~Siren of the Stars~
by Strawberry Moon Rose
Enjoy =)
Disclaimer: I do not own Sailor Moon or any of the characters. They belong to Naoko Takeuchi.
"Guys, I can see it!" I cry in excitement, my face presses up against the glass. As we sail by on the fast moving train, mountains and greenery blend together in a forest blur.
"See what, Usagi-chan?" Minako is sitting next to me and leans over to see what I'm getting worked up about.
"The ocean! Look! Oh wow, it's so blue!" My eyes are sparkling, lips curling into a wide grin as I admire the rolling sea on the other side of the window.
"Usagi, would you keep it down!" Rei snaps under her breath. She's sitting across from me on the train. "People are staring at you! Geez, you act like you've never been to the beach before."
"I've never been to this beach before," I say defensively. I cross my arms in front of my chest. "Why do you have to be so mean, Rei-chan?"
The raven-haired girl sticks her tongue out. I frown and look away.
"Come on you two, let's try and get along," Makoto tells us with a smile. "This trip is supposed to be fun, remember?"
Ami is sitting beside the brunette and looks up from the thick book she's reading. "It's not every summer we get invited to Haruka-san and Michiru-san's beach house," she points out.
Minako nods excitedly and pumps her fist in the air. "Let's make this summer the best one yet! I'm definitely going to find romance on this trip! As the saying goes, 'Abstinence of love makes the heart grow fonder'!"
Everyone sweat drops.
Makoto reaches out and touches the blonde's shoulder. "It's 'Absence of love makes the heart grow fonder', Minako-chan..." she tells her. I can tell Makoto is trying hard not to laugh.
Minako tilts her head to the side. "Well that's a good one too!"
We all laugh together.
I smile at my friends and turn my attention back to the window. The sun is setting over the shimmering ocean. We're getting closer.
We left right away this morning and after the long ride, I can hardly wait to get there and unpack. School is out and next year we'll be in high school. When Michiru offered to take us all to her parent's private beach house, we jumped at the chance. It's a perfect way to relax one last time before we hit the books. So for the next few weeks we're going to be staying there. It's going to be fun!
"I can't wait to show off my new bathing suits," Minako is saying. "I hope there's gonna be a ton of hot boys there. Ooh, maybe a cute lifeguard too! I can ask him to help slather me in sunscreen..." She giggles, her mind running away in a perverted fantasy of some sort. I'm half expecting her to get a nosebleed when a husky voice speaks and steals my attention.
"You guys had better be careful of the waters," Haruka warns. She's sitting across the aisle beside Michiru, sifting through a mechanic magazine. They came to get us this morning. I think Rei said something to Michiru about me having the tendency of getting lost and taking the wrong buses, because they insisted on escorting us on the long train ride.
"Why's that?" Rei asks curiously. "Is the current too strong or something?"
I shudder. "Don't tell me! There's not creatures, is there? You know, like the Loch Ness monster?" I ask in a small, quivering voice.
Haruka narrows her emerald eyes. "Maybe. Who knows what's in those waters? But I was referring to the sirens."
"Sirens?" My blonde brows knit together. "You mean like an alarm? Why would there be those in the ocean?" I'm trying to imagine a police siren or fire engine siren going off and flashing in the water, but it doesn't fit for some reason.
Haruka chuckles and shakes her head. "No Koneko-chan, not those kind of sirens."
I cock my head to the side, confused.
"Usagi-chan," Ami shuts her book and sets it in her lap. She pushes her glasses to her nose. "A siren is a sea creature that lures sailors and fishermen in with her attractive voice and looks."
Haruka's tone is serious. "Ami-chan's right. They're seductive women that sit on the rocks late at night and sing with their alluring voices, drawing you in with their hypnotic song. When you get to close them, they beguile you."
I don't even know what that word means. It doesn't sound good. My face must be funny because Haruka is enjoying my reaction far more than she should be.
"Oh Haruka, stop scaring her." Michiru brushes an aqua curl out of her face. "The poor girl is going to have nightmares now."
Haruka chuckles. "I'm just telling her the truth, Michiru. They should be careful swimming out there, especially at night. We wouldn't want our kawaii Koneko-chan being devoured by a temptress."
"D-devoured?" My eyes go big.
Michiru looks at me. "Usagi-chan, there's nothing to worry about. Sea monsters, mermaids, they're all just a myth. You have nothing to worry about."
"Really?"
"Yes." Michiru smiles kindly at me. She gives Haruka a strange, stern look. I may be imagining it, but it looks like they are having a serious conversation with their eyes.
"So..." Makoto reaches for a container at her heels and holds it up. "Anyone want to try my homemade chocolate chip cookies?"
"I do!" I say. And just like that, I forget all about the scary legends of the sea.
Ten minutes later, we're stepping off the train and onto the platform. It's a hot summer evening and the cicadas are chirping their rhythmic song in the thick forestry around us. We all step under the shaded station. Minako is fanning herself with a magazine. Rei ties her ebony tresses into a high ponytail to keep the heat off her neck.
"You guys don't mind walking do you?" Haruka asks, pointing to a sandy dirt trail cut through the trees.
"It's not too far," Michiru assures us.
"Oh sure, of course not!" I lie, heaving my heavy suitcase off the ground. I'm tired already just at the thought of carrying this huge thing up the hill.
"Great, let's go." Haruka pushes a pair of cool sunglasses down from her forehead to her eyes and takes the lead.
It's not too long before I fall to the caboose. What can I say, I'm not really athletic and hiking can be pretty exhausting, especially in this summer heat.
"Usagi-chan, you're such a slowpoke!" Rei calls from ahead.
I pout and grasp my suitcase harder. I'm too tired and thirsty to yell back at her.
"Do you need some help?" I look up and see Makoto towering next to me. She stopped and waited for me to catch up. Before I can even answer her, she lifts the square bag over her shoulder in a swift movement. I forget how strong she is.
"Wow... Thanks, Mako-chan!" I tell her. We hurry and catch up to the others. I keep stealing glances at the ocean to my left. The sand is pure white and the water is bluer than the sky. I can almost taste the salty air from here. The soothing sound of lapping waves puts me at ease. It's so hot, I have to resist the urge from dashing over and going for a dip. I tell myself there will be plenty of time for that later.
It's not too much longer before the beach house comes into view. I know Michiru is loaded, but I don't think she's this rich.
Positioned so the back and side of the house are facing the ocean, the three story mansion looms before us tauntingly. There's a brown fence around the sides that don't drop off to the sea. It's almost Victorian style and reminds me of their house in Tokyo. There's no other way to describe it but wealthy and beautiful, just like the heir to it.
"Are you sure your parents don't mind us staying here?" Rei asks in a small voice. I can tell everyone is feeling just as impressed and speechless as I am.
Michiru laughs. "Of course not. They're overseas now anyway. Haruka and I come here every summer, don't we?" I notice Haruka's cheeks turn pink like there was more behind those words than she let on.
"We thought it'd be nice to have some company this time," Haruka says quickly and continues leading us to the mansion.
We enter through the gates and walk up the stone path to the doors. Tall bushes are lined up against the house all around. There's a pretty fountain of a mermaid spitting water out of her mouth to my left. I can't help but notice it looks a little bit like Michiru. She is the senshi of the sea and this is her house so I guess that makes sense.
Even though I'm squinting against the setting sun's bright twilight rays, I can see that the place looks even bigger the closer we get to it. I gulp. We walk up the series of steps to the porch.
As Michiru is reaching into her breast pocket for the key, I notice the pretty necklace swinging against her smooth skin as she moves. It's an orange seashell hanging by a chain. It coils up and has pointed edges at the top. I've never seen one in that shape and color before.
Haruka must notice me staring at her girlfriend's chest because she gives me a questioning look. I blush and shake my head, embarrassed she thought I was staring at her boobs.
"I like your necklace," I say quickly as Michiru unlocks the door.
She smiles and fingers the shell. "Oh this? Thank you. I found it on the shore last week when we were here to drop off our suitcases. I think it's beautiful."
"Just like you..." Haruka purrs under her breath. I don't think she means for us to hear, but I do and I quickly look away.
We step inside. I'm expecting the interior to be as spectacular as the exterior, but I'm still amazed.
Everything is white and fancy. Glossy floor sparkles under our sandals as we walk in. There's a lot of windows on the north, all with their curtains wide open to reveal the ocean. We must have walked into the living room since there's two large white sofas positioned around a plasma screen TV. In the corner there is a stone fireplace crackling with dancing flames inside. My eyes are still taking it all in as Michiru starts up the flight of stairs to our left and we all follow, carrying our heavy bags and luggage with us.
Minako is in front of me struggling with twice as many bags of clothes as the rest of us. It gives me a good laugh. Leave it to her to pack half her wardrobe on vacation.
We climb all the way to the third floor where the guestrooms are. We pass several expensive looking paintings hanging on the walls. Most of them are of the ocean. I don't doubt for a second that Michiru herself was the artist. Sure enough, I see her name printed in the bottom right corner. It must be nice to be so rich, beautiful, and talented. I can't even draw stick people or walk gracefully. Her and I are like total opposites.
"These will be your guys' rooms," Michiru tells us, motioning to the series of doors.
"Make yourselves at home," Haruka adds.
Everyone picks a room. I reach for the silver handle of the far one when someone rushes up and beats me at the last minute. All I see is a blur of inky purple hair.
"You snooze, you lose!" Rei smirks and sticks out her tongue. She leans against the white wood and heaves herself inside.
I frown. "That's not fair, Rei-chan! You know I wanted that one!" I feel a hand come down on my shoulder before I can let her have it. I look up and see a handsome face smiling at me and I shut up.
"It's okay Koneko-chan, you can have this one," Haruka says, ushering me to the one next door. She opens it for me. "It has a balcony and a great view of the ocean. Just for you since you're so cute..."
"Really? Yay!" I step inside. Leaving the door open, I click the light on.
The room is just like the rest of the beach house; white, sparkling, and fresh. I drop my bags by the door and do a slow 360. There's a tall white dresser near a door that I assume leads to a private bathroom or walk in closet. Homey trinkets are arranged on the top of it. I turn around and see the glass patio doors and the balcony over the ocean. There's a queen-sized bed in the center made with a frilly white comforter and fluffy pillows in the shape of ravioli.
My hand drops to my stomach. Now that I think of it, I haven't eaten in an hour and it's past supper time. I decide to check out my room later. Right now the only thing on my mind is food!
Three helpings of oyster soup later, I spread my arms out and fall back onto my bed, rubbing my stomach. I don't think the slice of chocolate cake helped either, I'm stuffed! Haruka is a pretty good cook. I'm looking forward to eating her dishes for the next few weeks.
I sit up, wondering what that jostling sensation is as I bob up and down. Touching the mattress, I realize that it's a waterbed. Neat! I've never slept on one of those before.
I'm completely intrigued by it. I crawl onto my hands and knees, mystified by the rocking sensation. It feels like I'm on a boat in the water! I spend about ten minutes playing around with the cool feeling when I look up and see Haruka standing in the doorway wearing an amused expression.
I blush and hop off the bed, resisting the urge to watch the fluctuating sheets behind me. I feel kind of stupid. I must have looked like a little kid to her.
Haruka laughs a little at my abashed expression. She's wearing a pair of green male pajamas and looks kind of cute in them with the eye mask up in her dirty-blonde hair.
"I was just coming around to say good night. Tomorrow after breakfast we can go check out the beach if you guys want."
My eyes light up. "Really? I can't wait! And thanks for letting us stay here for the summer," I say.
Haruka smiles. "No problem. Now sleep tight, Koneko-chan."
"Good night, Haruka-san."
She leaves the light on, but steps back into the hallway and pulls the door shut behind her.
I turn around and fall to my knees by my bed and start rummaging through my bulky suitcase. Tossing my swimsuit and clothes aside, I finally get to a pair of pajamas. It's fairly late now and I don't want to be sleepy for the first day of paradise tomorrow. Plus I'm eager to sleep in my cool new bed!
I peel my shirt off over my head and let it drop in a pile at my feet. I unzip my skirt and step out of it. I'm shrugging my silky nightgown over my head when I hear something that makes me stop in mid-dress.
At first I think I left my CD player on in my bag. It sounds like faint music is playing. I think I'm imagining things and continue getting dressed, but I still hear it. I freeze again and hold my breath. No, for sure there's music playing somewhere, I'm not crazy. For a second I wonder if Michiru is playing her violin next door, but my neighbors are Rei and Ami, and Michiru's room is on the second floor.
My brows knit together and I follow the voice. It's coming from the direction of the patio. Confused, I push the glass doors open and step out onto my personal balcony.
The warm sea breeze hits me like a tidal wave. I can taste the salty air popping on my tongue. It's humid and damp, but not uncomfortable. I gasp when I look up at the sky. The sun has set long ago and the sky is a beautiful blackish blue. Stars are shining brightly. I spot Venus right away among the constellations.
I walk forward, the cool surface under my bare feet feels good. I don't bother to shut the doors behind me. I lean out over the edge, breathing in the sea. The balcony is small, but pretty nice sized for a guestroom. I look around and see that nobody else has a balcony. I'll have to thank Haruka again for getting me such a nice view! It was so kind of her.
"Search for your love..."
I freeze. There it is. That song. It's louder and clearer out here, I can make out the words. I swallow nervously. Where on Earth is it coming from? It doesn't sound like anyone's voice I know. It's a girl's voice; not too high, but not too low.
I look around, but there's nothing out back but ocean for as far as the eye can see from every angle. Peering straight down, I see nothing but swirling water crash into the rocks. The mansion is built on the edge of a cliff, and I'm kind of scared now that I realize the balcony sticks out over nothing but water. I take a nervous step back when I hear a loud splash.
I don't make a sound. Someone's out there, I can hear them. I wait for a minute. The song stops.
I exhale. I'm about to turn around and bolt back into my room when a movement catches the corner of my eye.
It's a tail with two fins. In the darkness, I see the silhouette splash into the water. It must be a dolphin. I chuckle to myself and sweat drop. Here I am getting terrified over nothing! I forget the ocean is home to creatures too.
Fear gone, I walk over the edge again and admire the waxing half moon low in the sky. Dark clouds roll in front of it, burying the bright moonlight, but I still find the dim blur candy for the eyes.
"Search for your love..."
I tense up at the voice again. I scan around but see only water and rocks. I'm about to give up and go ask the others if they hear it too, when one of the rocks moves.
My heart skips a beat. I don't dare move an inch. I wait for my eyes to adjust, while the pretty song flows into my ears. Whoever is singing, she's singing about finding her Princess and searching for her scent. It's not like any other music I've heard before. Every word is wrapped in a powerful, captivating emotion I can't describe. Even more so, the song makes me feel very relaxed. There's a pleasant tugging sensation in my chest.
I don't take my eyes off the rock that moved. What is it? It's too big to be a fish. Could it be a shark? Do sharks come out of the water like that?
I see the tail again, slowing raising from the water near the rock. The way it's curving up makes me wonder if it really is a dolphin or not. It splashes into the water making silent ripples. The singing is coming from that direction, I know it. Somebody's out there.
I gasp, remembering what Haruka told us earlier on the train ride about the legends. 'They're seductive women that sit on the rocks late at night and sing with their alluring voices, drawing you in with their hypnotic song.'
I panic. It can't be. No... Michiru said they're just myths! They can't exist, cant they? Right?!
At that moment, the dark clouds roll away, letting the moon shine brightly onto the waters. The pure white light illuminates the rocks and I stop breathing.
Sitting not too far away from below my balcony, I see her clearly. She has porcelain white skin the color of the moon. Her long black hair is tinted blue and tied back in a low ponytail. Wet, it drapes down one side and dips into the water. She's not that far away. To say she is beautiful is an understatement. Under short bangs, her navy blue eyes are captivating and seem to be looking right at me. I feel my cheeks grow hot and I look away and notice the scaly tail where her legs should be.
Tiny plates the color of her eyes glimmer under the dim light. They start below her bellybutton. Wide at her hips, they come together all the way down to where her feet would end. Two fins splash seamlessly in and out of the water the way a cat would casually flick its tail.
The voice doesn't stop. I can see her lips moving. It's definitely her singing the beautiful song.
"Search for your love."
Terrified, I take a step back only to stumble and fall hard on my butt. Mind whirling, I scramble to my feet and dash into my room. I slam the balcony doors shut and attempt to lock them. My hands are trembling so bad it takes me three tries. Too scared to sleep with the lights off, I leave them on and dive into my bed. Yanking the covers over my head, I don't even take the time to appreciate the waterbed that is rocking me up and down.
I'm not sure how long I lay there for, shaking under the sheets. I fall asleep soon after, trying to convince myself what I saw was a dream. I am completely unaware that from that moment on, the beautiful girl under the stars would change my life forever.