rlm@0: Dreams Part 1 rlm@0: rlm@0: By Amazoness Duo rlm@0: Amazonessduo@hotmail.com rlm@0: rlm@0: She smiled gently as she ran a hand through the other girl’s long blonde hair. Bright aquamarine rlm@0: eyes looked deeply into beautiful violet ones as if they were in a world all their own. She felt the other girl rlm@0: push a lock of her dark brown hair away from her eyes. She felt as if the other girl could see right through rlm@0: her, as if she could see into the depths of her soul. That feeling sent shivers through her, the feeling that the rlm@0: other girl truly knew her better than she knew herself. They didn’t need to say anything. They both knew rlm@0: the other far too well to need any words right now. She let out a contented sigh as those soft, sweet lips rlm@0: brushed gently, almost cautiously against her own. How she longed to kiss her lover deeply, passionately. rlm@0: But she could wait, and that was part of the joy in this moment. The leisure of spending this time with her rlm@0: one true love. It felt boundless, as if they weren’t confined to this world or to any other, a feeling that they rlm@0: could just bask in the glow of the others warmth. rlm@0: Bringing a hand up gingerly to the other girl’s warm cheek, she tilted her head to the side as if to rlm@0: ask ‘You or I?’ Who was it to be this time? Who would be the one to begin their endless dance again. rlm@0: Before she knew who had begun this time, she felt the other girl’s lush lips push against her own. This time rlm@0: the kiss was longer, more drawn out, evoking a gasp from her lover. She brought her hands to the sides of rlm@0: the other girl’s head, watching the other girl smile sweetly back at her. Her fingers slowly moving across rlm@0: her lover’s silky skin, she gently caressed her soft lips with her own. rlm@0: If her entire life had been leading up to one specific place, one specific time, this would be it. But rlm@0: that was not the case. ‘We’ll be together, you and I, no matter where fate leads. No matter what path we rlm@0: take, we take it together.’ Pouring her entire being into one kiss, she tried to convey every feeling she was rlm@0: having to the blonde girl. The other girl matched her point for point as they stood together, both needing the rlm@0: other to be whole. rlm@0: rlm@0: Kumiko stretched luxuriously, basking in the warm sunlight that filtered through her bedroom rlm@0: window. She opened her blinds wide to let in the coming day. She smiled at the sounds of the birds rlm@0: chirping outside her window. She froze when she heard a groan coming from her bed. Turning quickly, she rlm@0: caught sight of long blonde hair peeking out from beneath one of Kumiko’s pillows. rlm@0: “Turn off the light, okay?” Megumi’s tired voice sounded muffled from underneath the pillow. rlm@0: “Megumi-chan? What are you doing here?” Kumiko asked surprised. rlm@0: “You don’t remember last night? I came over here late last night because I wanted to see you and rlm@0: you told me not to go after that. I didn’t.” rlm@0: Kumiko laughed. “I thought it was a dream.” rlm@0: “I never have dreams that nice.” Megumi smiled sweetly over at the brown haired girl, watching rlm@0: her try to adjust her pony tail. rlm@0: “Megumi-chan…” Kumiko said quietly, crossing the few feet between them with a couple steps. rlm@0: Leaning down, she kissed the blonde girl for a few blissful moments. “You really better go before my rlm@0: parents catch you.” rlm@0: “Kumi, what would be wrong with that? I like your parents. They’re very nice. I’m sure they rlm@0: would be happy for you,” Megumi said. rlm@0: “Yeah, maybe, but I still don’t want them catching you in here,” Kumiko gestured to the bedroom rlm@0: around them. rlm@0: A knock at the door startled both girls. “Kumiko-chan, breakfast is ready, dear. Hurry up before it rlm@0: gets cold,” Kumiko’s mother yelled. rlm@0: “Hai, mom. I’ll be right there.” Turning to Megumi, Kumiko pointed to her closet. “You can rlm@0: borrow one of my uniforms and I’ll pack a lunch for you.” rlm@0: Megumi nodded. “Thanks. Today’s cheerleading practice, though.” rlm@0: Kumiko thought for a moment. “You should have thought of that before you came over,” she said, rlm@0: sticking out her tongue at the other girl. More seriously, she began to think again. “Could we stop off at rlm@0: your house on the way to school to pick up your cheerleading uniform? You live close enough that if we rlm@0: get going soon we should be able to make it in time.” Walking to her closet, Kumiko put her own rlm@0: cheerleading uniform in her backpack. rlm@0: Megumi smiled happily. “Thanks, Kumi. I’ll try to get ready quickly then.” rlm@0: “Okay. See you in a minute.” Giving the blonde girl a soft kiss on the lips, Kumiko picked up her rlm@0: backpack and hurried out of the room. rlm@0: “There you are, Kumiko-chan,” her father said as she walked into the kitchen. “We thought you’d rlm@0: slept in.” rlm@0: “No, I’m up. I just had to finish some things before I was ready,” Kumiko explained, taking a bite rlm@0: of the fresh pancakes. They tasted marvelous, but she didn’t have the time to savor them. She made her rlm@0: way to the refrigerator. Taking a brief look inside, she started grabbing food for two lunches. rlm@0: Her mother laughed when she looked over at her rushed daughter. “You must be hungry today.” rlm@0: “I’m making lunch for Megumi-chan, too. Sometimes she forgets,” Kumiko said, wrapping some rlm@0: leftovers. rlm@0: “That girl’s sweet. You’re lucky to have a friend like that,” her father said. rlm@0: “Yeah. She’s the best.” Kumiko smiled. She almost dropped the lunch she was making when she rlm@0: saw Megumi standing next to her mother in the kitchen. “Megumi-chan?” rlm@0: “She was right outside. It looks like some people can wake up early,” her mother laughed while rlm@0: she ushered Megumi inside. Megumi just smiled and waved to Kumiko. “Would you like to stay for rlm@0: breakfast, Megumi?” rlm@0: “She’d love to, mom, but we’ve got to get going. Thanks anyway!” Taking a hold of Megumi’s rlm@0: arm, Kumiko headed for the door. Her parents sweatdropped as they watched their daughter hurrying off. rlm@0: “Goodbye!! Arigato!” Megumi said to Kumiko’s parents before heading out the door. rlm@0: “How’d you get there?” Kumiko asked as they started off towards Megumi’s house. rlm@0: “I climbed out your window and knocked on the front door. Your mother let me in after that,” rlm@0: Megumi smiled. rlm@0: “I know what you’re thinking.” rlm@0: “I like your parents. They’re really nice,” Megumi said. rlm@0: “So are yours.” Kumiko smiled. rlm@0: “When they’re home.” Letting out a sigh, Megumi looked over at Kumiko. “Besides, I thought rlm@0: you said your parents liked me, too.” rlm@0: Kumiko laughed, brushing some hair out of her eyes. “As another daughter, yeah. You are over at rlm@0: our house enough to be.” rlm@0: “See? Your parents should have started guessing with that. And I’m always going places with rlm@0: you. When you and I are going places Friday nights, you dress up for it. Last time there was a dance, your rlm@0: parents asked you for over a week who you were going to go with but you kept saying you didn’t know rlm@0: until you wound up going with me as ‘friends’.” Turning to Kumiko, she grinned. “So maybe they already rlm@0: know. Or they have to have guessed a few times.” rlm@0: “Oh, stop it. That’s not funny,” Kumiko said. “Anyway, we better hurry if we want to get to your rlm@0: house and school on time.” rlm@0: “Thanks.” rlm@0: Starting to walk faster, Kumiko blinked as her eyes adjusted to the bright day. “For what?” rlm@0: “For lunch. That was sweet of you,” Megumi said happily. rlm@0: “That? Oh, that’s alright.” Kumiko winked at the blonde girl. “Just make sure you eat all of it.” rlm@0: Megumi giggled. “Of course I will. You made it.” Stopping in front of her house, Megumi pulled rlm@0: out a house key and unlocked the door. “Would you like to come in, Kumi?” rlm@0: Kumiko looked at her watch nervously. “No, that’s okay. Just be quick.” rlm@0: Megumi nodded and headed swiftly into her house. A few moments later, she came out the door, rlm@0: putting her cheerleader uniform in her backpack. rlm@0: “Is that everything?” Kumiko asked worriedly as she took another glance at her watch. rlm@0: “That should be.” Grabbing Kumiko’s arm just above the shoulder, Megumi looked into her eyes. rlm@0: “Kumi, don’t worry about it. If anything happens, we’ll tell your parents that it was my fault because I rlm@0: forgot something at home.” rlm@0: Kumiko shook her head. “No, I wouldn’t say anything like that. Let’s just try to get there on rlm@0: time.” rlm@0: “Hai.” Megumi made sure the door was locked before she and Kumiko started running to school. rlm@0: rlm@0: “So why did you both show up so late?” Asahi asked, pulling on her shoes. She was eager to get to rlm@0: cheerleading practice so she had dressed hurriedly. rlm@0: “Oh… We…” Kumiko started. She turned to Megumi and shrugged helplessly. She busied herself rlm@0: with fixing her pony tail. rlm@0: “I was waiting to walk to school with Kumi, but by the time we were on our way, I remembered I rlm@0: left my uniform at home.” Megumi gestured to the cheerleading uniform she was now wearing. rlm@0: “No wonder. Well, at least you got here. Chisa was betting you wouldn’t and Akari thought one of rlm@0: you was sick.” Picking up her baton, Asahi checked to make sure everything was perfect. “But I thought rlm@0: Kumiko-chan just wound up sleeping in again.” rlm@0: Megumi nodded. “Kumi must have been tired after last night. I did want to get up myself.” She rlm@0: smiled mischievously at the brown haired girl. rlm@0: Kumiko blushed and nudged the blonde none too gently. “Megumi-chan…” rlm@0: Megumi merely giggled and stepped to the side. “Your cranky, Kumi. You didn’t sleep much last rlm@0: night, did you?” She winked at Kumiko while their friend looked on in confusion. rlm@0: Before anyone could say another word, a woman in her early twenties entered the room, her dark, rlm@0: shoulder length hair offsetting calm blue eyes. “You girls almost ready?” She asked. rlm@0: A faint blush spread over Asahi’s cheeks. She clutched her baton tightly and nodded. “Yes, rlm@0: Coachie.” rlm@0: The older woman smiled gently at Asahi. “Good. I’ll be waiting for you.” She paused for a rlm@0: moment before she turned to leave the room. rlm@0: Asahi slowly let out a sigh. “Coachie…” she said dreamily. Without looking back, she hurried rlm@0: after the other woman. rlm@0: Kumiko turned to Megumi. “That still frightens me.” rlm@0: Megumi shrugged, looking after their friend. “Coach is really nice, and Asahi’s seemed to like her rlm@0: since the first day she showed up for gym class. I’m just wondering if they’re going out or if Asahi-chan’s rlm@0: still pining away,” the blonde girl said thoughtfully. rlm@0: Kumiko eyes widened. “Going out? But the coach is so much older than Asahi-chan. Do you think rlm@0: they might be?” rlm@0: “Maybe, I’m not sure yet. And age doesn’t matter, anyway, so that’s not important.” rlm@0: “Well, if they’re not together, I wish Asahi-chan luck,” Kumiko said, taking Megumi’s hand in her rlm@0: own. rlm@0: Megumi smiled. “Me too. For now, we better get out there before they start worrying about us.” rlm@0: Kumiko nodded agreement and the two girls headed outside. rlm@0: rlm@0: “How did you do on the test, Kumi?” Megumi asked as they walked vaguely towards Kumiko’s rlm@0: house. It was a beautiful cloudless day and they had the whole weekend in front of them. rlm@0: Kumiko slung her backpack on one shoulder. “I did okay, I guess. It helps that we studied for it. I rlm@0: wouldn’t have been ready at all otherwise.” She rolled her aquamarine eyes. “They could have at least rlm@0: tested us on something we already knew.” rlm@0: “We could try to study more next time,” Megumi suggested. rlm@0: Kumiko thought for a moment. “No, that’s alright. I did pretty well and we’d probably just get off rlm@0: track next time we study anyway, like we usually do.” rlm@0: Megumi smiled at the other girl. “That’s true.” rlm@0: The two girls walked along for a few minutes, talking about this and that. Megumi came to a halt rlm@0: when she spotted something. “Hey, looks like they’re selling some antics over there.” rlm@0: Kumiko turned to where Megumi’s gaze led. “See anything you want?” rlm@0: “Maybe…” The blonde said before walking over to the items spread before them. The items were rlm@0: all set up in front of a large metal gate. Behind the gate lay a rather impressive mansion. The sight of the rlm@0: mansion sent a chill through both girls. rlm@0: Kumiko rubbed her arms, the feeling she got from the house almost physical. “Can we go, rlm@0: Megumi-chan?” She felt odd seeing that place. rlm@0: “In just a minute,” Megumi said quietly. Many of these items, these personal belongings of rlm@0: someone long gone, seemed familiar to her. Some she could nearly remember. Try as she might, she rlm@0: couldn’t stop the familiarity she felt. rlm@0: “Cool! Megumi, look at this,” Kumiko said, her gaze settling on a small video camera. rlm@0: “Wow! It looks pretty old.” Megumi walked over to the desk on which it lay, side by side with rlm@0: Kumiko. rlm@0: “It would be great to have it, wouldn’t it? I’d love to record you with it.” Kumiko laughed as she rlm@0: picked it up, pretending to video tape Megumi. The other girl giggled and posed for the video camera. rlm@0: “You girls find something you want?” A girl around their age walked up to them, seeming to rlm@0: come from nowhere. They had been so caught up in the house and the items that they were both startled by rlm@0: her arrival. rlm@0: Regaining her composure first, Kumiko turned. “Yeah, we’re interested in this video camera. How rlm@0: much is it?” rlm@0: “You are? No one else has even looked its way yet.” The girl stood in thought for a moment. “If rlm@0: you want it, you can have it.” rlm@0: “Really?” Megumi asked excitedly. rlm@0: “Yeah, sure,” the other girl smiled. “My mom and I just moved in. We need to get rid of some of rlm@0: the stuff that was already here.” rlm@0: “Thanks!” Kumiko said happily. rlm@0: “Don’t mention it.” The girl nodded to them before returning to watch over the sale. rlm@0: Kumiko grinned as she held up the video camera again. “This should be fun.” rlm@0: “We have to see if it works first, though,” Megumi pointed out. rlm@0: “Yeah, you’re right. I hope it does.” Kumiko gave the video camera a quick glance to make sure it rlm@0: looked like it was in working order. “It looks like whoever owned it took really good care of it.” rlm@0: “We can check it out at my house.” Megumi smiled at Kumiko and brushed some of the other rlm@0: girl’s dark brown hair away from her eyes. rlm@0: “Looks like there’s still a video in it, too,” Kumiko said, still toying with the video camera. rlm@0: “Good. Now, let’s go back to my house. This place is giving me the creeps.” Megumi took rlm@0: Kumiko’s free hand with her own. rlm@0: Kumiko waved to the girl who had given them the camera before they left. Neither Kumiko nor rlm@0: Megumi understood the significance of the video camera they held or the history it possessed. Both tried to rlm@0: push off the strange feelings they’d had while near the house as they got further and further away from it. rlm@0: rlm@0: rlm@0: As they approached Megumi’s house, Kumiko broke the silence that had been following them rlm@0: ever since they left that scary mansion that had given them such odd feelings of déjà vu. rlm@0: “This really is a cool camera, isn’t it?” Kumiko smiled excitedly, trying to be patient and wait till rlm@0: they could see what was on the video tape. rlm@0: “I guess so, Kumi, but I don’t see why you’re so amazed with it. It’s so old. They probably don’t rlm@0: even make tapes that are compatible with such an old model video camera.” Megumi sighed, trying to rlm@0: brush that scary feeling she got from the mansion away. rlm@0: “Aww..” Kumiko frowned. “I’m sure that they’re sold somewhere.” rlm@0: Megumi giggled and leaned forward, lightly kissing Kumiko’s lower lip. “I’m sorry. I’m just a rlm@0: little shaken by the old building.” rlm@0: When they stepped inside, Kumiko noticed that Megumi’s parents weren’t there. “Where are your rlm@0: parents, Megumi?” rlm@0: “They’re gone. Like usual. I don’t see why you’re surprised. They’re hardly ever here.” Megumi rlm@0: sighed, angrily. rlm@0: “Don’t worry about it, Megumi-chan. At least we have the place to ourselves. And we can check rlm@0: out this video in peace,” Kumiko smiled, trying to cheer up her best friend, schoolmate, and girlfriend. rlm@0: “You know that the video’s probably just an old empty tape left in by the owner a long time ago rlm@0: and they never used it, right?” Megumi tried to let her down gently, noticing that Kumiko had such high rlm@0: hopes for the camera and didn’t want to crush them. rlm@0: “For some odd reason, I just know that there’s something on that tape. Like destiny’s calling for rlm@0: me to watch it. Like there’s something or someone very important on it.” Kumiko shook her head trying to rlm@0: clear away all of the overwhelming thoughts that rushed through her as she connected the video camera to rlm@0: the television so they could view the contents of the tape. rlm@0: Megumi laughed, hugging Kumiko from behind. “Kumi, its just an old tape. Probably of rlm@0: someone’s birthday or family.” rlm@0: “What if its for us?” Kumiko asked half seriously. She blushed when she thought about how rlm@0: foolish that sounded. “Well, I still want to see what its about.” rlm@0: “Want me to get some popcorn?” Megumi asked, still smiling. rlm@0: Kumiko sat down beside Megumi, pulling her legs up to her chest. She felt the warmth of the rlm@0: other girl sitting next to her. She could smell the sweet scent of Megumi’s long, soft blonde hair as it rlm@0: brushed her cheek. Smiling to Megumi, she received a brief kiss from the blonde before returning her rlm@0: attention to the television. Her heartbeat quickened as the video started. rlm@0: Megumi sighed. She had an odd feeling about this. She wasn’t sure she wanted to see what was on rlm@0: the video. She felt that maybe, just maybe, Kumiko had been right about the video being for them. That rlm@0: thought scared her. What if it changed things? Maybe there were certain things they weren’t meant to know rlm@0: about. rlm@0: The faint outline of a girl could be seen amidst the static as someone tried to fix the camera so rlm@0: many years ago. After a short time, the silhouette started to come into view. She was a girl about their age rlm@0: with long dark hair and dark stormy blue eyes. Her skin was very pale, as if made of alabaster. She seemed rlm@0: to have a perpetual smile that followed her as she continued to check the camcorder. Both Megumi and rlm@0: Kumiko caught their breath as they watched the dark haired girl on the video. A strange sense of nostalgia rlm@0: filled the room. The dark haired girl winked at the camcorder after she seemed fairly certain that it was rlm@0: working. rlm@0: “Tomoyo-chan,” another girl called from offscreen. “You don’t have to worry about that.” rlm@0: “It’s okay, Sakura-chan. Its working now,” Tomoyo said happily. The camcorder turned suddenly, rlm@0: now being held by the dark haired girl. A girl with short brown hair and large green eyes stood in view of rlm@0: the camcorder. She was wearing the same school fuku Tomoyo was wearing. rlm@0: Sakura sweatdropped and put a hand behind her head nervously. “I just meant that you don’t have rlm@0: to videotape me right now, Tomoyo-chan. I’m not even doing anything interesting like card captoring right rlm@0: now.” rlm@0: Tomoyo’s quiet voice spoke up warmly. “Sakura-chan’s always interesting. You know there’s rlm@0: nothing else I’d rather videotape.” rlm@0: Sakura sighed in defeat. “Okay. I just thought that we were going to go for a walk.” rlm@0: “We are,” Tomoyo replied. “I wanted a video to remember it by.” Megumi’s hand absentmindedly rlm@0: went to her left cheek as she watched the events unfold. This whole things seemed so familiar. She knew rlm@0: these girls. She was sure she knew them. rlm@0: Kumiko felt her breath catch in her chest. She felt like she was actually there, watching everything rlm@0: as if it were through her own eyes rather than the camcorder. As the two girls onscreen talked, Kumiko rlm@0: tried desperately to remember what happened next. Remember? How could she remember something she’d rlm@0: never seen? rlm@0: The dark haired girl behind the camcorder giggled as she ran to catch up with Sakura. Sakura rlm@0: smiled brightly at her as she caught up. “I don’t think I’ll ever understand why you do that, Tomoyo-chan.” rlm@0: “Because you are the most beautiful thing for me to record. Because you are the most interesting rlm@0: thing for me to record. Because I love you,” Tomoyo explained. rlm@0: Sakura smiled brighter and looked over at Tomoyo. “I love you, too, Tomoyo-chan.” rlm@0: “Watch out…” Megumi whispered. Tomoyo was too busy following Sakura with the video rlm@0: camera to notice the tangled root in front of her. Her foot got caught, throwing her off balance. The rlm@0: camcorder tumbled from her grasp, but by now the images weren’t needed. They both knew what rlm@0: happened. Sakura looked on in alarm when she heard Tomoyo’s gasp. She quickly lunged forward, rlm@0: catching the dark haired girl around the waist and under an arm. They both stumbled the rest of the way to rlm@0: the grass. The camcorder was on its side, pointing at the two girls holding each other. Both were breathing rlm@0: heavily from the shock. They looked at each other for a long moment, passing a silent thank you between rlm@0: them. Ever so slowly they leaned towards each other, their lips meeting passionately. rlm@0: Kumiko gasped as the television turned off. For a moment she thought the video was over, but rlm@0: looking up she could see Megumi had pressed the power button on the television. Megumi stood there rlm@0: silently, looking off into the distance. She seemed to be thinking. Or maybe she didn’t want to think. rlm@0: “Tomoyo…” Kumiko pleaded. rlm@0: Megumi turned to the other girl, her eyes wide. “Why did you call me thatt?” rlm@0: “Call you what?” Kumiko asked nervously. rlm@0: “Tomoyo.” rlm@0: “I meant… I didn’t mean you, Megumi-chan. I was caught up in the video.” Kumiko tried to rlm@0: explain it away. rlm@0: Megumi shook her head. “You can’t lie to me, Kumi. I know you too well. Why did you call me rlm@0: that?” She swallowed nervously. ‘Please just say I reminded you of her, or that you were daydreaming that rlm@0: was us. Anything. I’ll believe you, Kumi,’ Megumi thought to herself. rlm@0: “I… I don’t know, Megumi-chan,” Kumiko said softly. rlm@0: rlm@0: End part 1 rlm@0: