Chapter 1
"Oh man! This summer is going to be so great! I can't believe my dad is letting Darien go on vacation with us! It's going to be so fun!" Serena exclaimed, her sky-blue eyes glowing.
"I know..." Amy said quietly. "I thought he hated Darien. Be careful Serena, he could be up to something." Amy said sensibly.
Serena made an annoyed face.
"Oh Amy! Why can't you just be happy for me?" Her eyes began tearing up and the girls braced themselves for wail that was sure to shatter the glass around them. Raye clapped her hand roughly over Serena's mouth to silence her.
"Can it, Meatball Head!" Ray grumbled. "At least you're not stuck alone all summer cleaning a temple."
"Your Grandpa took Chad on that training mission after all, huh?" Lita asked sympathetically.
"Yes!" Raye cried, her violet eyes flaring. "Ever since we started dating he has intensified Chad's session. I think it's just to keep him too busy to see me!"
"Aw, give him a break Raye. He's just being overprotective. He's had his little girl with him so long, he's gotten used to having her attention." Lita smiled and Raye growled in return.
"So where are you going, Lita?" Amy asked, taking a sip of her Coke.
"I'm going to Ken's house to visit his family. Since the Negaverse has been quiet for so long, it would do me good to get out of Tokyo for a while." She grinned, thinking about her handsome boyfriend.
"Sounds like fun to me." Raye muttered.
Serena stopped to look at a silent, but beautiful blonde staring out the window. She hadn't said a word since they entered the arcade.
"So where are you going, Mina?" Serena chirped, breaking the girl out of her stupor.
"What?" She asked, blinking her ocean-blue eyes. "Oh! I'm going to visit my cousin, Hitomi." She said quietly.
The girls exchanged glances.
"Hitomi... Is that the one that disappeared for like a month?" Lita asked.
"Yeah, she's really nice but lately she's been really depressed. Her mother called a couple of days ago and asked if I could visit for the summer. She's hoping I can cheer her up." Mina explained.
The girls nodded.
"The only problem is, Hitomi's been so distant ever since she disappeared... It's like she's missing something." Mina said softly. "I've been really worried about her..."
"What happened to her?" Amy asked.
"That's the thing... Nobody knows. She never told anyone, not even me." Mina went silent again. "I'm glad the Negaverse is gone. I really want to help her." She turned to the girls and smiled.
"Wish me luck guys?" She said hopefully.
"Right!" The girls shouted, and clinked glasses in a warm toast.
***********************************************************************
Mina stepped off the train quickly and stood on the platform, her eyes searching for a familiar face. It was then she saw a figure of a woman waving frantically at her. Mina smiled.
"Aunt Yuki!" She called and raced towards her. The woman met her halfway and embraced her niece tenderly.
"Oh Mina! I'm so happy you're here!" She said. "Here, give me your bags."
Mina handed them to her and looked around expectantly.
"Where's Hitomi?" She asked.
"Oh! Hitomi is at track practice. She should be coming home soon though." She smiled and stepped back to look at her niece. "I don't know how Mina, but you seem to have grown even prettier since the last time I saw you."
Mina blushed and helped her aunt with the bags. They threw them into the car quickly and piled in. On the way home, Aunti Yuki filled her in on Hitomi's condition.
"She's just so sad, Mina. She walks around all day looking tired and worn. Amano and Yukari, her best friends, are very worried about her. They don't know what to do... And I think she hasn't been sleeping well. I don't know, Mina. She won't talk to anyone." She said sadly, her voice hoarse. Mina could see tears standing in her eyes. "You two have always been so close. Maybe you can cheer her up or at least find out what is wrong with her. I've been so worried."
Mina was quiet for a few moments, then smiled and reached over to hug her aunt.
"I'll do whatever I can, Aunt Yuki." Mina promised.
Her aunt smiled back and hugged her close.
**********************************************************************
Hitomi walked solemnly next to her friends Amano and Yukari.
"So Hitomi," Amano began, "do you want to go out for a shake or something?"
Hitomi shifted her sports bag to her other shoulder and shook her head.
"No thanks guys, I've got to be getting home. My cousin Mina is visiting from Tokyo." She seemed to brighten for the first time that day. "She's coming today and I want to be there when she gets home."
Amano and Yukari smiled at each other and nodded. He reached for Yukari's hand and she held it tightly.
"We understand, Hitomi." Yukari said. "Have fun."
Hitomi smiled and reached out to hug her impulsively. Yukari looked surprised, but clutched her friend back tightly. Tears threatened, but Yukari pushed them away. Hitomi stepped back and after a moment's thought, hugged Amano too.
"I love you guys." She whispered against his shoulder.
"We know." Amano answered, placing a gentle kiss onto her forehead. "Have fun, Hitomi."
She nodded and ran away, eager to get home.
*****************************************************************
"Oh man! This summer is going to be so great! I can't believe my dad is letting Darien go on vacation with us! It's going to be so fun!" Serena exclaimed, her sky-blue eyes glowing.
"I know..." Amy said quietly. "I thought he hated Darien. Be careful Serena, he could be up to something." Amy said sensibly.
Serena made an annoyed face.
"Oh Amy! Why can't you just be happy for me?" Her eyes began tearing up and the girls braced themselves for wail that was sure to shatter the glass around them. Raye clapped her hand roughly over Serena's mouth to silence her.
"Can it, Meatball Head!" Ray grumbled. "At least you're not stuck alone all summer cleaning a temple."
"Your Grandpa took Chad on that training mission after all, huh?" Lita asked sympathetically.
"Yes!" Raye cried, her violet eyes flaring. "Ever since we started dating he has intensified Chad's session. I think it's just to keep him too busy to see me!"
"Aw, give him a break Raye. He's just being overprotective. He's had his little girl with him so long, he's gotten used to having her attention." Lita smiled and Raye growled in return.
"So where are you going, Lita?" Amy asked, taking a sip of her Coke.
"I'm going to Ken's house to visit his family. Since the Negaverse has been quiet for so long, it would do me good to get out of Tokyo for a while." She grinned, thinking about her handsome boyfriend.
"Sounds like fun to me." Raye muttered.
Serena stopped to look at a silent, but beautiful blonde staring out the window. She hadn't said a word since they entered the arcade.
"So where are you going, Mina?" Serena chirped, breaking the girl out of her stupor.
"What?" She asked, blinking her ocean-blue eyes. "Oh! I'm going to visit my cousin, Hitomi." She said quietly.
The girls exchanged glances.
"Hitomi... Is that the one that disappeared for like a month?" Lita asked.
"Yeah, she's really nice but lately she's been really depressed. Her mother called a couple of days ago and asked if I could visit for the summer. She's hoping I can cheer her up." Mina explained.
The girls nodded.
"The only problem is, Hitomi's been so distant ever since she disappeared... It's like she's missing something." Mina said softly. "I've been really worried about her..."
"What happened to her?" Amy asked.
"That's the thing... Nobody knows. She never told anyone, not even me." Mina went silent again. "I'm glad the Negaverse is gone. I really want to help her." She turned to the girls and smiled.
"Wish me luck guys?" She said hopefully.
"Right!" The girls shouted, and clinked glasses in a warm toast.
***********************************************************************
Mina stepped off the train quickly and stood on the platform, her eyes searching for a familiar face. It was then she saw a figure of a woman waving frantically at her. Mina smiled.
"Aunt Yuki!" She called and raced towards her. The woman met her halfway and embraced her niece tenderly.
"Oh Mina! I'm so happy you're here!" She said. "Here, give me your bags."
Mina handed them to her and looked around expectantly.
"Where's Hitomi?" She asked.
"Oh! Hitomi is at track practice. She should be coming home soon though." She smiled and stepped back to look at her niece. "I don't know how Mina, but you seem to have grown even prettier since the last time I saw you."
Mina blushed and helped her aunt with the bags. They threw them into the car quickly and piled in. On the way home, Aunti Yuki filled her in on Hitomi's condition.
"She's just so sad, Mina. She walks around all day looking tired and worn. Amano and Yukari, her best friends, are very worried about her. They don't know what to do... And I think she hasn't been sleeping well. I don't know, Mina. She won't talk to anyone." She said sadly, her voice hoarse. Mina could see tears standing in her eyes. "You two have always been so close. Maybe you can cheer her up or at least find out what is wrong with her. I've been so worried."
Mina was quiet for a few moments, then smiled and reached over to hug her aunt.
"I'll do whatever I can, Aunt Yuki." Mina promised.
Her aunt smiled back and hugged her close.
**********************************************************************
Hitomi walked solemnly next to her friends Amano and Yukari.
"So Hitomi," Amano began, "do you want to go out for a shake or something?"
Hitomi shifted her sports bag to her other shoulder and shook her head.
"No thanks guys, I've got to be getting home. My cousin Mina is visiting from Tokyo." She seemed to brighten for the first time that day. "She's coming today and I want to be there when she gets home."
Amano and Yukari smiled at each other and nodded. He reached for Yukari's hand and she held it tightly.
"We understand, Hitomi." Yukari said. "Have fun."
Hitomi smiled and reached out to hug her impulsively. Yukari looked surprised, but clutched her friend back tightly. Tears threatened, but Yukari pushed them away. Hitomi stepped back and after a moment's thought, hugged Amano too.
"I love you guys." She whispered against his shoulder.
"We know." Amano answered, placing a gentle kiss onto her forehead. "Have fun, Hitomi."
She nodded and ran away, eager to get home.
*****************************************************************