rlm@2: Dreams Part 1 rlm@2: rlm@2: By Amazoness Duo rlm@2: Amazonessduo@hotmail.com rlm@2: rlm@2: She smiled gently as she ran a hand through the other girl’s long blonde hair. Bright aquamarine rlm@2: eyes looked deeply into beautiful violet ones as if they were in a world all their own. She felt the other girl rlm@2: push a lock of her dark brown hair away from her eyes. She felt as if the other girl could see right through rlm@2: her, as if she could see into the depths of her soul. That feeling sent shivers through her, the feeling that the rlm@2: other girl truly knew her better than she knew herself. They didn’t need to say anything. They both knew rlm@2: the other far too well to need any words right now. She let out a contented sigh as those soft, sweet lips rlm@2: brushed gently, almost cautiously against her own. How she longed to kiss her lover deeply, passionately. rlm@2: But she could wait, and that was part of the joy in this moment. The leisure of spending this time with her rlm@2: one true love. It felt boundless, as if they weren’t confined to this world or to any other, a feeling that they rlm@2: could just bask in the glow of the others warmth. rlm@2: Bringing a hand up gingerly to the other girl’s warm cheek, she tilted her head to the side as if to rlm@2: ask ‘You or I?’ Who was it to be this time? Who would be the one to begin their endless dance again. rlm@2: Before she knew who had begun this time, she felt the other girl’s lush lips push against her own. This time rlm@2: the kiss was longer, more drawn out, evoking a gasp from her lover. She brought her hands to the sides of rlm@2: the other girl’s head, watching the other girl smile sweetly back at her. Her fingers slowly moving across rlm@2: her lover’s silky skin, she gently caressed her soft lips with her own. rlm@2: If her entire life had been leading up to one specific place, one specific time, this would be it. But rlm@2: that was not the case. ‘We’ll be together, you and I, no matter where fate leads. No matter what path we rlm@2: take, we take it together.’ Pouring her entire being into one kiss, she tried to convey every feeling she was rlm@2: having to the blonde girl. The other girl matched her point for point as they stood together, both needing the rlm@2: other to be whole. rlm@2: rlm@2: Kumiko stretched luxuriously, basking in the warm sunlight that filtered through her bedroom rlm@2: window. She opened her blinds wide to let in the coming day. She smiled at the sounds of the birds rlm@2: chirping outside her window. She froze when she heard a groan coming from her bed. Turning quickly, she rlm@2: caught sight of long blonde hair peeking out from beneath one of Kumiko’s pillows. rlm@2: “Turn off the light, okay?” Megumi’s tired voice sounded muffled from underneath the pillow. rlm@2: “Megumi-chan? What are you doing here?” Kumiko asked surprised. rlm@2: “You don’t remember last night? I came over here late last night because I wanted to see you and rlm@2: you told me not to go after that. I didn’t.” rlm@2: Kumiko laughed. “I thought it was a dream.” rlm@2: “I never have dreams that nice.” Megumi smiled sweetly over at the brown haired girl, watching rlm@2: her try to adjust her pony tail. rlm@2: “Megumi-chan…” Kumiko said quietly, crossing the few feet between them with a couple steps. rlm@2: Leaning down, she kissed the blonde girl for a few blissful moments. “You really better go before my rlm@2: parents catch you.” rlm@2: “Kumi, what would be wrong with that? I like your parents. They’re very nice. I’m sure they rlm@2: would be happy for you,” Megumi said. rlm@2: “Yeah, maybe, but I still don’t want them catching you in here,” Kumiko gestured to the bedroom rlm@2: around them. rlm@2: A knock at the door startled both girls. “Kumiko-chan, breakfast is ready, dear. Hurry up before it rlm@2: gets cold,” Kumiko’s mother yelled. rlm@2: “Hai, mom. I’ll be right there.” Turning to Megumi, Kumiko pointed to her closet. “You can rlm@2: borrow one of my uniforms and I’ll pack a lunch for you.” rlm@2: Megumi nodded. “Thanks. Today’s cheerleading practice, though.” rlm@2: Kumiko thought for a moment. “You should have thought of that before you came over,” she said, rlm@2: sticking out her tongue at the other girl. More seriously, she began to think again. “Could we stop off at rlm@2: your house on the way to school to pick up your cheerleading uniform? You live close enough that if we rlm@2: get going soon we should be able to make it in time.” Walking to her closet, Kumiko put her own rlm@2: cheerleading uniform in her backpack. rlm@2: Megumi smiled happily. “Thanks, Kumi. I’ll try to get ready quickly then.” rlm@2: “Okay. See you in a minute.” Giving the blonde girl a soft kiss on the lips, Kumiko picked up her rlm@2: backpack and hurried out of the room. rlm@2: “There you are, Kumiko-chan,” her father said as she walked into the kitchen. “We thought you’d rlm@2: slept in.” rlm@2: “No, I’m up. I just had to finish some things before I was ready,” Kumiko explained, taking a bite rlm@2: of the fresh pancakes. They tasted marvelous, but she didn’t have the time to savor them. She made her rlm@2: way to the refrigerator. Taking a brief look inside, she started grabbing food for two lunches. rlm@2: Her mother laughed when she looked over at her rushed daughter. “You must be hungry today.” rlm@2: “I’m making lunch for Megumi-chan, too. Sometimes she forgets,” Kumiko said, wrapping some rlm@2: leftovers. rlm@2: “That girl’s sweet. You’re lucky to have a friend like that,” her father said. rlm@2: “Yeah. She’s the best.” Kumiko smiled. She almost dropped the lunch she was making when she rlm@2: saw Megumi standing next to her mother in the kitchen. “Megumi-chan?” rlm@2: “She was right outside. It looks like some people can wake up early,” her mother laughed while rlm@2: she ushered Megumi inside. Megumi just smiled and waved to Kumiko. “Would you like to stay for rlm@2: breakfast, Megumi?” rlm@2: “She’d love to, mom, but we’ve got to get going. Thanks anyway!” Taking a hold of Megumi’s rlm@2: arm, Kumiko headed for the door. Her parents sweatdropped as they watched their daughter hurrying off. rlm@2: “Goodbye!! Arigato!” Megumi said to Kumiko’s parents before heading out the door. rlm@2: “How’d you get there?” Kumiko asked as they started off towards Megumi’s house. rlm@2: “I climbed out your window and knocked on the front door. Your mother let me in after that,” rlm@2: Megumi smiled. rlm@2: “I know what you’re thinking.” rlm@2: “I like your parents. They’re really nice,” Megumi said. rlm@2: “So are yours.” Kumiko smiled. rlm@2: “When they’re home.” Letting out a sigh, Megumi looked over at Kumiko. “Besides, I thought rlm@2: you said your parents liked me, too.” rlm@2: Kumiko laughed, brushing some hair out of her eyes. “As another daughter, yeah. You are over at rlm@2: our house enough to be.” rlm@2: “See? Your parents should have started guessing with that. And I’m always going places with rlm@2: you. When you and I are going places Friday nights, you dress up for it. Last time there was a dance, your rlm@2: parents asked you for over a week who you were going to go with but you kept saying you didn’t know rlm@2: until you wound up going with me as ‘friends’.” Turning to Kumiko, she grinned. “So maybe they already rlm@2: know. Or they have to have guessed a few times.” rlm@2: “Oh, stop it. That’s not funny,” Kumiko said. “Anyway, we better hurry if we want to get to your rlm@2: house and school on time.” rlm@2: “Thanks.” rlm@2: Starting to walk faster, Kumiko blinked as her eyes adjusted to the bright day. “For what?” rlm@2: “For lunch. That was sweet of you,” Megumi said happily. rlm@2: “That? Oh, that’s alright.” Kumiko winked at the blonde girl. “Just make sure you eat all of it.” rlm@2: Megumi giggled. “Of course I will. You made it.” Stopping in front of her house, Megumi pulled rlm@2: out a house key and unlocked the door. “Would you like to come in, Kumi?” rlm@2: Kumiko looked at her watch nervously. “No, that’s okay. Just be quick.” rlm@2: Megumi nodded and headed swiftly into her house. A few moments later, she came out the door, rlm@2: putting her cheerleader uniform in her backpack. rlm@2: “Is that everything?” Kumiko asked worriedly as she took another glance at her watch. rlm@2: “That should be.” Grabbing Kumiko’s arm just above the shoulder, Megumi looked into her eyes. rlm@2: “Kumi, don’t worry about it. If anything happens, we’ll tell your parents that it was my fault because I rlm@2: forgot something at home.” rlm@2: Kumiko shook her head. “No, I wouldn’t say anything like that. Let’s just try to get there on rlm@2: time.” rlm@2: “Hai.” Megumi made sure the door was locked before she and Kumiko started running to school. rlm@2: rlm@2: “So why did you both show up so late?” Asahi asked, pulling on her shoes. She was eager to get to rlm@2: cheerleading practice so she had dressed hurriedly. rlm@2: “Oh… We…” Kumiko started. She turned to Megumi and shrugged helplessly. She busied herself rlm@2: with fixing her pony tail. rlm@2: “I was waiting to walk to school with Kumi, but by the time we were on our way, I remembered I rlm@2: left my uniform at home.” Megumi gestured to the cheerleading uniform she was now wearing. rlm@2: “No wonder. Well, at least you got here. Chisa was betting you wouldn’t and Akari thought one of rlm@2: you was sick.” Picking up her baton, Asahi checked to make sure everything was perfect. “But I thought rlm@2: Kumiko-chan just wound up sleeping in again.” rlm@2: Megumi nodded. “Kumi must have been tired after last night. I did want to get up myself.” She rlm@2: smiled mischievously at the brown haired girl. rlm@2: Kumiko blushed and nudged the blonde none too gently. “Megumi-chan…” rlm@2: Megumi merely giggled and stepped to the side. “Your cranky, Kumi. You didn’t sleep much last rlm@2: night, did you?” She winked at Kumiko while their friend looked on in confusion. rlm@2: Before anyone could say another word, a woman in her early twenties entered the room, her dark, rlm@2: shoulder length hair offsetting calm blue eyes. “You girls almost ready?” She asked. rlm@2: A faint blush spread over Asahi’s cheeks. She clutched her baton tightly and nodded. “Yes, rlm@2: Coachie.” rlm@2: The older woman smiled gently at Asahi. “Good. I’ll be waiting for you.” She paused for a rlm@2: moment before she turned to leave the room. rlm@2: Asahi slowly let out a sigh. “Coachie…” she said dreamily. Without looking back, she hurried rlm@2: after the other woman. rlm@2: Kumiko turned to Megumi. “That still frightens me.” rlm@2: Megumi shrugged, looking after their friend. “Coach is really nice, and Asahi’s seemed to like her rlm@2: since the first day she showed up for gym class. I’m just wondering if they’re going out or if Asahi-chan’s rlm@2: still pining away,” the blonde girl said thoughtfully. rlm@2: Kumiko eyes widened. “Going out? But the coach is so much older than Asahi-chan. Do you think rlm@2: they might be?” rlm@2: “Maybe, I’m not sure yet. And age doesn’t matter, anyway, so that’s not important.” rlm@2: “Well, if they’re not together, I wish Asahi-chan luck,” Kumiko said, taking Megumi’s hand in her rlm@2: own. rlm@2: Megumi smiled. “Me too. For now, we better get out there before they start worrying about us.” rlm@2: Kumiko nodded agreement and the two girls headed outside. rlm@2: rlm@2: “How did you do on the test, Kumi?” Megumi asked as they walked vaguely towards Kumiko’s rlm@2: house. It was a beautiful cloudless day and they had the whole weekend in front of them. rlm@2: Kumiko slung her backpack on one shoulder. “I did okay, I guess. It helps that we studied for it. I rlm@2: wouldn’t have been ready at all otherwise.” She rolled her aquamarine eyes. “They could have at least rlm@2: tested us on something we already knew.” rlm@2: “We could try to study more next time,” Megumi suggested. rlm@2: Kumiko thought for a moment. “No, that’s alright. I did pretty well and we’d probably just get off rlm@2: track next time we study anyway, like we usually do.” rlm@2: Megumi smiled at the other girl. “That’s true.” rlm@2: The two girls walked along for a few minutes, talking about this and that. Megumi came to a halt rlm@2: when she spotted something. “Hey, looks like they’re selling some antics over there.” rlm@2: Kumiko turned to where Megumi’s gaze led. “See anything you want?” rlm@2: “Maybe…” The blonde said before walking over to the items spread before them. The items were rlm@2: all set up in front of a large metal gate. Behind the gate lay a rather impressive mansion. The sight of the rlm@2: mansion sent a chill through both girls. rlm@2: Kumiko rubbed her arms, the feeling she got from the house almost physical. “Can we go, rlm@2: Megumi-chan?” She felt odd seeing that place. rlm@2: “In just a minute,” Megumi said quietly. Many of these items, these personal belongings of rlm@2: someone long gone, seemed familiar to her. Some she could nearly remember. Try as she might, she rlm@2: couldn’t stop the familiarity she felt. rlm@2: “Cool! Megumi, look at this,” Kumiko said, her gaze settling on a small video camera. rlm@2: “Wow! It looks pretty old.” Megumi walked over to the desk on which it lay, side by side with rlm@2: Kumiko. rlm@2: “It would be great to have it, wouldn’t it? I’d love to record you with it.” Kumiko laughed as she rlm@2: picked it up, pretending to video tape Megumi. The other girl giggled and posed for the video camera. rlm@2: “You girls find something you want?” A girl around their age walked up to them, seeming to rlm@2: come from nowhere. They had been so caught up in the house and the items that they were both startled by rlm@2: her arrival. rlm@2: Regaining her composure first, Kumiko turned. “Yeah, we’re interested in this video camera. How rlm@2: much is it?” rlm@2: “You are? No one else has even looked its way yet.” The girl stood in thought for a moment. “If rlm@2: you want it, you can have it.” rlm@2: “Really?” Megumi asked excitedly. rlm@2: “Yeah, sure,” the other girl smiled. “My mom and I just moved in. We need to get rid of some of rlm@2: the stuff that was already here.” rlm@2: “Thanks!” Kumiko said happily. rlm@2: “Don’t mention it.” The girl nodded to them before returning to watch over the sale. rlm@2: Kumiko grinned as she held up the video camera again. “This should be fun.” rlm@2: “We have to see if it works first, though,” Megumi pointed out. rlm@2: “Yeah, you’re right. I hope it does.” Kumiko gave the video camera a quick glance to make sure it rlm@2: looked like it was in working order. “It looks like whoever owned it took really good care of it.” rlm@2: “We can check it out at my house.” Megumi smiled at Kumiko and brushed some of the other rlm@2: girl’s dark brown hair away from her eyes. rlm@2: “Looks like there’s still a video in it, too,” Kumiko said, still toying with the video camera. rlm@2: “Good. Now, let’s go back to my house. This place is giving me the creeps.” Megumi took rlm@2: Kumiko’s free hand with her own. rlm@2: Kumiko waved to the girl who had given them the camera before they left. Neither Kumiko nor rlm@2: Megumi understood the significance of the video camera they held or the history it possessed. Both tried to rlm@2: push off the strange feelings they’d had while near the house as they got further and further away from it. rlm@2: rlm@2: rlm@2: As they approached Megumi’s house, Kumiko broke the silence that had been following them rlm@2: ever since they left that scary mansion that had given them such odd feelings of déjà vu. rlm@2: “This really is a cool camera, isn’t it?” Kumiko smiled excitedly, trying to be patient and wait till rlm@2: they could see what was on the video tape. rlm@2: “I guess so, Kumi, but I don’t see why you’re so amazed with it. It’s so old. They probably don’t rlm@2: even make tapes that are compatible with such an old model video camera.” Megumi sighed, trying to rlm@2: brush that scary feeling she got from the mansion away. rlm@2: “Aww..” Kumiko frowned. “I’m sure that they’re sold somewhere.” rlm@2: Megumi giggled and leaned forward, lightly kissing Kumiko’s lower lip. “I’m sorry. I’m just a rlm@2: little shaken by the old building.” rlm@2: When they stepped inside, Kumiko noticed that Megumi’s parents weren’t there. “Where are your rlm@2: parents, Megumi?” rlm@2: “They’re gone. Like usual. I don’t see why you’re surprised. They’re hardly ever here.” Megumi rlm@2: sighed, angrily. rlm@2: “Don’t worry about it, Megumi-chan. At least we have the place to ourselves. And we can check rlm@2: out this video in peace,” Kumiko smiled, trying to cheer up her best friend, schoolmate, and girlfriend. rlm@2: “You know that the video’s probably just an old empty tape left in by the owner a long time ago rlm@2: and they never used it, right?” Megumi tried to let her down gently, noticing that Kumiko had such high rlm@2: hopes for the camera and didn’t want to crush them. rlm@2: “For some odd reason, I just know that there’s something on that tape. Like destiny’s calling for rlm@2: me to watch it. Like there’s something or someone very important on it.” Kumiko shook her head trying to rlm@2: clear away all of the overwhelming thoughts that rushed through her as she connected the video camera to rlm@2: the television so they could view the contents of the tape. rlm@2: Megumi laughed, hugging Kumiko from behind. “Kumi, its just an old tape. Probably of rlm@2: someone’s birthday or family.” rlm@2: “What if its for us?” Kumiko asked half seriously. She blushed when she thought about how rlm@2: foolish that sounded. “Well, I still want to see what its about.” rlm@2: “Want me to get some popcorn?” Megumi asked, still smiling. rlm@2: Kumiko sat down beside Megumi, pulling her legs up to her chest. She felt the warmth of the rlm@2: other girl sitting next to her. She could smell the sweet scent of Megumi’s long, soft blonde hair as it rlm@2: brushed her cheek. Smiling to Megumi, she received a brief kiss from the blonde before returning her rlm@2: attention to the television. Her heartbeat quickened as the video started. rlm@2: Megumi sighed. She had an odd feeling about this. She wasn’t sure she wanted to see what was on rlm@2: the video. She felt that maybe, just maybe, Kumiko had been right about the video being for them. That rlm@2: thought scared her. What if it changed things? Maybe there were certain things they weren’t meant to know rlm@2: about. rlm@2: The faint outline of a girl could be seen amidst the static as someone tried to fix the camera so rlm@2: many years ago. After a short time, the silhouette started to come into view. She was a girl about their age rlm@2: with long dark hair and dark stormy blue eyes. Her skin was very pale, as if made of alabaster. She seemed rlm@2: to have a perpetual smile that followed her as she continued to check the camcorder. Both Megumi and rlm@2: Kumiko caught their breath as they watched the dark haired girl on the video. A strange sense of nostalgia rlm@2: filled the room. The dark haired girl winked at the camcorder after she seemed fairly certain that it was rlm@2: working. rlm@2: “Tomoyo-chan,” another girl called from offscreen. “You don’t have to worry about that.” rlm@2: “It’s okay, Sakura-chan. Its working now,” Tomoyo said happily. The camcorder turned suddenly, rlm@2: now being held by the dark haired girl. A girl with short brown hair and large green eyes stood in view of rlm@2: the camcorder. She was wearing the same school fuku Tomoyo was wearing. rlm@2: Sakura sweatdropped and put a hand behind her head nervously. “I just meant that you don’t have rlm@2: to videotape me right now, Tomoyo-chan. I’m not even doing anything interesting like card captoring right rlm@2: now.” rlm@2: Tomoyo’s quiet voice spoke up warmly. “Sakura-chan’s always interesting. You know there’s rlm@2: nothing else I’d rather videotape.” rlm@2: Sakura sighed in defeat. “Okay. I just thought that we were going to go for a walk.” rlm@2: “We are,” Tomoyo replied. “I wanted a video to remember it by.” Megumi’s hand absentmindedly rlm@2: went to her left cheek as she watched the events unfold. This whole things seemed so familiar. She knew rlm@2: these girls. She was sure she knew them. rlm@2: Kumiko felt her breath catch in her chest. She felt like she was actually there, watching everything rlm@2: as if it were through her own eyes rather than the camcorder. As the two girls onscreen talked, Kumiko rlm@2: tried desperately to remember what happened next. Remember? How could she remember something she’d rlm@2: never seen? rlm@2: The dark haired girl behind the camcorder giggled as she ran to catch up with Sakura. Sakura rlm@2: smiled brightly at her as she caught up. “I don’t think I’ll ever understand why you do that, Tomoyo-chan.” rlm@2: “Because you are the most beautiful thing for me to record. Because you are the most interesting rlm@2: thing for me to record. Because I love you,” Tomoyo explained. rlm@2: Sakura smiled brighter and looked over at Tomoyo. “I love you, too, Tomoyo-chan.” rlm@2: “Watch out…” Megumi whispered. Tomoyo was too busy following Sakura with the video rlm@2: camera to notice the tangled root in front of her. Her foot got caught, throwing her off balance. The rlm@2: camcorder tumbled from her grasp, but by now the images weren’t needed. They both knew what rlm@2: happened. Sakura looked on in alarm when she heard Tomoyo’s gasp. She quickly lunged forward, rlm@2: catching the dark haired girl around the waist and under an arm. They both stumbled the rest of the way to rlm@2: the grass. The camcorder was on its side, pointing at the two girls holding each other. Both were breathing rlm@2: heavily from the shock. They looked at each other for a long moment, passing a silent thank you between rlm@2: them. Ever so slowly they leaned towards each other, their lips meeting passionately. rlm@2: Kumiko gasped as the television turned off. For a moment she thought the video was over, but rlm@2: looking up she could see Megumi had pressed the power button on the television. Megumi stood there rlm@2: silently, looking off into the distance. She seemed to be thinking. Or maybe she didn’t want to think. rlm@2: “Tomoyo…” Kumiko pleaded. rlm@2: Megumi turned to the other girl, her eyes wide. “Why did you call me thatt?” rlm@2: “Call you what?” Kumiko asked nervously. rlm@2: “Tomoyo.” rlm@2: “I meant… I didn’t mean you, Megumi-chan. I was caught up in the video.” Kumiko tried to rlm@2: explain it away. rlm@2: Megumi shook her head. “You can’t lie to me, Kumi. I know you too well. Why did you call me rlm@2: that?” She swallowed nervously. ‘Please just say I reminded you of her, or that you were daydreaming that rlm@2: was us. Anything. I’ll believe you, Kumi,’ Megumi thought to herself. rlm@2: “I… I don’t know, Megumi-chan,” Kumiko said softly. rlm@2: rlm@2: End part 1 rlm@2: