m so happy she thinks of me that way, but to hear
712 her say it… "Oh, I’m no angel," I assure her quickly. "Your
713 friendship’s the best gift I ever could have received."
715 "..but.. you have to be... you're a magical soldier.. you had to be
716 from the gods... and.. you're the only one that ever noticed me, and
717 didn't call me a witch..." The words pour out, one after the other as
718 she tries to tell me it all.
720 "I... I'm glad you think that, Hotaru-chan. Thank you." I feel the
721 blush return, my cheeks burning even more as I replay her words in my
722 mind. I smile brightly at her. She’s sooooo sweet. No one’s ever said
723 something like that to me before. The smile disappears after a
724 moment. The only one, she said. How could the world be so cruel to
725 this beautiful girl? Isn’t there more I can do for her? I want to
726 make the whole world leave her alone. No, I want the whole world to
727 realize how great she is. "I could never call you that. And how could
728 I not notice you? You're so beautiful. And nice. And mysterious.
729 And..." I trail off, finding it far too hard to think as I look into
730 those endless violet orbs. That feeling… that same feeling I had the
731 first time I was in her room, the feeling that left unfinished, it
732 returns to me now. I don’t want to leave it this time. I want to see
733 it through. But what is this feeling?
735 The blush on Hotaru’s cheeks darkens as she looks less certain about
736 something. "Thank you.. for everything... ChibiUsachan.... I..." She
737 cuts off the words at that. Please tell me, Hotaru. I want to know so
738 badly. You can tell me anything, do you know that? I’d never judge
739 you, never berate you. I just want to hear. I want to help. I want to
740 know how you feel about me...
742 "You’re welcome, Hotaru-chan. You deserve it, though. I really want
743 to get to know you better. To be closer to you..." I sigh a little,
744 unsure of myself. I feel so confused. What do I want, exactly? To be
745 her friend, right? Then why is this all so awkward? Why do I want to
746 say something more? She’s so important to me, whether she knows it or
747 not. I want her to be there with me, always. I want… Why does this
748 have to be so hard? Why can’t I just tell her. I sigh inwardly. Tell
749 her what? I don’t know, but I want to. I know that much. She makes my
750 heart melt. I feel so warm inside just being with her. I want to hug
751 her close, to make all her pain disappear forever.
753 "..that's... that's what I want..." Hotaru says softly. She seems so
754 nervous, everything she says as if she can barely manage to tell me.
755 She blinks her long, dark lashes, blushing just a bit.
757 "You do?" I ask quietly, hopefully. It fills my heart with a warm
758 joyous feeling to know that she want’s to get closer to me, too. I
759 sit in front of her, entranced by this mysterious girl. I find myself
760 wanting to lean forward and… And what? I feel all anxious inside.
761 We’re both dancing around what we want to say, aren’t we? Neither of
762 us knows exactly how to say it, though. And I’m still not quire sure
763 what ‘it’ is. But I have a funny feeling that she does. "That's
764 great, Hotaru-chan. You already mean a lot to me. You're all I can
765 think about." It’s true. She’s been on my mind practically all the
766 time since I’ve met her. And this mysterious girl is already so very
767 important to me.
769 "..but.. you..." She blinks those dark lashes again and shakes her
770 head. I follow her gaze to the table where the chalice I’d given her
771 still sits. My sign of friendship. Right? I blush when I remember
772 what Momoko had said. I really did want Hotaru to have it, so I could
773 show her… What would it be like if she was my girlfriend? I’d been
774 thinking about it all afternoon after Momoko had said that. I’m a
775 princess, I shouldn’t be thinking about such things. But I don’t
776 care. "..only Himitsu knows how much you mean to me..." She turns
777 back to me, looking as if there’s more she wants to say, but she
778 keeps it from me, afraid. Why is she afraid of telling me? What could
779 it be? But… the way she said that, do I really mean that much to her?
781 "It makes me happy that I mean so much to you." I brush some pink
782 hair from my eyes, feeling my cheeks flush. To mean so much to this
783 beautiful girl, that’s wonderful. I smile nervously at her, so much
784 left unsaid between us. But what can I do? What can I say? If I
785 said.... Would this mysterious girl be happy? Or would she be
786 frightened?
788 A small smile crosses the dark haired girl’s thin lips. "..as long
789 as you’re happy.. I’m happy.." But her voice, there’s a sad tone
790 underlying it, as if she doesn’t truly mean it, as if there’s
791 something more. I want to coax it out of her, but I’m afraid she’ll
792 back away again if I try.
794 "Hotaru-chan..." I sigh as I look away from her again, confusion
795 threatening to overwhelm me. Does she really know just how important
796 she is? "You mean so much more to me. Since I met you, I haven’t been
797 able to stop thinking about you. When I’m away, I want to see you
798 again. When I’m with you.. its just perfect."
800 Hotaru shyly raises a hand up towards my face, but after she makes
801 it halfway, she seems to realize what she’s doing and draws back,
802 only making it about halfway between us. I wish she’d keep going. Why
803 did she have to stop? "..it's the same... I thought it was...." She
804 shakes her head slightly before continuing. "..but you're a friend of
805 a million.. so it couldn't be..." But it is, Hotaru. It is.
807 I smile softly, reassuringly at this beautiful frail girl in front
808 of me. Leaning forward, I bring my hand up to her pale cheek,
809 enjoying the soft feel of her skin. It feels so warm. So...
810 wonderful. "But you’re special, Hotaru-chan. I feel... differently
811 about you. You mean more to me than all those others," I try to
812 explain, feeling as though I’m failing miserably at it.
814 I hold my breath, waiting to see what she’ll do. She almost pulls
815 back at my touch. My heart stops. No! Please, just grant me this.
816 Finally, she starts to relax into it, blushing again. "..then... then
817 I wasn't wrong..? ..I thought.. that I was wrong... because...." She
818 stops, her soft voice choked up with emotions. I see tears beginning
819 to form in her eyes as she looks at me silently.
821 I shake my head emphatically, trying to get rid of that notion. Of
822 course she’s not wrong. How could she be? How could this shy angel
823 ever be? My heart aches as I see those tears in her gorgeous violet
824 eyes. "No, you weren’t wrong, Hotaru-chan. I just.. you..." I gaze
825 intently at her, trying to gather up my courage for what I want to
826 tell her, what I so want to say. "You’re very special to me," I
827 finally get out.
829 The frail girl looks taken aback at my words. Its true, firefly. You
830 are so special to me. How do you feel, my firefly? In a hushed,
831 almost fearful whisper, I get my answer. "..I love you, ChibiUsa..."
833 I blush deeply, her words running through my head over and over
834 again. Those lovely words, spoken by this lovely girl. I feel like a
835 veil’s been lifted. Everything seems clear now. I never thought about
836 those words, not like this. And I’ve certainly never, ever heard them
837 spoken of me. It fills me with a warm feeling to here her say that, a
838 warmth I’ve never felt before. I feel so fuzzy, so giddy. I feel like
839 laughing and crying and jumping for joy all at the same time. For a
840 brief second I wonder what my parents would think. I’m the Princess
841 of the Royal Family of Crystal Tokyo. But I shake it off. It doesn’t
842 matter. I know in my heart of hearts that this is right. "I love you,
843 too, Hotaru-chan." I feel like a weights been lifted from my
844 shoulders. No more mincing of words, no more hiding our secrets. How
845 we felt was out in the open between the two of us now. This frail
846 girl... she truly means that much to me. That much and more. Gazing
847 over at the raven haired girl, seeing myself reflected in her violet
848 pools, before I know it I lean forward, ever so slightly at first.
849 Even I don’t realize it until my lips gently brush hers. I blush
850 deeper as I feel those warm soft lips against my own. It feels…
851 wonderful. My first kiss… Hers too, I realize. But that just makes it
852 all the more wonderful in this quiet moment.
854 The sad, shy girl looks at me sadly, apologetically. "I’m sorry…
855 I’ll only cause trouble for you..."
857 I shake my head quickly, not wanting her to ever have to worry about
858 something like that. "Even if you did cause trouble for me, I’d
859 gladly take it." Over and over again, forever, just so I could be
860 near her. To emphasize my point I lean forward, kissing her gently
861 again. It tastes better than the best candy I’ve ever had back home
862 in Crystal Tokyo, much sweeter than the best they could offer. I’d
863 give anything to just stay like this.
865 A small giggle escapes her lips, a smile gracing her delicate
866 features. "..I've never even had a real friend before.. and now I
867 have you... it's so wonderful, so perfect...." It means so much to me
868 to be that for her, to be that and more. I never want her to have to
869 suffer ever again. I don’t know if I can help it or not, but I’ll try
870 my hardest to keep her happy. Forever.
872 I find myself smiling brightly back at her, my hand still pressed
873 gently against Hotaru’s cheek. I giggle softly myself, glad to see
874 that smile on her face again. "Hai, perfect. Just like you, Hotaru-
875 chan. I want to be everything for you. I want you to be happy. I want
876 to be able to see your smile." I look deeply at her, wishing I could
877 just tell her everything here and now, but not knowing where to start.
879 "How can I not be happy... if I’m with you..?" she says in that soft
880 voice of hers that I can’t help but imagine whenever there’s silence
881 around me. A faint smile appears on her lips. "It’s like... like...."
882 She trails off, at a loss for words. But I know exactly what she
883 means. Everything about this is perfect, magical. Its too hard to put
884 into words. So why bother, when I can just be here with her?
886 ~~~~~
888 Usagi stared at ChibiUsa oddly as they made their way home. The
889 younger girl had been acting strangely all night and now she seemed
890 to be off in her own little world, barely noticing what was happening
891 around her. The blonde girl sighed inwardly. This whole thing just
892 seemed to be getting more and more confusing.
893 Had ChibiUsa heard those thoughts she would wholeheartedly agreed.
894 Her fingers absentmindedly went to her lips, her mind drifting back
895 to her first kiss just moments before. She felt a sudden wave of
896 dizziness wash over her as she relived the moment. What had happened
897 back there? She swallowed nervously as she walked along. That strange
898 feeling refused to leave her. She had never thought something like
899 this would happen. Her mother had told her to be ready for anything
900 when she came back to the past, but this was beyond anything she
901 could have imagined. Falling in love had not been one of the things
902 she’d thought her mother had meant. And with her… ChibiUsa’s cheeks
903 started to flush and her heart beat faster as the odd feeling in her
904 stomach increased in intensity. She felt like she needed to sit down
905 soon, but she didn’t want Usagi’s already paranoid mind to have
906 anything to work off of.
907 The mysterious dark haired girl had quickly drawn her in. Those
908 violet, pain filled eyes seemed to look deep into her soul whenever
909 she gazed into them. This almost deathly pale girl had invaded her
910 every thought. How could she have become so important to her? Did it
911 matter? The whole idea of falling in love this way had been so
912 foreign to her. The thought of falling in love with this girl was
913 almost frightening to begin with. But Hotaru needed her, didn’t she?
914 She wanted to do everything she could to make her happy. This whole
915 thing was so new to her. But it was exhilarating, the feeling that
916 encompassed her at the very thought of the raven haired girl. It
917 scared her a bit, but she pushed that to the back of her mind. She
918 wouldn’t let that get in her way. She couldn’t just run away from
919 Hotaru. The other girl had already woven a spell deep into ChibiUsa’s
920 soul. Maybe this was destiny. She had heard her mother say that so
921 many times about her father. This wasn’t quite the same, but it sure
922 felt like destiny had brought her to Hotaru.
923 “What are you daydreaming about?” Usagi asked after a long moment
924 of silence. “You haven’t said a word since we left Hotaru’s house.
925 What’s gotten into you? All thoughtful and dreamy all of the sudden.”
926 A sudden pang of worry spread through Usagi. Her suspicions about
927 Hotaru began to grow. The mysterious girl very well could be part of
928 The Enemy. And ChibiUsa would be completely unreasonable about things
929 if she mentioned the possibility to her. So for now it was best if
930 she just kept an eye on the younger girl. A silent sigh escaped her
931 lips. What would the pink haired girl do without her?
932 ChibiUsa almost didn’t hear Usagi’s question at first. Shaking her
933 head, she tried to clear her thoughts but found that nearly
934 impossible. “I.. Nothing. I’m just thinking about… home. And my room.
935 And stuff…” There. That sounded convincing enough, ChibiUsa thought
936 with a satisfied smile. She did get homesick a lot, so Usagi
937 shouldn’t get too suspicious over that.
938 Usagi seemed to consider it for a moment before finally deciding to
939 let it drop. ChibiUsa was acting strangely, but pushing her probably
940 wouldn’t get her anywhere. She knew how stubborn the pink haired girl
941 could be and she didn’t feel like arguing with her for once. There
942 was too much to think about after meeting the Professor and his
943 daughter. She had to see what the others thought.
944 Glancing sidelong at Usagi, ChibiUsa contemplated saying something
945 for a long moment. This woman would one day become her mother, the
946 woman she held in the highest regard. Her mother meant a lot to her.
947 And she dearly wished she could talk with her about what was going
948 on, about Hotaru. She bit her lip thoughtfully. Opening her mouth to
949 speak, nothing came out. The nervousness that overtook her was too
950 strong to quell. Usagi may be her mother in the future, but now…
951 Maybe this just wasn’t the time to say anything. She couldn’t bring
952 herself to bring it up now as it was. Finally deciding to tell the
953 blonde girl later, if ever, she turned her attention back to what
954 really mattered. Hotaru.
956 Hotaru gazed longingly out her window. How long had she been
957 sitting there? Minutes? Hours? She honestly couldn’t tell. The
958 conversation she had had with the pink haired girl kept playing over
959 and over again in her mind. It was too much to believe. How could
960 something so wonderful happen to her? That such a sweet girl would
961 actually care for her? Her? No one cared about her. Those that didn’t
962 hate her or try to actively hurt her saw her as an oddity, something
963 that had no real significance. But ChibiUsa was different from
964 everyone else. She had looked beyond everything and had stayed. She
965 hadn’t ran away or decided that Hotaru was an object of derision.
966 Instead she had come again and again to her, always as her friend. A
967 friend… Hotaru had never had a friend before. That alone seemed
968 inconceivable. But that the pink haired girl could love her?
969 Impossible. How could anyone? Yet ChibiUsa had been perfectly honest.
970 She had seen that in those beautiful crimson eyes.
971 Finally lying back on her bed, Hotaru stared up at the roof. Her
972 lamps lit her dim room like fireflies in the darkness. Romantic, the
973 pink haired girl had called it. She allowed herself a soft smile.
974 This was her only place of escape from the pain of the world. This
975 was her sanctuary. The atmosphere helped her try and forget
976 everything, much as her books let her attempt escape into the life of
977 another. But she was always brought back to reality, or taken from
978 the safety of her room. The cold harsh pain would always come
979 flooding back in after her short reprise. Her escape was always too
980 short. Much too short. There had never been anything in this life
981 worth returning to. Until now. There was something for her to hang on
982 for now. She had a reason to go on.
983 It had been so easy for her to fall for the pink haired girl. She
984 was so sweet and caring. There was never any doubt in ChibiUsa’s mind
985 that everything would turn out right in the end. Even with Hotaru.
986 That outlook on life was so different from Hotaru’s own. Everything
987 about her was like a bright light in Hotaru’s life, lighting up the
988 darkness that threatened to engulf her. The thought that falling in
989 love with the pink haired girl was wrong had briefly crossed her mind
990 on several occasions, but she couldn’t help it. And what was one more
991 mistake for someone like her?
992 The fear that this would all be snatched from her as quickly as it
993 had appeared to her was nearly overpowering at times. This could all
994 be some sick joke by the heavens. A way to taunt her with what she
995 desired with all her heart only to have it taken away. How could a
996 witch like her, a freak, be granted this? If ChibiUsa knew… her body
997 went numb at the thought. If ChibiUsa knew everything about her,
998 would her mind change swiftly? Would she decide that everyone else
999 had been right about Hotaru?
1000 The raven haired girl almost felt like crying at that. Hugging her
1001 pillow tightly to her chest, she wondered how this would all turn out
1002 in the end. Her life didn’t matter. She would let this play out the
1003 way it was intended. It seemed safer to keep things as friends, to
1004 not risk losing what little she had. But for ChibiUsa’s sake, and the
1005 yearning in her own heart, she would see where this took her.