rlm@0: Hello! ^-^ This story stars ChibiUsa & Hotaru and is set in an
rlm@0: alternate reality. I’ve been wanting to write something about this
rlm@0: theme of a slave and her owner falling in love for quite a while now.
rlm@0: I’d like to thank Boco the Chokobo for all of the wonderful ideas
rlm@0: that went into making this fanfic. ^-^ This story deals with some
rlm@0: adult issues, so please read responsibly. The characters belong to
rlm@0: Naoko Takeuchi and I’m merely borrowing my favorite couple, though
rlm@0: I’m sure they wish I wasn’t with all the stuff I put them through. ^-
rlm@0: ^;; All of the situations and this alternate reality are my own, so
rlm@0: please don’t take them without permission. I borrowed many other
rlm@0: characters for cameos, so if you can spot them all, drop me an e-
rlm@0: mail. ^-^ Or if you just like the story or have any comments about
rlm@0: it, I would love to hear them. ^-^
rlm@0: 
rlm@0: 
rlm@0: Finally Free
rlm@0: by Amazoness Duo
rlm@0: amazonessduo@hotmail.com
rlm@0: 
rlm@0: 
rlm@0: The large stone building was crowded with people. Bodies crammed
rlm@0: next to bodies as everyone struggled to get past, trying to peer into
rlm@0: the brightly lit cages at those trapped within. The smell of people
rlm@0: permeated the air, the sound of voices droning out other voices until
rlm@0: it became a nearly deafening roar. The new shipment had come in and
rlm@0: was on display for all to see. Girls and boys in cages all throughout
rlm@0: the building were being poked and prodded by the vast throng of
rlm@0: customers. All searching for something in particular. 
rlm@0: 	It was organized chaos at its finest. Like some amalgamation of a
rlm@0: carnival freak show and a slave auction, people came and went in
rlm@0: densely packed lines, going from cage to cage. They would inspect the
rlm@0: creature before them for a bit, studying them for more than a few
rlm@0: seconds if they were interested. Then they would move on or get the
rlm@0: attention of one of the well dressed employees about buying one of
rlm@0: the half naked ‘animals’ in the cages. People came and went, cages
rlm@0: opening and closing as the employees went from one perspective
rlm@0: customer to another.
rlm@0: 	There was a wave of fear for all of those in the cages. Most were
rlm@0: frightened out of their minds, hundreds of people looking them over
rlm@0: like furniture. Curiosity gnawed at each of them as their fates
rlm@0: seemed to hang in the balance. And there was nothing they could do
rlm@0: but wait. The small, steel cages were much too tiny to move freely,
rlm@0: much less turn around in their confines. And so they could do nothing
rlm@0: but watch and pray to whomever may be listening that things would
rlm@0: work out. That this nightmare would soon end. 
rlm@0: 	In contrast to the frightened thoughts of those in the tiny cages,
rlm@0: those outside had a general sense of excitement. A certain electric
rlm@0: thrill ran through the air as they continued their inspection. This
rlm@0: was an altogether amazing event for most, the sheer amount of choices
rlm@0: mind boggling. Children giggled playfully as they stared into the
rlm@0: cages, poking in with stubby fingers and whatever else they may have
rlm@0: with them while absentminded adults paid little to no attention, too
rlm@0: busy with their own gawking at the prisoners. 
rlm@0: It was in this jumble of anarchy and confusion that a pink haired
rlm@0: girl made her way along the rows upon rows of cages. Rather petite of
rlm@0: stature, she didn’t stand out much in the crowd. Her long pink hair
rlm@0: was done up in two cones, the rest falling to either side and
rlm@0: reaching just above her shoulders. Her red party dress with gold trim
rlm@0: felt a little out of place next to the hardly clothed people in the
rlm@0: cages, but she didn’t seem to notice. She was just as ecstatic as any
rlm@0: of the others there, if not more so. Oh, how she had longed for this
rlm@0: for so long now. Having just turned sixteen, she was now given the
rlm@0: chance to pick out her birthday present. But what to pick? They all
rlm@0: looked so cute! It was difficult to decide what she wanted. 
rlm@0: 	Peering into a cage, the pink haired girl’s crimson eyes followed
rlm@0: the movements of a small dark haired girl. Smiling sweetly, she moved
rlm@0: closer, trying to get a better look. Long, dark wings unfurled from
rlm@0: the dark haired girl’s back as she came closer. Her long, dark hair
rlm@0: fluttered behind her as her aquamarine eyes peered out fearfully. The
rlm@0: wings began beating faster as she tried to escape the small cage, but
rlm@0: she again failed. With each failure came the sickening revelation
rlm@0: that she would never be free again. ChibiUsa noted with some dismay
rlm@0: that her wings had been clipped. Even if she was free, she wouldn’t
rlm@0: be able to fly. 
rlm@0: 	“Poor girl,” ChibiUsa whispered, holding onto one of the cold steel
rlm@0: bars. The girl inside continued to flutter her wings in agitation,
rlm@0: but their beating slowly began to diminish. Drawing her knees up to
rlm@0: her chest, she seemed to be giving in to the futility of it all. 
rlm@0: 	It took ChibiUsa a moment to realize that someone was yelling at
rlm@0: her to get back. Glancing around, it took her a moment to spot the
rlm@0: man. He was behind the cage and pulling it back out of the way.
rlm@0: Watching it curiously, she spotted a slightly younger blue haired
rlm@0: girl, her long pigtails trailing behind her as she smiled into the
rlm@0: cage. 
rlm@0: 	“Oh, she’s so cute! I’m going to name her Misao. You’re coming home
rlm@0: with me, aren’t you, Misao?” the blue haired girl asked happily. Of
rlm@0: course, asking the pet was pointless. It wasn’t up to her at all. But
rlm@0: the girl was obviously pleased with the bird girl that she had picked
rlm@0: out. 
rlm@0: 	ChibiUsa smiled and continued on, glancing in cages as she did so.
rlm@0: She was glad that the bird girl had gotten an owner. But that still
rlm@0: didn’t help her decide who she should get for a pet. Her father was
rlm@0: somewhere around here, but she had lost him a while ago. It hadn’t
rlm@0: been hard, moving through the vast sea of people. She just wanted
rlm@0: some time to pick out a pet for herself without someone looking over
rlm@0: her shoulder. She wanted this pet to be all her own. 
rlm@0: 	Brushing back pink bangs, the teenager walked alone through the
rlm@0: crowd, looking in cage after cage of pets for sale. She saw another
rlm@0: bird girl, with tan skin and coppery hair, long dark wings fluttering
rlm@0: uselessly. Next to her was an ice blue haired girl, but she couldn’t
rlm@0: quite figure out what type of animal she was supposed to be. It took
rlm@0: her a moment to realize that she was in a tank rather than a cage,
rlm@0: water surrounding her as she tried to swim in the enclosure. The
rlm@0: scales on her tail were all beautifully iridescent, reflecting the
rlm@0: bright lights of the building in rainbow colors. In the next two
rlm@0: cages were a leather clad cat and a white haired mouse, respectively.
rlm@0: The mouse was cowering in a corner of her cage as the cat hissed
rlm@0: loudly at her, raking long finger nail-like claws against the bars.
rlm@0: Next to the mouse in yet another cage was a green haired frog girl
rlm@0: who was dozing peacefully. And even further on was a simply gorgeous
rlm@0: woman with beautiful rainbow colored butterfly wings. She seemed to
rlm@0: be a little older than a good deal of the pets there. 
rlm@0: 	Many had caught her interest, but none had really been the one that
rlm@0: ChibiUsa wanted. She wasn’t quite sure what she was looking for
rlm@0: herself, but she knew that she would find it if she only kept looking. 
rlm@0: 	Passing by a butterfly boy and a pony boy, ChibiUsa paused for only
rlm@0: a moment before moving on. Someone already seemed interested in them,
rlm@0: a boy a little older than her, and she was looking for something else
rlm@0: anyway. She just couldn’t tell what exactly. 
rlm@0: 	Fingers rolling along the edge of a cage, the crimson eyed girl
rlm@0: relished the cold feeling beneath her fingers. The room was almost
rlm@0: unbearably hot, the air humid. She could hear the loud sounds of the
rlm@0: air conditioning in the background, but it just didn’t work with all
rlm@0: of these bodies back so closely together. Deciding to ignore it, her
rlm@0: other hand wiped across her sweat drenched brow. 
rlm@0: 	A low growl startled her out of her thoughts, drawing the young
rlm@0: consumer’s attention to the cage near her. With a quick motion, the
rlm@0: tiger that was in there lunged towards her fingers. Shock pumped
rlm@0: through her small body as her hand jerked back reflexively. A scaly
rlm@0: fish boy began laughing at her as she passed him and another hawk
rlm@0: boy. She resolved to be more careful, holding the hand that had been
rlm@0: lunged at protectively. 
rlm@0: 	Just what was she looking for? What type of pet did she want? She
rlm@0: couldn’t tell. A smile graced soft lips as she walked past what
rlm@0: looked to be a family of cats. The parents looked to be a slender
rlm@0: female cat with long dark hair and a male cat with only slightly
rlm@0: shorter white hair. The kitten was adorable, with short, dark violet
rlm@0: hair done up in odangos near her ears. This one seemed a lot tamer
rlm@0: than the tiger. Large curious eyes looked up at her, as if they were
rlm@0: studying ChibiUsa in the same way she was being studied herself.
rlm@0: ChibiUsa giggled softly and scratched behind the kitten’s ear,
rlm@0: hearing a distinct purr in reply. “You’re just a sweetie, aren’t you?
rlm@0: I’m sure someone’s gonna get you soon.” She giggled again as the purr
rlm@0: grew louder. Slowly pulling her hand away, she took another step
rlm@0: forward, glancing back at the cage and smiling for a moment before
rlm@0: heading forward. 
rlm@0: 	And suddenly, she spotted something moving near the back of what
rlm@0: she had thought was an empty cage. Taking a few steps closer, she
rlm@0: hunched over to try and get a better look inside the cage. In the
rlm@0: back, there was a scared looking girl, her skin as pale as a sheet of
rlm@0: paper. Her long black tail moved slowly, her knees drawn up to her
rlm@0: chest. The dark ears that jutted out of her raven hair twitched
rlm@0: occasionally. Large, violet eyes watched ChibiUsa cautiously. It
rlm@0: looked like she was trying to fade away into the shadows at the back
rlm@0: of the cage, the poor kitten looking helpless in the tiny steal cage.
rlm@0: Crimson eyes brightened as the newly christened sixteen year old girl
rlm@0: leaned forward to get a better look. The kitten didn’t make a sound,
rlm@0: only the movement of the dark tail and violet eyes showing that she
rlm@0: was awake. She looked so shy, holding herself like that. So lonely.
rlm@0: So cute.
rlm@0: 	ChibiUsa smiled happily as an employee came by to see if she needed
rlm@0: help. “I want this one!!”
rlm@0: 
rlm@0: 	“So what are you going to name her?” ChibiUsa’s father asked
rlm@0: curiously as they drove home a short time later. His pink haired
rlm@0: daughter sat in back with her new pet, still holding the catgirl’s
rlm@0: leash. The catgirl really didn’t seem to be doing much, just watching
rlm@0: the events from her large, scared violet eyes.
rlm@0: 	ChibiUsa tilted her head to the side thoughtfully, watching her
rlm@0: feline companion closely. She was still so excited to finally have
rlm@0: her birthday present. And what a birthday present at that! Her very
rlm@0: own catgirl... And such a cute one, too.  It was a thrilling
rlm@0: experience. 
rlm@0: 	Pink hair flew around ChibiUsa’s head as she shook it, trying to
rlm@0: clear her thoughts. She couldn’t just let the catgirl run around
rlm@0: nameless. But she didn’t want to name her just anything. Those sad,
rlm@0: violet eyes and her beautiful ivory skin made her gorgeous to look
rlm@0: at. She needed a lovely name to go with it. But what would fit this
rlm@0: skittish kitten? And with such a lonely, haunting feel about her, it
rlm@0: was hard to find something suiting. “I think I’m going to name her
rlm@0: Hotaru,” she said at last. 
rlm@0: 	Her father raised an eyebrow, looking back at his daughter through
rlm@0: the rearview mirror. “You’re going to name your pet cat ‘firefly’?”
rlm@0: 	ChibiUsa pouted, scooting closer to the catgirl. Hotaru tried to
rlm@0: scoot away, but just managed to wedge herself against the door.
rlm@0: “Yeah, because I think it fits her perfectly. She has a real gothic
rlm@0: beauty to her. And she looks so sad. So I like the name.” She smiled
rlm@0: sweetly at the catgirl, who looked down quickly. 
rlm@0: 	Laughing, her father turned a corner. “That’ll change once you get
rlm@0: her home and well fed. Then she’ll be a much happier cat. She looks
rlm@0: pretty skinny, so that’s most likely the problem.”
rlm@0: 	Nodding thoughtfully, ChibiUsa reached forward, smiling gently at
rlm@0: Hotaru. “It’s okay. I won’t hurt you. I’m taking you home. You’ll be
rlm@0: happy there.” Her fingers brushed through the catgirl’s soft hair.
rlm@0: Hotaru closed her eyes and tried to pull further away, but there was
rlm@0: nowhere to go. Her pointed cat ears twitched slightly. Seeing the
rlm@0: catgirl like this was a little disturbing. She had seen how happy
rlm@0: pets usually looked with their owners, but this catgirl looked
rlm@0: entirely withdrawn, afraid of the situation. It did make sense that
rlm@0: she would be scared. She was still young and probably hadn’t been
rlm@0: anywhere else before. But that just strengthened ChibiUsa’s resolve
rlm@0: to get closer to her new pet, to make it feel comfortable at home.
rlm@0: She was her kitten now, so she'd make sure she was happier. 
rlm@0: 	Exuberance filled the genki pink haired girl as she watched her
rlm@0: pet. Finally having one, she was extremely pleased with her choice in
rlm@0: a birthday present. She was just so cute. And all hers. She had
rlm@0: promised to take good care of her before her parents would let her
rlm@0: have one. She was the perfect birthday present, a real live catgirl.
rlm@0: And to think that she hadn’t had any idea of what to ask for for her
rlm@0: birthday until a few weeks ago. 
rlm@0: 
rlm@0: 	Sitting in the park weeks earlier, ChibiUsa had been pondering the
rlm@0: same question over and over for the past few days. Her sixteenth
rlm@0: birthday was nearly upon her and she still didn’t know what she
rlm@0: wanted. It was a big stepping stone and her parents seemed pretty
rlm@0: thrilled. A big party was planned with all of her friends and family.
rlm@0: But she couldn’t think of a thing that she wanted. Little things that
rlm@0: didn’t matter, but nothing that seemed to fit the occasion. So she
rlm@0: had gone shopping with Ruruna and Naruru to clear her mind and wound
rlm@0: up broke. Again. They had gone on to another antique shop, but she
rlm@0: just wanted to rest her aching legs. They’d been shopping since they
rlm@0: had met up hours earlier. So she took her break to set her mind back
rlm@0: on the question at hand. 
rlm@0: 	An elegant looking girl around ChibiUsa’s age with milky white skin
rlm@0: and long dark gray hair drew her attention. Not because of her
rlm@0: astonishing beauty, which was certainly evident in the midday light,
rlm@0: but because of what she was holding. A long, pink leash that was
rlm@0: linked to the collar around another girl’s neck. The other girl had
rlm@0: short brunette hair and was walking on all fours across the grass.
rlm@0: The pale girl seemed to be enjoying herself immensely, following
rlm@0: after the girl on the leash with a camcorder in her other hand. It
rlm@0: was a very peculiar sight to behold. 
rlm@0: 	“Good girl, Sakura-chan! You’re such a sweet puppy. You just work
rlm@0: all of that energy out, darling. My cute, genki Sakura-chan can’t be
rlm@0: kept in a house all day,” the mistress said in a soft, melodious
rlm@0: voice. It wasn’t until then that ChibiUsa noticed the large, floppy
rlm@0: ears on the brunette’s head or the short furry tail just above her
rlm@0: tail bone. So that was a pet! She watched in astonishment as the
rlm@0: puppygirl continued to run around on the grass, the dark haired
rlm@0: heiress holding onto the leash and following the puppy’s motions with
rlm@0: her camcorder. “Fetch, Sakura-chan!” Pulling a small pink stick out
rlm@0: of her purse, the woman tossed it in front of her pet. Sakura hurried
rlm@0: to get it, biting down on it and bringing it back to her mistress.
rlm@0: The dark haired girl knelt down, scratching behind the puppy’s ears
rlm@0: and smiling delightedly. “Oh, you’re such a good girl.”
rlm@0: The brunette’s eyes closed, her tail wagging happily. 
rlm@0: 	“Wow!” Getting to her still sore feet quickly, ChibiUsa approached
rlm@0: the two girls. “That’s amazing! Is she your pet? She’s so cute!”
rlm@0: Seeing the puppygirl up close, ChibiUsa marveled at the site. A mix
rlm@0: between a normal girl and a puppy, she made an adorable pet. 
rlm@0: 	Stormy blue eyes shimmered as the woman nodded. A bright smile
rlm@0: crossed her face as she continued petting Sakura. “Hai, she is. Her
rlm@0: name is Sakura-chan. I’ve had her for years now. Her mother was a
rlm@0: show winner. Isn’t she sweet? She’s the sweetest puppy imaginable.” 
rlm@0: 	Sakura was starting to blush from the praise, but her tail still
rlm@0: wagged happily as her mistress’s fingers continued playing through
rlm@0: her hair. “Hi,” She said, a little shyly. 
rlm@0: 	ChibiUsa blinked in surprise, nearly falling back in the grass.
rlm@0: “She can talk, too? She must be really talented.”
rlm@0: 	“Oh, she can talk really well. And about the cutest things. And
rlm@0: yes, she’s very talented. I have tapes and tapes full of all the cute
rlm@0: things Sakura-chan can do,” the woman said, still smiling her
rlm@0: trademark smile. 
rlm@0: The puppy girl was leaning against her by now and still blushing a
rlm@0: deep red. “Tomoyo-sama...” She looked like this happened often, but
rlm@0: that she still hadn’t really gotten used to it. Sighing, she started
rlm@0: licking at Tomoyo’s palm while her mistress continued talking with
rlm@0: the girl that looked like a bunny. She’d chase her, but Tomoyo
rlm@0: probably wouldn’t want her to. And besides, she really didn’t feel up
rlm@0: for a chase right now.
rlm@0: 	“She’s so kawaii!! I bet she makes a terrific pet,” ChibiUsa said,
rlm@0: still amazed by the girl on the leash. What a wonderful idea. She had
rlm@0: no idea pets were so exciting. Her shoulders slumped slightly as a
rlm@0: sudden realization hit her. The pale girl did look remarkably
rlm@0: wealthy. “She probably cost a fortune, though.” There went that idea.
rlm@0: She’d have to find something else to get for her birthday. And it
rlm@0: seemed like such a good idea, too!
rlm@0: 	Tomoyo shook her head, giggling softly at the ticklish feeling of
rlm@0: Sakura’s tongue. “No, not really. Sakura-chan was a gift from my
rlm@0: mother a few years ago, but I don’t believe they’re really that
rlm@0: expensive. It might take a while to save up, but with all of the
rlm@0: things you bought,” she motioned towards ChibiUsa’s bags back on the
rlm@0: bench, “you should be able to afford it after a while. I honestly
rlm@0: think you should. I’m so lucky to have my cute Sakura-chan.” Another
rlm@0: bright smile lit her face as she looked down at the puppy girl.
rlm@0: Sakura perked up, as if waiting for something, sniffing. A horn
rlm@0: honked in the distance, catching all of their attention. Tomoyo
rlm@0: looked back towards a waiting limousine. “Oh, I must be going. I hope
rlm@0: you can get a pet. They really are wonderful. I don’t know where I’d
rlm@0: be without Sakura-chan.” Standing up elegantly, she brushed down her
rlm@0: long skirt. “Come one, Sakura-chan. Let’s go home. I’ll give you a
rlm@0: nice bath.”
rlm@0: 	Sakura waved and followed her mistress, standing up on two feet
rlm@0: this time, pulling alongside of her. Both girls disappeared into the
rlm@0: limousine. 
rlm@0: 	Watching them drive off, ChibiUsa’s hair was tossed around by the
rlm@0: wind. She barely seemed to notice, too deep in thought to care. That
rlm@0: was what she wanted. A pet. A pet all of her own. Running back to the
rlm@0: bench, she grabbed her things and headed home. That’s what she would
rlm@0: ask for. Oh, it was perfect!
rlm@0: 
rlm@0: 	ChibiUsa brushed back some pink hair from her eyes, squinting in
rlm@0: the afternoon sun, her reverie fading. Her brand new pet was still
rlm@0: sitting sulkily in the car, dark eyes glistening in the shadows.
rlm@0: “C’mon, Hotaru-chan. We’re home now.” She smiled sweetly at the
rlm@0: catgirl, motioning for her to follow. The catgirl looked at her for a
rlm@0: second, but dropped her gaze just as quickly. ChibiUsa’s father
rlm@0: yelled for her to come in, grabbing her attention away from the shy
rlm@0: new pet. “Just a minute, papa!” Her crimson eyes returned to the
rlm@0: catgirl. Kneeling next to the open door, she reached in slowly. “It’s
rlm@0: okay, kitty. We’re home now. Home. I’m going to take good care of
rlm@0: you. I promise. There’s nothing to be scared of.” Her hand gently
rlm@0: stroked the catgirl’s side. Her pale skin was exquisitely soft to the
rlm@0: touch. ChibiUsa’s fingers continued to trail up and down as she
rlm@0: smiled. “Please?” Another request from her father to head in caught
rlm@0: her ears, Hotaru’s ears perking up at the same time. She sighed and
rlm@0: got back to her feet, smoothing down her skirt. “Well, we better get
rlm@0: going, Hotaru-chan. Come on.” She whistled, but the only reaction she
rlm@0: got from the catgirl were her ears perking up again. The pink haired
rlm@0: owner tugged lightly on the leash. This finally seemed to get the
rlm@0: catgirl’s attention. Pulling lightly, the pink haired girl led her
rlm@0: birthday present inside.
rlm@0: 	Hotaru followed behind her owner slowly, taking no notice of her
rlm@0: surroundings. What was the difference between here and the pet shop?
rlm@0: At least she wasn’t in a cramped cage anymore. But now she was all
rlm@0: alone. Most of the others would have been thrilled to have been
rlm@0: bought like this. But being in this strange new place by herself was
rlm@0: scary. She should be grateful to have her own mistress now, but it
rlm@0: was all too new, too frightening. Everything was happening too fast.
rlm@0: At least her mistress was pretty. And she seemed nice. But who knew
rlm@0: what would happen? Not that it mattered. She was only a pet. Her life
rlm@0: was at the sole discretion of her mistress. It was why she lived.
rlm@0: 	Pushing the door to her room open, the proud new owner could hardly
rlm@0: hide her excitement. This had to be her best birthday ever. Her
rlm@0: lovely pet was just perfect. Better than she could have dreamed.
rlm@0: “Well, here it is. This is my room.” She gestured broadly with her
rlm@0: free hand to their surroundings. The bed was along one wall, red and
rlm@0: white bedsheets topped with neatly placed bunny dolls. The room was a
rlm@0: little cluttered with little possessions here and there, but it
rlm@0: didn’t look messy. Long, frilly white curtains hung over the bedroom
rlm@0: window that overlooked the backyard. Some clothes from this morning
rlm@0: lay discarded in a corner. Several letters were arranged neatly on
rlm@0: her bedside, all sporting ‘Happy Birthday’ somewhere on them. Next to
rlm@0: the bed lay a large maroon fuzzy basket with some small cat toys in
rlm@0: it. Next to it were a food and water dish. 
rlm@0: 	Grinning in excitement, ChibiUsa walked towards the bed. Resistance
rlm@0: tugged at the hand holding the leash. Turning back, she saw the
rlm@0: catgirl frozen in the doorway. “It’s okay. This is your room now,
rlm@0: too, Hotaru-chan. See? This bed is for you. And the toys and
rlm@0: everything. Isn’t it cute? We went and picked it out this morning.
rlm@0: It’s all for you.” She tugged lightly at the leash, pulling Hotaru
rlm@0: out of her stupor. The shy girl looked down, but slowly walked up
rlm@0: behind her owner.
rlm@0: 	Hotaru’s catlike eyes took in the little things on the floor, even
rlm@0: in the dim light. It was all for her? She’d never had anything
rlm@0: before. Just another kitten at the pet store, she was lost in the
rlm@0: crowd. Usually afraid or lonely even amongst all the others. She was
rlm@0: a little overwhelmed to be given anything at all. Especially when she
rlm@0: herself was a birthday present. The thought seemed ludicrous. Like it
rlm@0: didn’t quite fit. She was a pet. Pets didn’t have anything. No, it
rlm@0: must have just been phrased wrong. That had to be it. Her eyes shut
rlm@0: quickly when ChibiUsa finally got to the light switch. 
rlm@0: 	“Well, here it is. I hope you like it,” ChibiUsa said with a smile,
rlm@0: twirling around on one foot to gesture to the room a last time before
rlm@0: plopping down on her bed. Her crimson eyes stayed on the catgirl with
rlm@0: a childlike enthusiasm. It was almost surreal to see one up close.
rlm@0: Her very own at that. And she was so pretty, too! Just wait until
rlm@0: Ruruna and Naruru found out. They would be so surprised. Hotaru
rlm@0: averted her gaze, shifting around uncomfortably, her tail swishing
rlm@0: slowly from side to side. “You’re soooo cute.” A giggle escaped the
rlm@0: pink haired girl as she pulled on the leash playfully. “You can come
rlm@0: closer. It’s okay. I won’t hurt you.” 
rlm@0: 	Taking an awkward barefoot step forward, Hotaru inched closer to
rlm@0: her mistress. That warm smile managed to draw the dark haired catgirl
rlm@0: ever nearer. Feeling another gentle tug on the leash, she kneeled
rlm@0: down in front of her having nowhere else to go. Her hands and knees
rlm@0: on the floor, her tail continued moving nervously behind her as big
rlm@0: violet eyes looked up at her owner. The smile was still on that face
rlm@0: framed by pink, her hand moving down slowly. Hotaru flinched a bit
rlm@0: when ChibiUsa’s fingers touched the side of her face, trailing
rlm@0: upwards into her raven hair. What did she want? Not that it mattered.
rlm@0: She was her pet. Her mistress could do whatever she wanted with her.
rlm@0: Hotaru’s curiosity continued to grow as the fingers ran through her
rlm@0: hair. But suddenly it didn’t matter. Her eyes closed and she began to
rlm@0: purr. Quietly at first, but it began to grow louder. ChibiUsa’s
rlm@0: fingers were scratching right behind her ear. It felt very nice with
rlm@0: those gentle fingers in her hair. Her tail began to move more
rlm@0: happily, as if completely unaware of the previous nervousness of the
rlm@0: girl it was attached to.
rlm@0: 	A musical giggle escaped ChibiUsa lips as she watched her new pet.
rlm@0: “I’m really glad I picked you, Hotaru-chan.” She continued to pet the
rlm@0: kitten for a few more minutes, enjoying the soft purring sound the
rlm@0: catgirl made. 
rlm@0: 	“ChibiUsa-chan, dinner!” 
rlm@0: 	“Coming!” Sighing, the pink haired girl petted the girl one last
rlm@0: time before standing up. The purring slowly came to a stop. Big,
rlm@0: violet eyes looked up at her in confusion. She smiled down
rlm@0: apologetically. “I have to go get dinner. You should probably eat,
rlm@0: too. I’ll be back in just a bit.” Scratching behind Hotaru’s ear
rlm@0: again, she quickly made her way to the door, glancing back in at the
rlm@0: solemn looking catgirl. ‘She looks so serious all the time,’ ChibiUsa
rlm@0: thought to herself. “Bye, kitty!”
rlm@0: 	Hotaru watched as her mistress left the room, nervousness gnawing
rlm@0: at her again. It hadn’t been too bad when she had been there with
rlm@0: her, but now she was alone in this scary place. And she didn’t know
rlm@0: what to do. This was all new to her. This was home from now on.
rlm@0: Curling up into a ball, she began to cry.
rlm@0: 
rlm@0: 	Later that night, the catgirl was balled up in her basket, wide
rlm@0: awake. She couldn’t get to sleep in her strange new surroundings.
rlm@0: Every small sound startled her right when she started to fade away to
rlm@0: the land of dreams. She had finally given up trying to sleep a short
rlm@0: time ago. Lying there, staring at the wall, she contemplated her
rlm@0: existence. Sold like the animal she was, she was now property of her
rlm@0: mistress, the girl in the bed behind her. It was a dream for many to
rlm@0: get sold at the auctions. To have their own master or mistress. To
rlm@0: have a home. But she was still so afraid. No one had taught her what
rlm@0: to do once she was bought. Part of her had thought that she never
rlm@0: would be. Who wanted a lonely looking cat, anyway? Apparently, this
rlm@0: pink haired girl. She sat up slowly, her head peaking up across the
rlm@0: bed. She could see ChibiUsa’s feet sticking out from under her
rlm@0: blankets, the warm cloth tangled around the pink haired girl oddly.
rlm@0: In the darkness, her catlike eyes could still make out the nightgown
rlm@0: she was wearing, though the color looked faded. Her pink hair was let
rlm@0: down out of the odangos she had seen it in earlier. She really was
rlm@0: very pretty. And she was looking at her. Hotaru’s eyes widened in
rlm@0: surprise and she quickly ducked back down, pulling her knees to her
rlm@0: chest as she tried to pretend she was asleep.
rlm@0: 	“Can’t sleep?” the sweet voice of her owner whispered. Hotaru
rlm@0: froze, unsure of how to respond. Creaking sounds came her way as
rlm@0: ChibiUsa crawled across the bed. The sound finally stopped and she
rlm@0: relaxed slightly. A hand brushing through her hair nearly made her
rlm@0: jump in shock. Turning around, she spotted her mistress’s head over
rlm@0: the edge of the bed, watching her with that warm smile again. “It’s
rlm@0: okay if you can’t sleep. I always have trouble in a new place, too.
rlm@0: You wanna sleep on the bed?” 
rlm@0: Hotaru nodded slowly, shyly. ChibiUsa smiled again and sat up,
rlm@0: gesturing for the catgirl to follow. Standing up, the dark haired pet
rlm@0: hesitantly crawled onto the edge of the bed, curling into a ball
rlm@0: there. She felt ChibiUsa’s feet brush against her side as her
rlm@0: mistress pulled the blankets around herself. Hotaru was a little
rlm@0: surprised. Wasn’t she supposed to be in her basket? Well, this was
rlm@0: nicer. It felt soft and the blankets underneath her were warm. And it
rlm@0: did feel more comfortable to be closer to her owner. She was very
rlm@0: sweet and managed to make this whole thing much easier for Hotaru to
rlm@0: handle. Lying there in silence, she tried not to move much lest she
rlm@0: disturb the pink haired girl. But it was still cold in the room
rlm@0: despite being on top of the blankets and she couldn’t help shivering
rlm@0: slightly. She was only lightly clothed.
rlm@0: 	Giggling softly, ChibiUsa sat up again. “Still cold, huh? Here, get
rlm@0: in the blankets. It’s warmer.” She watched the quiet catgirl for a
rlm@0: long moment, holding up the blanket invitingly. “Come on. It’s okay.”
rlm@0: Smiling reassuringly, she scooted over and patted the bed next to
rlm@0: her. “Come here.” The violet eyed pet looked back at her hesitantly,
rlm@0: still sitting with her legs tucked under her at the foot of the bed.
rlm@0: She sure was a reluctant pet. She didn’t seem very open around
rlm@0: people. But she was ChibiUsa’s now so it didn’t matter. The pink
rlm@0: haired owner was just glad to have her. Sighing, she took her pet’s
rlm@0: arm. The pale skin was very soft and cold. “Oh, you poor thing. You
rlm@0: must be freezing. C’mere, Hotaru-chan.” Pulling lightly, the catgirl
rlm@0: slowly crawled up beside her. ChibiUsa smiled again and pulled the
rlm@0: blankets up. “Here you go.” Hotaru sat there, staring at her. The
rlm@0: young owner sweatdropped. Taking Hotaru’s arm again, she pulled her
rlm@0: closer and toward the head of the bed. “Okay, now lie down.” The
rlm@0: catgirl lay her body down on ChibiUsa’s pillow, her head to the side.
rlm@0: “No, not like that.” 
rlm@0: Hotaru winced, closing her eyes.  She didn’t know what she was doing
rlm@0: at all. Humans had never been around her very much so she just didn’t
rlm@0: understand what she was supposed to do to please her mistress. Now
rlm@0: she’d probably hate her for being disobedient. And she didn’t want
rlm@0: that at all. Her mistress seemed so nice. What was she to do now?
rlm@0: The fear etched on Hotaru’s face sent a chill through ChibiUsa. Her
rlm@0: catgirl looked so sad. She shook her head quickly. “No, I didn’t mean
rlm@0: it like that. It’s all right. Don’t be sad.” Another smile crossed
rlm@0: her face as she tried to reassure her new pet. This was getting to be
rlm@0: a lot of work. But still... She liked it. It was nice having her
rlm@0: here. Her cute catgirl. It was nice to have the responsibility of
rlm@0: her. To take care of her new pet. Placing her hands on Hotaru’s
rlm@0: shoulders, she positioned her on her back, pushing down until her
rlm@0: head was finally on the pillow. Dark hair formed a halo around the
rlm@0: catgirl’s head on the pillow, her kitten ears barely jutting out of
rlm@0: the hair. Hotaru looked at her in confusion but followed her
rlm@0: directions. Satisfied with her work, ChibiUsa pulled the blanket up
rlm@0: around the both of them. “There. See? Much warmer, Hotaru-chan.” She
rlm@0: smiled brightly as she hugged herself under the blanket, trying to
rlm@0: get warm again.
rlm@0: Shyly, Hotaru smiled back. “Thank you,” her soft voice whispered. 
rlm@0: 	Giggling, ChibiUsa propped herself up on an elbow. “So you can
rlm@0: talk. I was wondering when you were gonna say something.” It had
rlm@0: almost been a surprise to hear Hotaru speak. She had started to think
rlm@0: that she wouldn’t. Hotaru’s voice was very soft, but lovely. It fit
rlm@0: the shy catgirl perfectly. “You have a very pretty voice, Hotaru-chan.”
rlm@0: 	The dark haired pet blushed a cherry red, shifting slightly under
rlm@0: the blankets. It was already strange to be sleeping this way, like a
rlm@0: human girl, but now she was embarrassed as well. She hadn’t known
rlm@0: what to say earlier. And her owner’s comments were flattering. This
rlm@0: whole day had taken quite a toll on her. It just seemed to be one
rlm@0: surprise after another. “A.. arigato...” she whispered, quieter this
rlm@0: time. 
rlm@0: 	Petting her catgirl gently, ChibiUsa smiled again. “Sleep well,
rlm@0: Hotaru-chan. I’ll see you in the morning.” Something brushing against
rlm@0: her side caught ChibiUsa's attention. It was warm and furry, moving
rlm@0: in quick motions. Reaching down, she grabbed a hold of the furry
rlm@0: intruder. Hotaru’s eyes went wide as ChibiUsa gripped it. “Oh...
rlm@0: Sorry.” She sweatdropped as she let go of Hotaru’s tail. Yawning, she
rlm@0: let her crimson eyes fall shut. “Sweet dreams, kitty.”
rlm@0: 	Hotaru watched closely as ChibiUsa’s breathing steadied and she
rlm@0: drifted off to sleep. Her mistress looked so calm and peaceful. So
rlm@0: cute. She noticed that the pink haired girl was holding onto a white
rlm@0: stuffed bunny with a big red bow. Purring softly, she snuggled next
rlm@0: to her owner, yawning tiredly and showing her sharp teeth in the dim
rlm@0: light. It had been an exhausting day. Before long, she was passed out
rlm@0: beside her pink haired owner.
rlm@0: 	
rlm@0: 	J-pop meandered through ChibiUsa’s room as morning light filtered
rlm@0: through her window. Something about ‘my darling and my dentures’
rlm@0: played on the radio. ChibiUsa was still too tired to care. The pink
rlm@0: haired girl rolled over in bed, moaning about the unjustness of it
rlm@0: all. School was always such a tiresome thing. Sure, she got to see a
rlm@0: few friends, but was it really worth all of that pain of stuffy
rlm@0: teachers trying to force things upon you? Especially when she had her
rlm@0: own pet now. That’s right! ChibiUsa sat up in bed, suddenly awake.
rlm@0: Blinking the sleep from her eyes, she scoured the room for any trace
rlm@0: of her catgirl. But where was she? It couldn’t have been a dream,
rlm@0: could it? Her heart started to slow back down to it’s usual beat when
rlm@0: she saw Hotaru heading back into her room from the doorway on all
rlm@0: floors. ChibiUsa’s slippers were in her mouth. “Awww... How sweet of
rlm@0: you, Hotaru-chan. You’re such a good kitty.” Grinning happily,
rlm@0: ChibiUsa slipped out of bed, kneeling next to the catgirl and petting
rlm@0: her warmly. “My good little girl. Yes, you are.” Taking the slippers
rlm@0: from Hotaru’s mouth, she quickly slipped them on. “I wanna stay home
rlm@0: and play with you, Hotaru-chan. School doesn’t sound like any fun.”
rlm@0: Pouting sadly, she just watched her new pet for several moments.
rlm@0: Finally reaching forward, Hotaru tensed up under ChibiUsa’s warm hug.
rlm@0: “I’ll see you soon, Hotaru-chan. We can play when I get home.”
rlm@0: 	Hotaru watched her mistress with inquisitive violet eyes as
rlm@0: ChibiUsa walked all over the room sticking things in her bookbag.
rlm@0: “Where are you going?” she asked curiously, trying to keep the
rlm@0: nervousness out of her voice. She didn’t want to be left alone again.
rlm@0: And why couldn’t she come with? She’d be good. She was well behaved.
rlm@0: Not like some of the pets she could remember back at the pet store.
rlm@0: “Skool?”
rlm@0: 	Nodding quickly, ChibiUsa began getting dressed, tossing the
rlm@0: nightgown to the floor as she dug through her closet for her school
rlm@0: uniform. She stood in front of the closet clad in nothing but her
rlm@0: slippers and her white cotton panties, but didn’t seem to notice as
rlm@0: if she were alone. It was just her pet, after all. She nodded
rlm@0: absentmindedly as she pulled her blouse over her head, then paused
rlm@0: and pulled it off, looking for a bra. “Yeah, school. It’s this real
rlm@0: boring place where they try to force us to learn things.” She stopped
rlm@0: again, turning an anklet over in her fingers thoughtfully before
rlm@0: discarding it. “I’m doing pretty well this semester, though, so I
rlm@0: can’t blow it off and stay home with you. Even if I really want to.
rlm@0: If I do well enough, I’m thinking of going into government.” She took
rlm@0: out a black lavender ribbon and tied it in her hair on one of her
rlm@0: odangos after fixing it to her usual hair style. “Then when I get
rlm@0: older I could get a nice big house for us and you could have gourmet
rlm@0: cat food and all sorts of good stuff.” Checking the mirror, she
rlm@0: smiled and went back to the closet.
rlm@0: 	Violet eyes followed her mistress back and forth across the room as
rlm@0: Hotaru sat on the floor. Her owner really was very pretty. She had
rlm@0: beautiful curves that fit her small frame wonderfully. A small sigh
rlm@0: escaped Hotaru’s soft lips. Too bad she wasn’t a catgirl. But she did
rlm@0: make a nice mistress nonetheless. “Will you be back soon?” Hotaru
rlm@0: asked hopefully.
rlm@0: 	“You’re so sweet, Hotaru-chan,” ChibiUsa commented as she pulled
rlm@0: her skirt on. “Hai. Well, kinda. Sometimes it seems like a long time.
rlm@0: But I’ll be back this afternoon. I promise.” She smiled as she bent
rlm@0: down and scratched behind Hotaru’s left ear. A giddy feeling went
rlm@0: through her as she watched the dark haired pet’s eyes close and heard
rlm@0: her purring again. This whole pet thing was turning out to be great.
rlm@0: Hotaru really did seem like the perfect choice. It was even better
rlm@0: than what she’d thought when she’d met that rich girl and her puppy.
rlm@0: 	Hotaru didn’t answer, just tilting her head to the side, her tail
rlm@0: moving back and forth as she watched her pink haired owner head for
rlm@0: the door. “Goodbye, mistress,” she said at last.
rlm@0: 	Pausing for a moment, ChibiUsa stood in the doorway, fumbling with
rlm@0: her bow. That had sounded awkward. But thinking it over, it did make
rlm@0: sense. Hotaru was her pet at any rate. Smiling over her shoulder, she
rlm@0: waved cheerfully. “Bye, Hotaru-chan! See you this afternoon! I bet
rlm@0: you’ll have more fun than me.” And with that, she disappeared off to
rlm@0: the mysterious ‘skool’. 
rlm@0: 	Sighing, Hotaru clasped her hands in front of her and watched the
rlm@0: empty doorway where her mistress had just been. “I doubt it, mistress.”
rlm@0: 
rlm@0: 	Many hours later, an exhausted student made her way home,
rlm@0: shouldering her bunny shaped bookbag on a weary shoulder. Opening the
rlm@0: door with the key she kept with her, ChibiUsa pushed the door open
rlm@0: with a sigh of relief. It was good to be back home again. A smile
rlm@0: crossed her lips as she remembered the catgirl waiting for her. She
rlm@0: had found it difficult to concentrate at school all day with the
rlm@0: knowledge that Hotaru was at home. School just seemed extraordinarily
rlm@0: mundane compared to her brand new pet. “Hotaru-chan?” she said as she
rlm@0: took off her shoes near the door. There was no answer. But then, she
rlm@0: was a quiet catgirl, so that shouldn’t be too strange. Pulling her
rlm@0: slippers back on, ChibiUsa walked back towards her room. The door was
rlm@0: still wide open as she’d left it. And there was Hotaru lying on the
rlm@0: floor. Reading a book. “Hotaru-chan?” ChibiUsa asked incredulously.
rlm@0: She knew that the catgirl was obviously smart. But that she could read?
rlm@0: 	The book dropped from Hotaru’s hands as she scrambled to a sitting
rlm@0: position. Her violet eyes were wide with fear as she looked towards
rlm@0: her owner. ‘She saw me? She’s not supposed to know that. It’s my
rlm@0: little secret.’ She didn’t know what to say. Or what would happen to
rlm@0: her. Maybe she’d give her away. Hotaru knew that pets usually didn’t
rlm@0: read. Why would they need to? Tears began to well up in her eyes. It
rlm@0: was just the day after she’d been bought and already she had ruined
rlm@0: everything. She was really beginning to like her mistress, too. She
rlm@0: wanted to explain, to try to fix things, but nothing would come out
rlm@0: of her mouth. She felt helpless, trapped. She wanted to run away.
rlm@0: 	“I... Hotaru-chan..” ChibiUsa shook her head and knelt next to her
rlm@0: kitten. She picked up the book that had dropped to the floor. It was
rlm@0: one that she had gotten for her birthday. A hand reached out and
rlm@0: gently stroked Hotaru’s shoulder. “It’s okay, Hotaru-chan. I’m just
rlm@0: surprised. You can read? I didn’t think pets could read.” She smiled
rlm@0: sweetly to show that she wasn’t angry, managing to calm the catgirl
rlm@0: slightly. 
rlm@0: 	Hotaru nodded weakly, sniffling. “Hai...” She wasn’t angry at her?
rlm@0: Why not? Not that it wasn’t a good thing. But she had always been
rlm@0: afraid about someone finding that out. “My mother taught me... before
rlm@0: she died..” Hotaru said sadly. Reading always reminded her of her
rlm@0: mother, bringing back bittersweet memories of the kind woman and her
rlm@0: death that had left Hotaru all alone. So she liked to read when she
rlm@0: had the chance. It always felt like her mother was watching.
rlm@0: 	“Oh...” ChibiUsa looked down at the book for a long moment. So that
rlm@0: was how. It hadn’t occurred to her that anything might have happened
rlm@0: to Hotaru’s family. She hadn’t thought about that sort of thing when
rlm@0: it came to pets. No wonder the poor catgirl looked so lonely. “I’m
rlm@0: really sorry, Hotaru-chan.” She smiled softly, handing the book back
rlm@0: to her pet. It took Hotaru a minute to slowly reach out and take it
rlm@0: cautiously. “If you really like to, you can go ahead and read any of
rlm@0: my books. I don’t read them all that much anyway with all I need to
rlm@0: read for school. And I’m more of a manga girl myself.”
rlm@0: 	Holding the book against her chest, Hotaru kept her eyes on her
rlm@0: slightly shorter owner. “Really...? You’d let me?” she asked
rlm@0: curiously. All of this time she had been afraid of getting in
rlm@0: trouble. She was so surprised that ChibiUsa would allow her to. Her
rlm@0: mother had told her never to let a human see her read. Her owner
rlm@0: really was so kind. “Thank you, ChibiUsa-sama..” Smiling meekly, she
rlm@0: hugged the book tighter, still looking into the pink haired girl’s
rlm@0: pretty crimson eyes. She was so lucky to have a mistress like her.
rlm@0: 	ChibiUsa watched the eager look in Hotaru’s eyes as she held the
rlm@0: book. The catgirl was so cute. The pink haired girl was really
rlm@0: beginning to enjoy learning all of these new things about her pet.
rlm@0: She really did have a lot of personality. Hotaru was becoming more
rlm@0: and more captivating. And she was all hers, which made the whole
rlm@0: thing even better. She didn’t have to share Hotaru with anyone. She
rlm@0: was like her very own personal friend. Gazing back into those violet
rlm@0: eyes, she began scratching absentmindedly behind Hotaru’s left ear
rlm@0: again, eliciting a soft purr from the catgirl. “You can read all you
rlm@0: want, Hotaru-chan. I want you to be happy here.”
rlm@0: 	Hotaru blushed softly and nodded. “I am happy here with you,
rlm@0: ChibiUsa-sama.” She had been so lonely for so long. She was an
rlm@0: outcast back at the pet shop. And ever since she had lost her mother,
rlm@0: she had no one else to turn to. But this lovely girl had taken her in
rlm@0: and was being so sweet to her even though she was just a pet. It was
rlm@0: almost too good to be true. Her mother must have helped her get this
rlm@0: mistress.
rlm@0: 	Giving Hotaru a hug that the catgirl slowly relaxed into, her tail
rlm@0: still moving behind her, ChibiUsa blushed a bit herself. Hotaru was
rlm@0: already figuring very prominently in her mind. The catgirl was just
rlm@0: so much more fun and fascinating that her friends at school who were
rlm@0: much more concerned with boys and certain fads. She couldn’t wait for
rlm@0: the times when she could be with her kitten. Everything else just
rlm@0: seemed to take a backseat to that in her mind. Smiling, she kept
rlm@0: petting Hotaru as she held onto her, enjoying the soft purr in her
rlm@0: ears. It was so much fun to be with her. And it felt very nice to
rlm@0: hold her. Actually, she could feel the barely clothed girl trough the
rlm@0: thin cloth as she held onto her, now that she thought about it. “I’m
rlm@0: gonna need to get you some clothes soon, Hotaru-chan,” she mentioned
rlm@0: thoughtfully, still holding her.
rlm@0: 	Hotaru blinked, her face inches from ChibiUsa as she watched her.
rlm@0: “Why?”
rlm@0: 	A giggle escaped ChibiUsa’s lips and she shook her head.
rlm@0: “Nevermind, Hotaru-chan. You just read your books and I’ll bother
rlm@0: with the rest. I have to take care of my pet, don’t I?”
rlm@0: 	Still watching, Hotaru finally nodded when ChibiUsa seemed to be
rlm@0: waiting for her. “I.. uhh.. Yes, mistress.” It seemed to be the right
rlm@0: answer so she relaxed, looking into those beautiful scarlet pools
rlm@0: again. ChibiUsa smelled very nice. Just like her slippers had
rlm@0: earlier. And the bed. Yes, she was beginning to like that smell very
rlm@0: much. It was soothing and made her feel warm and safe inside. 
rlm@0: 	ChibiUsa sweatdropped a little at the close proximity, but aside
rlm@0: from it seeming a little odd, it really didn’t bother her. In fact,
rlm@0: she was enjoying the chance to be so close to her pet, especially
rlm@0: with how shy the catgirl was. Reaching down, she stroked Hotaru’s
rlm@0: tails, playing with the swiftly moving pendulum. “Of course. My cute
rlm@0: little pet, Hotaru-chan.” She should start her homework. She should
rlm@0: feed the catgirl. But she just wanted to sit there.  
rlm@0: 
rlm@0: 	“ChibiUsa-chan, I love you,” the white haired boy whispered softly
rlm@0: as his fingers trailed through her cotton candy pink hair. A crimson
rlm@0: blush, the same color as her eyes, made it’s way across her cheeks.
rlm@0: She had thought he’d never say that. Her crush on him had gone
rlm@0: unreturned for so long. As he leaned forward, she realized with
rlm@0: sudden shock ‘He’s going to kiss me...’ Closing her eyes, she waited
rlm@0: anxiously for the magical moment. “Elios...” She pursed her lips as
rlm@0: she waited, her heart pounding in her chest like a freight train.
rlm@0: Would he? She could feel warm breath against her lips, sending an
rlm@0: electric spark throughout her body. Frantic thoughts hurried through
rlm@0: her mind as seconds stretched out into infinity. Her body tensed as
rlm@0: she waited for the kiss that would seal her fate. Warmth washed over
rlm@0: her cheek, slightly wet and a little scratchy against her soft skin.
rlm@0: Confusion quickly shook her anxiety away. What was he doing? Kissing
rlm@0: her cheek? It sure didn’t feel like a kiss. Well, not quite. Shifting
rlm@0: a bit to the side, she felt the warm feeling continue on her left
rlm@0: cheek, moving up and closer to her lips. An unexpected giggle escaped
rlm@0: her as the unidentifiable feeling continued its journey forward,
rlm@0: tickling her cheek. Just what did he want? Wasn’t he going to kiss
rlm@0: her? “Elios?”
rlm@0: 	Scarlet eyes fluttered open in curiosity, searching for the object
rlm@0: of her full attention. “Elios?” she asked again. Blinking in the
rlm@0: darkness, she tried to find the white haired boy. The warm feeling on
rlm@0: her cheek continued, closing ever closer to her lips. Her blush
rlm@0: deepened as she sleepily tried to spot her crush. Her eyes finally
rlm@0: found an ethereal figure leaning over her, a pale figure in the dim
rlm@0: moonlight offset by jet black hair that fell around the pale face
rlm@0: like a veil. Like some unearthly angel, the creature sat over her,
rlm@0: continuing the sweet caress of ChibiUsa’s cheek as if nothing had
rlm@0: changed. The pink haired girl shifted in bed, now utterly confused.
rlm@0: Where had Elios gone? What was happening? And what was that feeling?
rlm@0: It slowly dawned upon her that the warm feeling was her cheek being
rlm@0: licked. But why would Elios be licking her cheek? Her still sleep
rlm@0: addled mind clicked and whirred as it slowly put everything together.
rlm@0: Violet eyes sparkled in the dim light above her, watching her with
rlm@0: catlike intensity. “Hotaru-chan?” the young owner asked suddenly,
rlm@0: sitting up. 
rlm@0: The catgirl moved quickly and with agile grace disappeared into the
rlm@0: darkness. Straining to see the catgirl in the darkness, ChibiUsa’s
rlm@0: fingers reached up to her cheek. The soft flesh still had some saliva
rlm@0: on it from where Hotaru’s somewhat scratchy tongue had passed over
rlm@0: it. So it had all just been a dream? Well, the part about her crush
rlm@0: at the least. But if that was the case, then why was her heart still
rlm@0: beating so quickly? Her fingers traveled from her cheek over to her
rlm@0: lips, lingering there for a second. The warmth that had spread
rlm@0: through her cheek now felt like it was melting through her body,
rlm@0: coating every inch of her. She didn’t know quite how to explain it.
rlm@0: The excitement from the dream dared not dissipate into the night air
rlm@0: just yet. It held onto her, as if the dream wasn’t ready to depart.
rlm@0: Her mind drifted back to her pet’s insistent licking and the
rlm@0: beautiful silhouette that her eyes had awakened to above her. A
rlm@0: cherry red blush colored her cheeks as she sat on her bed, still
rlm@0: drenched in sweat from yet another of many absorbing dreams. The pink
rlm@0: haired girl had never kissed anyone yet, which made it very difficult
rlm@0: to listen to Ruruna and Naruru’s constant boasts. Her dreams often
rlm@0: led her up to what she had built up into her mind to be the
rlm@0: penultimate romantic moment, but had never crossed the threshold,
rlm@0: always leaving her curious as to what would have happened had she
rlm@0: been asleep only a brief moment longer. 
rlm@0: ChibiUsa finally caught sight of her pet in the darkness. Violet
rlm@0: eyes glinted in the shadows near the foot of her bed. As if she were
rlm@0: being drawn to those distant stars, the young owner began crawling
rlm@0: across the bed to the still mostly hidden catgirl. “Hotaru-chan?
rlm@0: Hotaru-chan, you don’t need to hide, kitty.” A soft giggle filled the
rlm@0: silent room. “You’re so shy. Come here.” Sitting in front of the
rlm@0: catgirl on the middle of the bed, ChibiUsa motioned for her to come
rlm@0: forward. “It’s okay. Come here, kitty.” Hotaru slowly complied,
rlm@0: crawling towards her pink haired owner. Her pale figure slowly came
rlm@0: into view, her tail moving slowly in the moonlight. ChibiUsa could
rlm@0: still feel her heart pounding in her chest, her mind furiously trying
rlm@0: to go in every direction at once. She remembered Hotaru’s tongue
rlm@0: along her cheek, so close to her own lips. The feeling was baffling.
rlm@0: It left her wondering about what would have happened had she waited.
rlm@0: She had to remind herself that Hotaru was a catgirl and that it was
rlm@0: probably just her licking her owner as she remembered the puppygirl
rlm@0: had done with the rich girl. But still she couldn’t banish the
rlm@0: thoughts from her mind. Hotaru moved a little closer at her
rlm@0: insistence, her hand still motioning her forward. 
rlm@0: Hotaru complied with her mistress, moving ever closer on all fours.
rlm@0: Her eyes burned with catlike curiosity as she watched the pink haired
rlm@0: woman before her, her hands stopping right before ChibiUsa’s knees.
rlm@0: She hadn’t slept, preferring instead to keep a silent vigil over her
rlm@0: beautiful owner. She had merely been cleaning ChibiUsa’s cheek when
rlm@0: the human girl had woken up, but her sudden movements had frightened
rlm@0: the skittish kitten. Her owner looked cute when she was asleep. Her
rlm@0: pink hair had framed her cute face beautifully in the dark room, her
rlm@0: hands resting on her pillow, her lips forming a sweet pout. She was
rlm@0: surprised to see her awaken so suddenly when it was her experience
rlm@0: that the pink haired girl slept all night long. She had been here for
rlm@0: weeks now and that pattern hadn’t changed in the least. Well, with
rlm@0: the exception of when ChibiUsa wound up staying up with her, but once
rlm@0: the crimson eyed owner was asleep, she generally stayed that way.
rlm@0: Hotaru moved closer still, smelling intently as she moved closer,
rlm@0: enjoying the comforting scent of her mistress.
rlm@0: Blushing, ChibiUsa watched as Hotaru’s angelic face came nearer, her
rlm@0: small nose twitching ever so slightly as she did. Violet eyes peaked
rlm@0: out from behind their shadowy veil at her. That face that had held an
rlm@0: almost constant fear or pain to it now held a gentle contentment.
rlm@0: Sometimes the fear and the pain returned, but ChibiUsa had been happy
rlm@0: to see it slowly ebb, the catgirl’s smile coming more easily as time
rlm@0: went by. The pink haired girl found herself spending more and more of
rlm@0: her time with her precious pet than with her best friends. They were
rlm@0: nice and all, but they didn’t captivate her the same way her gorgeous
rlm@0: kitten did. There was something about the girl’s shy nature and her
rlm@0: total devotion that had quickly snagged ChibiUsa’s attention. She had
rlm@0: even blown off Ruruna and Naruru when they were going to the movies
rlm@0: because of the jealous look she had seen in the catgirl’s deep pools
rlm@0: of violet. Part of that scared her, that she would rather stay home
rlm@0: with her pet than go hang out with her friends. But she had found it
rlm@0: much more enjoyable than gawking at passing boys and staring at
rlm@0: outfits that she could never hope to afford. They had passed the
rlm@0: night pleasantly, playing cards of all things. ChibiUsa had won every
rlm@0: game. She had begun to suspect afterwards that Hotaru had let her
rlm@0: win, but she had such an enjoyable time spending the night sitting on
rlm@0: her bed and playing the games that it hardly seemed to matter. 
rlm@0: It was really a curious situation she found herself in. She knew
rlm@0: that pets were really amazing to have simply from all of the stories
rlm@0: she had heard, but this was much more than she had expected. Unlike
rlm@0: the rest of her friends, ChibiUsa felt that she could really tell
rlm@0: Hotaru things, that she could talk to her about anything. The dark
rlm@0: haired catgirl didn’t judge her. She listened to whatever her
rlm@0: mistress had to say, her cute little cat ears moving along with the
rlm@0: words. She didn’t have to pretend around Hotaru. And that made her
rlm@0: feel so spectacularly free inside. It felt like the shackles that
rlm@0: held down her heart were suddenly released when they were all alone.
rlm@0: Hotaru had asked her why she pretended so much in front of people,
rlm@0: why she hid her feelings behind a veil of happiness and genki energy.
rlm@0: ChibiUsa had tried to explain, but none of her explanations sounded
rlm@0: good enough, even to herself. “Because I want people to see the
rlm@0: happy, smiling me. I want that to be who they remember. I don’t want
rlm@0: to burden others with my problems. I want them to like the genki me
rlm@0: that they see,” she had finally settled on.
rlm@0: “I like you,” Hotaru had said simply. “I don’t think you should have
rlm@0: to pretend for everyone else, ChibiUsa-sama. Even when you’re sad, I
rlm@0: like you. Especially when you’re sad. Because then I can really see
rlm@0: all of you. I know I can’t help much, but just being next to you,
rlm@0: seeing your sad eyes, it makes me wish that I could be with you
rlm@0: always.” Her quiet voice had spoken earnestly from her heart. It had
rlm@0: shaken the young owner. She had grown up hiding her pain and troubles
rlm@0: from others, always being the perky and bubbly girl she had thought
rlm@0: they wanted her to be, but the catgirl was content with who she was
rlm@0: even when that façade was nowhere in sight. 
rlm@0: And now ChibiUsa found herself staring deeply into Hotaru’s endless
rlm@0: violet orbs, breathing quickly as they sat in the darkness on her
rlm@0: ruffled sheets. The catgirl waited with endless patience, looking
rlm@0: back at her curiously as ChibiUsa’s mind wandered from memory to
rlm@0: memory. Laughing in embarrassment, ChibiUsa placed a hand behind her
rlm@0: head. “Goment nasai... I guess I’m still sleepy after all.”
rlm@0: Hotaru nodded slowly, still watching her mistress. A small smile
rlm@0: crossed her lips. She liked watching the pink bunny-looking girl
rlm@0: sleep. “I hope you sleep well, ChibiUsa-sama,” her soft voice prayed. 
rlm@0: 	Shaking her head quickly, ChibiUsa tried to collect her thoughts.
rlm@0: Not thoughts exactly, because she couldn’t quite understand them all.
rlm@0: It was mostly a jumble of feelings, scattered throughout her heart
rlm@0: like flotsam. She collected them up, trying to make sense of them.
rlm@0: The burning sensation from earlier had only managed to grow more
rlm@0: intense as she watched the beautiful catgirl’s ivory skin nearly
rlm@0: sparkle in the moonlight. “No, that’s not what I meant. I don’t feel
rlm@0: like sleeping right now. Hotaru-chan, I...” She shook her head. Why
rlm@0: was this so difficult? What did she want to say? Whatever it was, it
rlm@0: certainly shouldn’t be this difficult. Hotaru was her pet. She had
rlm@0: gone out and picked her out. Hotaru was hers. So why was she having
rlm@0: such a hard time forcing out whatever it was that clung to her? A
rlm@0: frustrated sigh escaped her lips, causing Hotaru’s ears to twitch
rlm@0: noticeably. “Hotaru-chan, I want to kiss you,” she got out in a rough
rlm@0: whisper, her cheeks burning up. Was that it? Was that what she had
rlm@0: wanted to say? Well, not quite, but it was close enough. 
rlm@0: 	The catgirl sat in silence for a long moment, her dark eyes
rlm@0: concentrating fully on her mistress. Her own pale cheeks had flushed
rlm@0: a deep red themselves, though it was hardly evident in the dim light.
rlm@0: She nodded slowly, her black hair fluttering a bit as she did so. Of
rlm@0: course, ChibiUsa was her owner. She had to do whatever was asked of
rlm@0: her, whatever her owner expected of her. But this was so much more
rlm@0: than normal obedience. This was something that she knew she wanted
rlm@0: herself. That she had wanted for some time now. That her mistress
rlm@0: would ask that of her... Her heart swooned at the thought. Her
rlm@0: mistress was such a kind and loving person, the first person who had
rlm@0: ever really cared about her. She treated her more like a friend than
rlm@0: an animal. She was so cute and funny to watch. Hotaru was completely
rlm@0: enamored with her sweet owner. The thought of being with her in such
rlm@0: a way was absolutely delicious. So as her pet, she must comply. But
rlm@0: all of Hotaru’s soul was fully behind the action. 
rlm@0: 	Leaning forward a little awkwardly, ChibiUsa placed her hands on
rlm@0: Hotaru’s bare shoulders. Her heart felt like it was pounding between
rlm@0: her ears by now. The fact that she had never kissed anyone before
rlm@0: made itself painfully well known in her mind. But she did know that
rlm@0: she wanted this to be her first kiss. Licking her dry lips, ChibiUsa
rlm@0: moved forward slightly before pausing again. Moving her head to the
rlm@0: side, she tried to position herself better. The fact that Hotaru was
rlm@0: a girl hardly mattered in her mind and it probably hadn’t even
rlm@0: occurred to Hotaru with the blissful look on the angelic girl’s pale
rlm@0: face. Hotaru was also her pet, so such trivial things as what gender
rlm@0: she was hardly mattered at the moment. Moving forward once more,
rlm@0: ChibiUsa felt her lips press inexpertly against those of her devoted
rlm@0: catgirl. The soft petals of Hotaru’s lips parted briefly and she once
rlm@0: again felt that soft yet scratchy tongue press against her skin, but
rlm@0: this time it was on her own lips. The sensation was sweetly
rlm@0: overwhelming. ChibiUsa closed her eyes and kissed the dark haired
rlm@0: girl again, this time letting her own mouth part when the dark haired
rlm@0: girl’s tongue came out. Her lips moved around it, starting Hotaru at
rlm@0: first before her own tongue brushed against the scratchy one entering
rlm@0: her mouth. 
rlm@0: ‘She’s your pet. You shouldn’t be doing this,’ ChibiUsa’s mind cried
rlm@0: out. ‘She’s your pet so of course you can do this,’ it retaliated.
rlm@0: ‘Damn it, she’s Hotaru-chan and I want to do this,’ she concluded at
rlm@0: last. Her hand slowly moved up over Hotaru’s bare stomach, caressing
rlm@0: the satin soft skin as she made her way upwards. Her heartbeat
rlm@0: continued it’s maddening tempo as she continued higher. She was happy
rlm@0: to find that Hotaru’s heart was beating just as rapidly, thumping
rlm@0: rapidly in the raven haired catgirl’s chest. After what felt like an
rlm@0: endless pause as she worked up her determination, ChibiUsa’s hand
rlm@0: moved to the right under Hotaru’s simple nightshirt, cupping the
rlm@0: delicate skin of one of her small breasts. The catgirl let out a
rlm@0: startled cross between a purr and a moan as ChibiUsa’s hand caressed
rlm@0: the small mound. Hotaru’s arms wrapped around her mistress, pulling
rlm@0: her closer as they continued to kiss. By now, whatever arguments
rlm@0: ChibiUsa’s rational mind had tried were completely forgotten, lost in
rlm@0: the swirling storm that had overtaken whatever conscious thought was
rlm@0: left in her. There were wonderfully soft lips and piercing violet
rlm@0: eyes and warm skin that she could feel through the thin fabric of her
rlm@0: pajamas. And there was a joyous sense of relief, as if she had
rlm@0: finally found what she had spent an eternity searching the world over
rlm@0: for. “Hotaru-chan...” she whispered, her voice sounding different
rlm@0: than she had last remembered. It was her voice, but it wasn’t at all
rlm@0: controlled. It was only now that she had completely let go that she
rlm@0: could see.
rlm@0: Hotaru wasn’t completely aware of what was going on. Her mind had
rlm@0: become clouded over as the kiss had overtaken her. She was vaguely
rlm@0: aware of ChibiUsa’s hand in her blouse, of her fingers against her
rlm@0: skin. That sent a blush all the way down to her shoulders. The
rlm@0: thought that she was completely at her mistress’s mercy sent a shiver
rlm@0: through her ivory body. She didn’t know if she had quite expected
rlm@0: this or not. She knew that she belonged to the pink haired girl, but
rlm@0: this hadn’t really crossed her mind. She would do anything for her,
rlm@0: and she was only all too willing to follow along with her mistress’s
rlm@0: wishes. 
rlm@0: Slowly pulling away, ChibiUsa tried desperately to catch her breath.
rlm@0: She felt dizzy, her mind swirling in ecstasy as she sat back. Her pet
rlm@0: slowly opened her eyes, watching her closely. Swallowing, ChibiUsa’s
rlm@0: tongue moved around in her mouth, still used to the other’s presence
rlm@0: from moments before. This certainly hadn’t been one of the reasons
rlm@0: she had wanted a pet in the first place, but it was certainly a
rlm@0: wonderful surprise at the moment. The teenage girl was extremely
rlm@0: happy to have the closeness that her pet was all too willing to
rlm@0: provide her with. But just as she was an inexperienced kisser, so too
rlm@0: was she lost in exactly how to go about initiating anything sexual
rlm@0: between the two of them. The catgirl sat still, completely docile.
rlm@0: ChibiUsa sighed, her mind racing. Her mind finally settled on the
rlm@0: kiss. “Hotaru-chan, I want you to take off your clothes,” she said
rlm@0: quickly, trying to keep herself from blushing a deeper shade of
rlm@0: crimson than she already was. The dark haired catgirl complied shyly,
rlm@0: looking away from her mistress as she pulled the simple nightshirt
rlm@0: off, sliding off the plain white panties a moment later. The pink
rlm@0: haired owner watched all of this intently, taking in all of her
rlm@0: feline companion in the dim moonlight that sparkled over her body.
rlm@0: Reaching forward, ChibiUsa pulled the panties off of Hotaru’s foot,
rlm@0: pulling at them slightly as she held them up. They had an
rlm@0: intoxicating smell, and the knowledge of where they had just been
rlm@0: only served to entice her even more. 
rlm@0: Hotaru sat on her knees in front of her mistress, watching shyly as
rlm@0: she waited for whatever was to come next. This had certainly come as
rlm@0: a surprise to her, but not as much as it could have been. She had
rlm@0: known from the start that her mistress was completely in charge in
rlm@0: whatever she decided to do. Hotaru was only her pet. She was to go
rlm@0: along with whatever she wished. So she waited, nude in front of her
rlm@0: mistress, her body barred for her. Her tail moved quickly, betraying
rlm@0: the excitement that was building within her. Her animal instincts
rlm@0: wanted to come into play and they were very difficult to suppress at
rlm@0: the moment. She had the sudden urge to pounce the pink haired girl,
rlm@0: but through force of will she managed to push the thought deep down. 
rlm@0: If this had all been a dream, ChibiUsa would not have been at all
rlm@0: surprised. What did come as a surprise was the fact that she wasn’t
rlm@0: waking up from all of this. Part of her was expecting it all to come
rlm@0: to a close at any second. It had already gone much further than any
rlm@0: of her other dreams had dared. She had finally received that
rlm@0: intoxicating first kiss. Yet it was moving far beyond a simple kiss.
rlm@0: Hotaru was simply stunning in the moonlight, her gorgeous body on
rlm@0: display for ChibiUsa alone. Her fingers reached out slowly, brushing
rlm@0: some of the catgirl’s dark hair away from her violet eyes. “Hotaru-
rlm@0: chan... You’re so beautiful. Every inch of you,” she stated as her
rlm@0: fingers trailed down Hotaru’s bare shoulder. The catgirl shivered at
rlm@0: her touch, causing ChibiUsa to pull her hand away. Hotaru looked up
rlm@0: suddenly, disappointment evident in her eyes.
rlm@0: ChibiUsa held her hands in her lap, blushing deeper than she was
rlm@0: sure she ever had before. Her pink hair hung past her shoulders,
rlm@0: still messy from hours of sleep. The burning inside of her was now
rlm@0: almost unbearable. She swallowed nervously as she tried to think. Her
rlm@0: mind kept going to vivid images. Again, the feeling of Hotaru’s skin
rlm@0: against her, the feel of her warm and slightly scratchy tongue
rlm@0: entered her mind. “Hotaru-chan, I want you to... Umm…” Not being a
rlm@0: particularly vulgar girl or even an overly sexual one, ChibiUsa was
rlm@0: having a very difficult time describing what she meant to the catgirl
rlm@0: in front of her. “I want you to lick me again...” she finished at
rlm@0: last. She was about certain that she would pass out from blood loss
rlm@0: around then. If her mother ever heard her say anything like that...
rlm@0: She shook her head quickly, banishing the thought of her parents
rlm@0: having any idea of what she was currently engaged in. The catgirl
rlm@0: moved forward, her tongue brushing ChibiUsa’s cheek once more. The
rlm@0: pink hair giggled a bit at that, but the giggle was shortlived as
rlm@0: another blush overtook her. “No, I meant I want you to lick me
rlm@0: somewhere else, Hotaru-chan,” she said softly. 
rlm@0: Seeing the curious look that the catgirl gave her, ChibiUsa reached
rlm@0: down and pulled her pajama bottoms off. The cool air hit her bare
rlm@0: skin instantly, but it did little to quell the firey sensation within
rlm@0: her. Despite having watched Hotaru undress mere moments earlier,
rlm@0: ChibiUsa was still embarrassed about being seen in only her pajama
rlm@0: top and panties, even if she had undressed in front of her pet
rlm@0: countless times. It took her a moment before she could work up the
rlm@0: courage to pull her bunny stylized panties down her legs, leaving her
rlm@0: bare skin to the scrutiny of the dark haired catgirl. She sat there
rlm@0: for a long moment, her bare skin against the ruffled sheets that she
rlm@0: had been sitting on. Her legs parted slowly, her eyes never leaving
rlm@0: the catgirl sitting quietly in front of her. She swallowed nervously,
rlm@0: part of her wondering just what the hell she was doing. Disregarding
rlm@0: whatever part of her was protesting, ChibiUsa reached down past the
rlm@0: soft pink hair that marked only a small patch of the bare skin from
rlm@0: her waist down. Her crimson eyes remained on Hotaru as her fingers
rlm@0: held herself open, her blush intensifying as she saw Hotaru’s violet
rlm@0: eyes looking between her legs. Her first instinct was to close her
rlm@0: legs tightly, to grab for the pajama bottoms that she knew were
rlm@0: hopelessly out of her grasp. But she saw the Hotaru now understood
rlm@0: what she meant. The nude catgirl moved forward on all fours, quickly
rlm@0: moving between ChibiUsa’s spread legs. The pink haired girl’s heart
rlm@0: crashed thunderously in her chest as she waited. She could see
rlm@0: Hotaru’s midnight black hair and her equally dark ears followed by
rlm@0: her beautiful ivory back that led all the way down to her dark tail
rlm@0: that swished rapidly back and forth over Hotaru’s flank. That was the
rlm@0: last thing she saw before she felt Hotaru’s hot breath on her, the
rlm@0: catgirl having finally reached her destination. The pink haired girl
rlm@0: rested her head back on her pillow, staring up at the roof as she
rlm@0: felt Hotaru’s nose brush past her small patch of pink hair. 
rlm@0: Hotaru was now running mostly on instinct, glad to let her animal
rlm@0: side take charge of herself for the time being. Her nose pushed into
rlm@0: her mistress’s soft pink hair, brushing the soft skin underneath. Her
rlm@0: ears perked up at the soft moan that elicited from her owner. Her
rlm@0: tail continued to dart back and forth as she leaned forward again,
rlm@0: her nose trailing downward across the hot skin. She was entirely
rlm@0: focussed on ChibiUsa, entranced by the situation she found herself
rlm@0: in. Her rough tongue began to trail along ChibiUsa’s soft petals the
rlm@0: same way she had trailed along her cheek not too long ago. She slowly
rlm@0: began to lick at the sweet skin, garnering more moans and movement
rlm@0: from the pink haired girl. She was so happy to be able to cause such
rlm@0: sounds from her mistress. She continued licking, her tongue moving
rlm@0: over ChibiUsa’s fingers as well as what lay between them. She
rlm@0: wrinkled her nose at the strange taste that replaced the salty taste
rlm@0: of ChibiUsa’s skin further up. After a moment, she began licking
rlm@0: further between her mistress’s fingers, enjoying the interesting new
rlm@0: taste. Her ears followed every moan, every sound that came from the
rlm@0: pink haired girl. ChibiUsa continued to shift along the bed,
rlm@0: squirming as Hotaru’s tongue continued along its path. Hotaru’s hands
rlm@0: rested on ChibiUsa’s warm thighs so she wouldn’t have to move around
rlm@0: as much to compensate for ChibiUsa’s movements. 
rlm@0: Breathing heavily, ChibiUsa’s fingers of her free hand buried into
rlm@0: Hotaru’s soft dark hair, narrowly missing one of her ears. “Hotaru-
rlm@0: chan!” she whimpered, her scarlet eyes closing tightly as she felt
rlm@0: Hotaru’s warm tongue against her most sacred of treasures. Hotaru’s
rlm@0: tongue continued to caress her, the catgirl eagerly sending the pink
rlm@0: haired girl into the heights of some distant heaven. “Hotaru-chan...”
rlm@0: Her toes curled up in the sheets underneath her, her bare skin still
rlm@0: meeting Hotaru’s warm tongue. ChibiUsa moaned louder as the catgirl
rlm@0: found her pearl, her tongue sending sparks through her entire body.
rlm@0: Hotaru licked at it more intently at the sound of her moans, barring
rlm@0: her sharp teeth against it. ChibiUsa’s hands gripped onto the sheets
rlm@0: as she moaned one last time, her muscles tensing up as her whole body
rlm@0: felt like it was on fire. She collapsed to the sheets a short time
rlm@0: later, breathing heavily and even more disheveled than when she had
rlm@0: first awakened. Hotaru crawled up next to her, still naked, and
rlm@0: curled against her side. ChibiUsa smiled softly as she wrapped her
rlm@0: arms around the catgirl. “Hotaru-chan...” she whispered softly,
rlm@0: kissing her pet with what little strength she still had. Hotaru
rlm@0: smiled back, watching her intently. ChibiUsa fell asleep to those
rlm@0: endless violet eyes and Hotaru’s warm purr. 
rlm@0: 
rlm@0: 	ChibiUsa felt herself unable to concentrate at all during class
rlm@0: several days later. Her head lay against her cold desk as she school
rlm@0: day continued to drag on like molasses pouring slowly from a jar. Her
rlm@0: mind was a jumble of thoughts, all struggling for dominance in her
rlm@0: confused mind. The flurry of conflicting information was too much for
rlm@0: her, but she didn’t no how to deal with it all. She had lost interest
rlm@0: in Elios a short time ago, her crush disappearing as quickly as it
rlm@0: had appeared. She blamed it at first on the fickleness of such
rlm@0: things, but that didn’t exactly fit. Crushes had come and gone
rlm@0: before, but usually not with such sudden surety. Maybe she was just
rlm@0: becoming more mature, realizing when her feelings were merely the
rlm@0: product of an overactive teenage mind. Which was true in some way,
rlm@0: she now saw. Elios had been a nice guy and all, but not someone that
rlm@0: she could spend an eternity with. 
rlm@0: Which brought her to her next group of thoughts. Who did she want to
rlm@0: spend eternity with? That question produced a rather clear image, but
rlm@0: she quickly dismissed it, trying to keep her fear from overcoming her
rlm@0: panicked heart. ChibiUsa hadn’t ever had any interest in girls in the
rlm@0: first place, and this was infinitely more confusing than finding out
rlm@0: she was in love with one of the female members of the species. They
rlm@0: weren’t even of the same species. ‘How do you fall in love with your
rlm@0: pet cat?’ her mind asked for what had to be the thousandth time. And
rlm@0: once again she came up blank. 
rlm@0: 	Her mind had been consumed with thoughts of the pale catgirl as of
rlm@0: late, drowning her in their intensity. She had tried to quell the
rlm@0: rising feelings at first, but they quickly became too much for her to
rlm@0: hold back. They bubbled up around the barriers she had set in place,
rlm@0: knocking them down as if they had never been there at all. The
rlm@0: growing warmth in her heart showed through in everything she did,
rlm@0: pouring forth whenever she was with her pet. What had at first
rlm@0: frightened her now merely confused her. She was trying to understand
rlm@0: just what had happened, where the distinction had been made. When had
rlm@0: friendship, the relationship between the pet and her mistress, turned
rlm@0: to love? And what did she say to Hotaru about it? This would have
rlm@0: been easier if she was younger. In her childlike innocence, she had
rlm@0: quickly come to decisions regarding matters of the heart, moving on a
rlm@0: pure and simple instinct that had always served her well. That same
rlm@0: instinct that bothered her whenever Hotaru would call her mistress.
rlm@0: She wasn’t just a pet. That’s what this all boiled down to. Hotaru
rlm@0: was far more than some simple object of amusement. She was ChibiUsa’s
rlm@0: best friend, something that she would have to be careful not to
rlm@0: mention around the possessive Ruruna and Naruru. And it wasn’t the
rlm@0: same as with Momoko. They could talk and she liked spending time with
rlm@0: the peach girl, but it was nowhere near as captivating as the
rlm@0: catgirl’s presence. 
rlm@0: 	ChibiUsa tried to cloak her true feelings behind a happy façade
rlm@0: that dazzled most people. Hiding her feelings had always been second
rlm@0: nature. Her father was an important politician. She couldn’t be going
rlm@0: around like an open book. But often her heart would push off the
rlm@0: boundaries and restrictions she laid on it, pulling her in all sorts
rlm@0: of different directions. This had always been frustrating for her,
rlm@0: this contradictory force pulling her in two directions at once. It
rlm@0: sometimes left her feeling empty inside, struggling with the feelings
rlm@0: in her heart and the painting she tried to portray to the world. Did
rlm@0: any of her friends really know her at all? Hotaru did. Those sad eyes
rlm@0: saw deep inside of her, as if she could see directly into ChibiUsa’s
rlm@0: soul. The pink haired girl shuddered at the thought, remembering the
rlm@0: feeling of those endless violet orbs on her, asking why she lied so
rlm@0: much about how she felt. 
rlm@0: 	It was with this dual nature that ChibiUsa found herself struggling
rlm@0: once again. The fact that Hotaru was her pet was becoming less and
rlm@0: less important. It seemed silly to use that as an excuse. That she
rlm@0: meant so much to her immediately nullified the little problem of
rlm@0: Hotaru being a catgirl. Her heart was beginning to shred through the
rlm@0: curtains that had hidden it, and it was difficult for her to maintain
rlm@0: any semblance of a mask in Hotaru’s presence. Instinct and rational
rlm@0: thought grappled in the recesses of her mind, struggling between
rlm@0: suppressing her feelings and following her heart. As was so often the
rlm@0: case, ChibiUsa’s instincts eventually came out on top. 
rlm@0: 	Pink hair bobbed as ChibiUsa heard the bell ring. Finally! Grabbing
rlm@0: her bunny bookbag, she hurried out of class. She had things she
rlm@0: needed to do. She left her confusion at her desk, determined to see
rlm@0: where the path in her heart led.
rlm@0: 
rlm@0: 	Papers surrounded Hotaru’s barely clad form as she sat on the floor
rlm@0: in ChibiUsa’s father’s room. She wasn’t supposed to be in there, but
rlm@0: she had grown curious. And, as the saying goes, curiosity killed the
rlm@0: cat. Hotaru had finally found it almost impossible to ignore the
rlm@0: dark, almost imposing room that she had normally avoided. She had to
rlm@0: find the answers. And there they were, in black and white in front of
rlm@0: her.
rlm@0: 	It had started simply enough. That pleasant scent that signified
rlm@0: her mistress always had a strong affect on her. All of her senses
rlm@0: would come alert when it reached her nose, catlike instinct going
rlm@0: crazy. It worked well with the rest of the pink haired girl’s
rlm@0: presence to drive her completely crazy. It was something she enjoyed,
rlm@0: but a small thought had begun to nag at the back of her mind. She
rlm@0: knew that smell and that reaction from somewhere else. Well, not that
rlm@0: exact smell and not that exact reaction. There was something in
rlm@0: specific about ChibiUsa that got her heart pounding. But that tensing
rlm@0: of her muscles and that almost maddening thought to pounce on the
rlm@0: pink haired girl seemed familiar. She had finally come searching for
rlm@0: answers.
rlm@0: 	The strange feelings weren’t the only reason she had gone looking
rlm@0: for proof to her suspicions. She had to ashamedly admit that she had
rlm@0: a more selfish reason. She was in love with her mistress. She knew
rlm@0: that now. Denial had set in stubbornly at first. Hotaru’s broken
rlm@0: heart had not wanted to allow herself to get hurt again after all of
rlm@0: the pain her life had afforded her. It had tried to escape that by
rlm@0: denying the feelings in her heart. ChibiUsa was her mistress, so of
rlm@0: course she was the most important thing to her. She was supposed to
rlm@0: feel strongly about her mistress. But that wasn’t the full truth.
rlm@0: Watching the pink haired girl while she slept, waiting anxiously
rlm@0: everyday for her to return home, wanting nothing more than to be with
rlm@0: her constantly, it all burned too brightly in her heart. Nothing she
rlm@0: had read could have prepared her for the tumultuous feelings that
rlm@0: sent her heart reeling. It wasn’t a happy realization by any means.
rlm@0: When she had discovered that she was in love with her mistress, she
rlm@0: had cried for many hours until her tears had finally given up on her
rlm@0: completely. Pain had wracked her lonely heart because she knew she
rlm@0: could never be with her mistress. They could never be together. She
rlm@0: would always be alone, watching her mistress from afar. She was only
rlm@0: her pet, after all. She was nothing more than her plaything. This was
rlm@0: her last hope, that perhaps she could prove that they could be
rlm@0: together, that she could be with her mistress always. Of course, she
rlm@0: wouldn’t be her mistress anymore if she was right, would she?
rlm@0: 	The answer she had been searching for lay written on the paper in
rlm@0: front of her, painfully obvious yet carefully hidden. ChibiUsa was
rlm@0: not the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Tsukino. She was, in fact, not human
rlm@0: at all. She was a pet as well. Or at least, she had been. The
rlm@0: Tsukino’s had been devastated when their first daughter had died
rlm@0: during childbirth. Mrs. Tsukino couldn’t have any other children. The
rlm@0: couple so wanted a child, but they couldn’t have one of their own. So
rlm@0: they had purchased a very young pet, a pink haired bunnygirl. They
rlm@0: had her tail and ears surgically removed while she was still a baby
rlm@0: and had raised her as their own child. 
rlm@0: 	The truth hadn’t been entirely surprising to Hotaru, though she had
rlm@0: wondered if she was hoping for the impossible. If ChibiUsa was a
rlm@0: bunnygirl, then it meant that they could be together. It meant that
rlm@0: if ChibiUsa did return her feelings as she suspected, it would be all
rlm@0: right for them to be in love. There wouldn’t be any social stigmas to
rlm@0: worry about if two pets were in love. She wasn’t just in love with
rlm@0: ChibiUsa because she was her mistress. Their love wasn’t forbidden.
rlm@0: This filled Hotaru with a profound sense of relief. The familiar
rlm@0: feeling finally had a memory attached to it. She had first seen a
rlm@0: bunnygirl back in a petshop. She had hissed at the girl and tried to
rlm@0: pounce on her, but she hadn’t been able to get out of her cage. So
rlm@0: part of ChibiUsa’s scent had alerted that catlike part of her mind to
rlm@0: the bunny aspect of her mistress. Her bare toes curled happily in the
rlm@0: carpet as she purred. Yes, she couldn’t wait to see ChibiUsa. She
rlm@0: would tell her everything and they would be together forever. She
rlm@0: hoped. Part of her was worried about the pink haired girl’s reaction
rlm@0: to it. What would she think? Would her heritage frighten her?
rlm@0: 	The front door opened, alerting Hotaru to the return of her
rlm@0: mistress. Her heart pounded deafeningly in her chest as she held the
rlm@0: paper to her chest. She still wasn’t sure what to do. But she knew
rlm@0: she wanted to be with her mistress above all else. A strange scent
rlm@0: startled her out of her thoughts as the steps grew closer. That
rlm@0: didn’t smell like ChibiUsa. Her violet eyes shot towards the door as
rlm@0: ChibiUsa’s father entered the room. Her heart practically stopped. 
rlm@0: 	“What the hell are you doing?” he asked in shock as he surveyed the
rlm@0: room. His daughter’s pet catgirl was sitting in the middle of some of
rlm@0: his most important papers, holding one tightly to a chest. Noticing
rlm@0: ChibiUsa’s fake birth certificate lying next to her bare leg, he felt
rlm@0: panic easing it’s way out from his stomach. He had gotten home early
rlm@0: and had decided to hurry home and get some rest after the recent late
rlm@0: nights he had been pulling. But he certainly hadn’t expected to see
rlm@0: this. ‘Calm down,’ he commanded himself. ‘Be rational. She’s only a
rlm@0: catgirl. She can’t read. She doesn’t know what any of it is. Just
rlm@0: scold her and hide those papers somewhere else.’
rlm@0: 	Hotaru stared up at the graying politician with concern in her
rlm@0: violet eyes. She held the paper even tighter as he came forward.
rlm@0: Steeling her courage, the shy catgirl met his eyes. “She’s a
rlm@0: bunnygirl, isn’t she?” her soft voice whispered. His forward advance
rlm@0: stopped immediately. “She was a pet, wasn’t she?”
rlm@0: 	“Oh my God...” Panic began to pump quicker through his body as he
rlm@0: stared at the catgirl, her deep violet eyes meeting his in curiosity.
rlm@0: He idly wondered if he was about to have a heart attack as his heart
rlm@0: beat furiously in his chest. “You can read..” This couldn’t happen.
rlm@0: Some damned catgirl couldn’t have found out his daughter’s dark,
rlm@0: dirty little secret. He would not let his entire career, his entire
rlm@0: reputation, his happy family get torn apart by some loathsome animal.
rlm@0: He could lose everything if this got out. His career would be hurt
rlm@0: beyond repair if it got out that his daughter was a bunnygirl. 
rlm@0: 	Nodding slowly, Hotaru looked down at the paper in her arms. “You
rlm@0: never told her. You hid it from her so she wouldn’t know. And you let
rlm@0: her get a pet of her own. It’s almost ironic. A pet owning a pet.”
rlm@0: She smiled weakly, showing her fangs. To ChibiUsa’s father, she
rlm@0: looked like some hellish demon. “I understand. You just wanted to
rlm@0: protect her. But I have to tell her. She has to know who she is.”
rlm@0: 	“Who.. Who the fuck are you to decide something like that..? You’re
rlm@0: just some damned pet... I’m her fucking father.. You have no right
rlm@0: telling her that.” His hands were shaking now, an irrational rage
rlm@0: building inside. How dare this cat come in and try to ruin his life?
rlm@0: How dare she exert power over him? She was only a pet. 
rlm@0: 	Hotaru shook her head quickly, dark hair flying just above her bare
rlm@0: shoulders. “No, you don’t understand...” her quiet voice was barely
rlm@0: above a whisper. “I... I have to tell her.. She needs to know...
rlm@0: Because.. Because I love her. So she has to know that she’s a pet,
rlm@0: too..” Her violet eyes grew more focused as she stood up. She felt a
rlm@0: cold determination growing within her. She would be with the one she
rlm@0: loved. She would give her whole heart to ChibiUsa. But the only way
rlm@0: they could be together was if she told her who she really was. It was
rlm@0: the only way that her mistress could love her back, if she knew that
rlm@0: she was a pet.
rlm@0: 	Blinding pain erupted through Hotaru as an insanely loud noise
rlm@0: filled her ears. An acrid smell filled her nostrils as she fell
rlm@0: backwards. Her eyes barely caught a glimpse of the gleaming metal
rlm@0: object in the man’s hands as she collapsed like a rag doll to the
rlm@0: floor. She felt as if the air had all been forced out of her in a
rlm@0: split second. No matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t catch her
rlm@0: breath as she lay panting on the floor, gasping fruitlessly. A
rlm@0: coppery taste invaded her mind as she began to cough uncontrollably.
rlm@0: Tears spilt down her cheeks as she kept trying to catch her breath.
rlm@0: What was happening? Why did her lungs burn so badly? She could dimly
rlm@0: hear him over her, angry words laced with venom assaulting her as she
rlm@0: lay helplessly on the floor. Her hand weakly grabbed at her chest
rlm@0: only to find her simple blouse soaked with blood. It continued to
rlm@0: poor out onto her shaking hand as her heart pumped desperately. He
rlm@0: had shot her through the lung and she was rapidly bleeding to death.
rlm@0: “ChibiUsa-sama...” her voice got out before breaking. Fire burnt
rlm@0: through her side as she felt his foot kick her in the ribs. 
rlm@0: 	“You fucking bitch!! Do you think she’s going to save you? Do you
rlm@0: think that I’d let you ruin my life?! My career?! That I’d let you
rlm@0: come in and take my baby girl away from me?!” He ran a hand through
rlm@0: his graying hair as he tried to catch his breath. She couldn’t hurt
rlm@0: him anymore. The vicious demon lay dying on his bedroom floor. All he
rlm@0: would have to do now would be to get rid of her and this whole
rlm@0: painful episode would be over with. If ChibiUsa missed her pet cat,
rlm@0: he would just go buy her a new one. Preferably a deaf and mute one
rlm@0: this time. He heard the catgirl whimper his daughter’s name again on
rlm@0: the floor and drove his foot into her stomach, shutting her up. 
rlm@0: 	Hotaru couldn’t see anymore, her vision finally fading out as she
rlm@0: lay on the floor. Her body still ached horribly, but it was becoming
rlm@0: distant, as if it were someone else’s pain. The room was gone, left
rlm@0: far behind. Her body was slowly starting to slip away as she came to
rlm@0: the dim realization that she was dying. Her heart cried out in
rlm@0: anguish as she found that ChibiUsa could not come to her rescue. No!
rlm@0: She didn’t want to die yet. She had wanted to die many other times in
rlm@0: her life, praying to be with her mother again, but she had a reason
rlm@0: to live this time. In her mind’s eye, she saw the pink haired girl,
rlm@0: smiling serenely, her arms behind her back. She had to live. She had
rlm@0: to see ChibiUsa again. Struggling to her knees, she coughed up more
rlm@0: blood onto the already soiled carpet. Yes, she would be with her
rlm@0: mistress. Forever. Despite the pain, she thought she might be able to
rlm@0: make it to her feet after all. This man would not stand in the way of
rlm@0: her heart. “Chi...” she got out weakly before another gunshot rang
rlm@0: out. Hotaru’s lifeless body fell in a heap on the floor.
rlm@0: 	“Oh God!! Please no...” The politician turned at the sound of his
rlm@0: daughter’s voice. The gun fell from cold fingers, clattering to the
rlm@0: floor near the catgirl’s dead body. He reached out slowly, shaking
rlm@0: his head. He realized dimly that his fingers were shaking. “ChibiUsa-
rlm@0: chan, I... I had to... She was... She was going to destroy you, my
rlm@0: little girl...” his words came out shakily as he watched his daughter
rlm@0: hurry to Hotaru’s side.
rlm@0: 	“Hotaru-chan!!! Hotaru-chan!!” ChibiUsa cried out helplessly. She
rlm@0: clutched onto the catgirl’s still warm body, holding it tightly
rlm@0: against herself, praying that she would move in her grasp. “Please...
rlm@0: Please say something.. Please do something... Anything!! Hotaru-
rlm@0: chan!!! No!! Don’t leave me like this!!! Say something!!!” she
rlm@0: demanded, shaking the girl in her arms. Hotaru lay limply against
rlm@0: her, unmoving. ChibiUsa burst out into fresh tears, sobbing
rlm@0: uncontrollably. “You can’t leave me... I.. I love you... I love you,
rlm@0: Hotaru-chan.. I said it.. You mean everything to me... So open your
rlm@0: eyes.. Oh please, just open your eyes.. I mean it.. I mean it with
rlm@0: all my heart.. I love you...” Her fingers clutched desperately onto
rlm@0: the pale girl’s skin as her body shook with each breath the pink
rlm@0: haired girl managed between sobs. Her skirt and blouse were now
rlm@0: soaked with blood, a stark contrast with how neat and clean they were
rlm@0: mere moments before. The flowers she had bought Hotaru lay near the
rlm@0: doorway, forgotten instantly as she had seen her fallen love. What
rlm@0: had happened? What had gone so horrendously wrong? She had finally
rlm@0: given in to the inevitable pull of her heart only to find the girl
rlm@0: that lay at the center of her heart dead in her father’s bedroom. Why
rlm@0: was this world so cruel? Why would it take such a gentle, shy spirit
rlm@0: away? 
rlm@0: Bitter tears fell down ChibiUsa’s cheeks, dripping onto Hotaru’s
rlm@0: pale cheeks as ChibiUsa cupped her chin, looking into her lifeless
rlm@0: violet eyes. “Hotaru-chan..” Her father was mumbling something, but
rlm@0: she couldn’t hear him. Her thoughts were too dashed to concentrate on
rlm@0: anything but the broken girl in front of her. “Hotaru-chan..?” she
rlm@0: asked again, her pink lashes throwing tears as she blinked them
rlm@0: furiously in an attempt to see through the burning veil they formed.
rlm@0: Her lover looked back at her blankly, vacantly. She wasn’t there
rlm@0: anymore. The spark inside of her that had been ChibiUsa’s pet catgirl
rlm@0: was gone, already having fled to somewhere far away. “I love you..”
rlm@0: ChibiUsa whispered as she began to cry hopelessly, hugging Hotaru
rlm@0: with all of her strength. 
rlm@0: “She was going to take you away from me, ChibiUsa-chan.. I had no
rlm@0: choice. I couldn’t let her take you away.. I couldn’t let her ruin
rlm@0: everything for us.. I’ll buy you a new catgirl.. I’ll let you get any
rlm@0: pet that you want.. All right, honey? You can get whatever you want..
rlm@0: She was just a pet anyway.. No big loss..” He turned to his daughter,
rlm@0: trying to concentrate. He hadn’t expected her to get home. He was
rlm@0: just going to tell her that Hotaru had run away, that she had simply
rlm@0: left when he had accidentally left the door open. But this made
rlm@0: things infinitely more complicated. His eyes caught on something
rlm@0: shiny as ChibiUsa reached out and wrapped her fingers around it. It
rlm@0: took a moment for it to click in his mind, the gun clicking back at
rlm@0: the same moment. “No..” he whispered breathlessly. 
rlm@0: The cold metal of the barrel pushed painfully past cotton candy pink
rlm@0: hair as ChibiUsa felt it bite into her skin. Her tears still fell
rlm@0: silently down her cheeks, but she wasn’t shaking anymore. She shifted
rlm@0: her other arm, holding Hotaru warmly against her. This was it. It was
rlm@0: over. She couldn’t live without Hotaru. That was part of what had
rlm@0: made her realize that she loved the catgirl. Her life was incomplete
rlm@0: without her. So she wouldn’t continue down life’s path alone. She
rlm@0: couldn’t. Even if her body lived, she was already dead. This life was
rlm@0: over. She felt the trigger tense under her finger as she pulled it.
rlm@0: It kicked in her hand and fell to the floor as she slumped against
rlm@0: Hotaru. She actually thought she heard the gunshot, but that couldn’t
rlm@0: possibly be true. She died the second she pulled the trigger.
rlm@0: Everything faded to black as she saw the roses lying discarded by the
rlm@0: door, her lifeless body leaning against Hotaru’s.
rlm@0: Hotaru’s smiling face and vibrant violet eyes greeted ChibiUsa as
rlm@0: gun smoke filled the air and two girls lay dead and entangled
rlm@0: together in a lover’s embrace back in a room far away.
rlm@0: 
rlm@0: