rlm@0: The Biggest Choice of My life rlm@0: By The Blue Esper rlm@0: rlm@0: Authors note: I just wrote this story as a spur of the moment and it is rlm@0: also my first story, sned all falmes compliments, etc to rlm@0: blue_sonnet@animefan.co.uk rlm@0: rlm@0: There she is, just standing there, radiating in a beauty. Her soft, rlm@0: pink hair flowing in the wind as she gently runs down the hill to try and rlm@0: catch her hat. This scene before me reminds me of when we met, only rlm@0: things are very different now, though. I gently place my hand in my rlm@0: pocket for reassurance as to what I was about to do, feeling the velvet- rlm@0: covered box within my fingers I breathe gently. Slowly standing up, I rlm@0: leave the basket and picnic mat we placed and run off to catch the hat rlm@0: she just can't reach. Gently reaching, our hands make contact with each rlm@0: other instead of the summer hat; we both just give a little giggle at rlm@0: this motion, we both being what we are now, my beautiful princess and I. rlm@0: Again a reach for the hat and pass it to my friend, wait no lover is more rlm@0: appropriate. I gently reach for her hat again and pull it from its hold rlm@0: in the breeze. Brining it down to her face and slowly placing it on her rlm@0: head, waiting for her to lift her face and allow me to gaze at her beauty. rlm@0: "Odango-chan" I gently gasp as she does as I wish, just gazing into each rlm@0: others eyes, I wonder, How did I ever receive such beautiful girl, no rlm@0: woman. We take each other's hand and slowly walk back up the hill to our rlm@0: picnic spot, we were no longer just 'good-friends' and I was going to do rlm@0: something that would affect us both. Gently guiding her down into her rlm@0: seating spot, I place myself next to her. I take her hand, just gazing rlm@0: into her beautiful eyes; I gently reach into the pocket, which contained rlm@0: the velvet box. Brining it out and moving it to her face, I try to speak, rlm@0: but my voice just wouldn't follow. I try again and it doesn't follow rlm@0: suite, she doesn't deserve someone this nervous, I think as I let go of rlm@0: her hand and turn away. "What's wrong?" She says, in a gentle voice rlm@0: almost killing me, I turn back around and try to speak to her, but can't. rlm@0: Maybe everyone who takes this step is nervous, I don't really know, I rlm@0: never really had someone to go to in my time of need, except to woman rlm@0: before me, yet I wasn't able to turn to her about this. I stand up and rlm@0: say the only thing I could, "I'm sorry, but I don't deserve someone as rlm@0: good as you", I feel my stomach turn as I spoke, I run away from her, how rlm@0: could I do this to her? I turn back to look at her once more, only to rlm@0: see what I had done to her, why was I doing this? rlm@0: rlm@0: Darkness, that's all I was good for, staring at my ceiling in my rlm@0: bedroom. I remember back then, no one expecting Chibi-Usa would choose rlm@0: me over Helios, she had two lovers dearly wanting to be with her for all rlm@0: eternity and she chose me, now I have just destroyed all that we had. rlm@0: Now that I think, maybe she should have chosen Helios, he was a prince rlm@0: and would never be this nervous. I fear what people will say, even worse, rlm@0: how they will treat me now. I hear a gentle sound on the door to my room, rlm@0: not wanting to see anyone I just turn over. But maybe I should have rlm@0: locked my door, as Haruka-papa walks into the room, followed by Michiru- rlm@0: mama and Setsuna, who really scares me, is Setsuna though. I have always rlm@0: known Setsuna thought of Chibi-Usa as a daughter as she was a part of rlm@0: Mamoru and Setsuna loved Endymion before, but new it was never possible, rlm@0: so maybe she'll understand what I am going through. "What is the matter rlm@0: Hime-chan?" Oh like you don't know, I think as I'm asked a question I rlm@0: cannot answer. I just lie there, motionless, looking away from the three rlm@0: who entered my room. Suddenly there is more weight applied to the rlm@0: opposite side of the bed, I don't want to look, yet I want to know whom rlm@0: it is? "Hotaru, please tell us what happened between you and Small Lady" rlm@0: She speaks gently, rubbing my shoulder. I quickly motion for her to move rlm@0: her hand by pushing it from me, she wanted to know why, but I couldn't rlm@0: tell her, because I desired the same answer. The weight lifted from my rlm@0: bed and all I heard afterwards was my door open and close again. What rlm@0: have I done with my life? Have I ruined everything I had? rlm@0: rlm@0: Three days have passed, and I finally have the courage to leave my rlm@0: room, gently walking down the steps, awaiting another joke from Haruka- rlm@0: papa. But I reached the bottom of the steps and all I heard was silence, rlm@0: maybe they didn't care about me anymore? No that is silly, as just as I rlm@0: made a step into the living room Setsuna-mama made a grab for me, holding rlm@0: me tight in her grasp. "Hime-chan, we need to talk" she says to me, rlm@0: causing me to feel gut wrenched, wishing I never left my room, "Don't rlm@0: worry, I felt we should be alone for this and so I asked Haruka and rlm@0: Michiru to leave for the moment". She gently guides me into the kitchen, rlm@0: as it was more quite there. Just sitting down, I wait for the inevitable rlm@0: question Setsuna is going to ask me. "So, how is your homework, keeping rlm@0: up in class lately?" Her question confuses me, but from the nervousness rlm@0: I had, all I can do is giggle. I look at Setsuna-mama, gently smile down rlm@0: at me; I know she is the senshi of time and knows what has happened, so I rlm@0: know she is only trying to help. "I haven't been to school for a while" rlm@0: I reply to her 'question', I really want to tell someone, but I can't, it rlm@0: was like, when I tried to... "Why's that? What kept you from going to rlm@0: school?" She asks me. Suddenly I feel a full urge of strength suddenly rlm@0: build up within me at what I realised. "It's because, I tried to tell rlm@0: Odango-chan something, but couldn't and I felt, I felt...I've got to go!" rlm@0: I then knew what I had to do; I slowly stand up and run to the front door, rlm@0: looking back at Setsuna, seeing a smile on her face, showing me that I am rlm@0: doing the right thing. I leave the house bound for my next destination, rlm@0: a place where everything is almost eternal. rlm@0: rlm@0: "Taru-chan?" I see the pink haired girl before me, tears welling up rlm@0: in her eyes, at this moment I believe nothing can stand in my way of what rlm@0: I am to do, for both of us. I slowly walk up to her, the whole world rlm@0: seeming to get warmer as every step I make puts me closer to her. rlm@0: Stopping just a few feet away from her, I see her more clearly, her rlm@0: beautiful face now stained with the tears I gave her, her appearance, rlm@0: once exquisite and perfect, now a wreck and a mess. I lower my face in rlm@0: shame, "Chibi-Usa, I apologise for what I have done to you, you mean rlm@0: everything to me, I didn't want to hurt you, I...I" I lift my face to see rlm@0: hers, a confused look on her face, "I love you" I say, her face now rlm@0: lightening at my words, seeing her reaction, I want to be by her side rlm@0: even more now. Without consciously acting I suddenly start racing to rlm@0: reach her, she doing the same in kind, and within a moment we finally rlm@0: reach other and embrace. 'I'm sorry' is all I can say to her. After a rlm@0: while of gazing at each other, Chibi-Usa asks me 'the question' I was rlm@0: dreading anyone to ask me, "What happened?" I slowly take her hand into rlm@0: mine and gaze into her eyes again, "I was going to ask you something, but rlm@0: I couldn't and I misinterpreted my feelings" I look away from her because rlm@0: of what I had said, finally admitting what I had kept trapped inside. rlm@0: "Well, what were you going to ask?" Her voice, cheerful and fluent, rlm@0: showing that must have forgiven me, I am so lucky to have her. Looking rlm@0: at her, the gleam in her face, I knew the perfect time had came up again, rlm@0: reaching in my pocket for the box I had never removed, I take it and out rlm@0: hold it to her, my mouth dry and a feeling of nervousness all over me, I rlm@0: open my mouth, "Chibi-Usa, I love you so much and after everything we rlm@0: have been through, I have only one thing to say." I open the lid of the rlm@0: box to expose the silver ring, with gently golden crescent moons dancing rlm@0: all over it and an amethyst stone in the top, to show that I feel perfect rlm@0: when she is all around me. "Will you marry me?" I stand there just rlm@0: looking at her, looking at her turn her face from me. "Taru-chan, I love rlm@0: you to, but..." Than was probably the worst hit I had ever received in my rlm@0: life, the 'but' she gave me spiralled around my head, maybe she didn't rlm@0: love me as much as I wished. "I wanted to propose to you, YES I WILL rlm@0: MARRY YOU" My world was rocked from side to side at her words, a HUGE rlm@0: weight lifted from my chest, allowing me to breath again. I gently take rlm@0: the ring from its box, to place it on her finger, but she quickly removes rlm@0: her hand from my hold. "Wait" she says to me, as she also takes out a rlm@0: box, opening it to reveal a gold ring, with a joint crescent moon and the rlm@0: symbol of Saturn entwined. "Will you marry me?" all I can do is laugh at rlm@0: this moment, she DID feel the same way about me, I answer the only way I rlm@0: can, "YES", we both gently exchange our rings, and hug each other softly rlm@0: and passionately. "This will be a shock to everyone, wont it, my Odago- rlm@0: chan" I say, putting an emphasis on 'my'. "No, more crazy things have rlm@0: happened, it's not like people won't have expected it anyway" she says rlm@0: gazing into my eyes, I gently place my hand on top of hers, allowing out rlm@0: rings to be seen side by side. "Well, I don't care what anyone says, as rlm@0: long as I'm with you".