Scarf and Soul Searching

(AN: Set in Episode 25

For Alyssa)

She searched for the scarf for hours.

The dorm gates closed, Amane knew that, but she knew that this scarf was more important than getting in trouble for staying out for one night. She was trusted by the teachers and the student council knew that she wouldn't do anything stupid.

She was such an idiot. She had kept on touching the scarf, running it through her hands, trying to remember. She knew it was something very important, but she couldn't remember who gave it to her, or under what circumstances.

If she was being honest with herself, it was driving her a little mad.

She just wanted to remember, and for some reason she thought that maybe this scarf would help. This scarf and that blonde haired girl…

Amane couldn't get the girl out of her head. It didn't help that every time she looked around Hikari would probably be standing there – not doing much, loitering, following her to school. Sometimes she was with her black haired friend but other times she was by herself.

She just wanted to remember.

She rode Star Bride throughout the forest, because as dumb as she was, she had still been touching it while she was riding. It was a rookie mistake, but she'd been caught up in her thoughts and touching the scarf seemed to bring back… something. Maybe she was kidding herself.

It all would have been fine, but then when she had gone to touch it, it hadn't been there.

She'd heard crashing in her ears, and had been retracing her footsteps around the forest ever since.

The only problem was that since she had been so caught up in her thoughts that she didn't actually know where she had been, and the forest wasn't exactly easy to navigate on a good day.

Then she had seen the figure in the distance.

It had been after sundown, and Amane knew that the gates for the school would have been closed for a considerable amount of time now. The girl was wearing a Spica uniform though, so she had gone to see who it was.

Amane hadn't exactly been surprised when she had realised that it was Hikari.

The blonde haired girl had been constantly in her thoughts, and the whole following thing hadn't helped matters.

Hikari was holding the scarf, and Amane breathed out a sigh of relief. It was found. She dismounted and took it from Hikari, while she told the girl how much she valued it. Hikari seemed to tear up, but Amane dismissed it. Why would the girl be crying?

Since they were out in the middle of the forest, Amane offered Hikari a ride back on Star Bride. Hikari looked overwhelmed and nodded.

"If it wouldn't be too much for either Amane-senpai or Star Bride?" The younger girl said.

Amane nodded. Her horse and she could take the added weight over a short distance, and Hikari wasn't that heavy anyway.

She gave Hikari a boot up and then jumped into the saddle.

"Hold on," Amane advised the girl behind her.

Hikari bit her lip and slowly wound her arms around Amane. Amane blinked before touching her heels to Star Bride's sides. The arms felt like they belonged there.

After ten minutes of walking, they came out of the forest near the stables. Amane showed Hikari how to dismount properly, and then sighed slightly, already missing the slight weight of the smaller girl's arms. Shaking her head, she walked Star Bride before offering her a drink and then leading her back into the stables, taking off all of her gear and storing it properly. She then gave Star Bride a quick brush down, settling the white horse in for the night.

When she had put her riding gear into the store room, Amane noticed that Hikari still hadn't left. Something in her warmed, and she wondered at it.

"You're taking me back to the dorms? Amane-senpai is not returning to the Strawberry Dorms?" Hikari asked.

"I have to wake up early tomorrow take care of Star Bride," Amane answered.

"Then let me stay with you! Even if you tell me to go back tonight, I won't!" Hikari bit out, her face taught, as if she expected Amane to tell her to go away.

The warm feeling in her chest expanded.

What was it about this girl?

"I want to stay by your side…"

Amane blinked at that. Why was this girl doing this? She was feeling something, something that she didn't think she had ever experienced before. What was happening?

"Okay then," Amane said, and watched as Hikari let out a small sigh. What was she expecting, that she would turn her away?

Building up the fire, Amane retrieved a blanket and wrapped it around the both of them, tugging it tighter so they could both be warm. The winter chill outside would make getting through the night in the rather uninsulated barn difficult, but just by sharing the blanket with Hikari, Amane could feel herself warming up. The younger girl was warm, and Amane didn't doubt that she was warm as well. They would get through the night.

She couldn't stop thinking. Who was Hikari? What did she mean to her? Why did the younger girl follow her everywhere? What did the scarf mean to her? Absent-mindedly she stroked the scarf in her pocket. She was on the edge of an answer, she could feel it.

The scarf. It all came back to the scarf.

"But… Why were you there?" Amane asked finally, needing to hear the answer.

"I was also searching… Always searching for Amane-senpai."

What did she mean?

"To me, that was something very important." The scarf, the scarf. "But I can't remember anything." Damn this memory loss. Damn it.

"I'm very happy." Amane swung her head around to look at Hikari. What? "That Amane-senpai has these thoughts. Deep inside my heart, I know that Amane-senpai and I are tightly connected." Hikari moved her hand to squeeze Amane's. "That's why…" Her eyes widened. Why was she crying? What was she saying?

"Please don't cry, because I'm about to cry too. That's why."

Why couldn't she remember?

And then Hikari began singing. It was beautiful, and Amane felt it echo inside her, reverberating and waking something, and Amane felt like she was balanced on an edge, and she could almost… Almost…

Where was it? Where have I heard this before? That same voice… that angelic song. Angelic…

Suddenly she was back on Star Bride, riding through the mist towards someone… someone singing… That voice… Who was it…? Blonde hair… small stature…

It was Hikari. Amane didn't even know why she was surprised.

The images rushed through her head, all of her memories, and she suddenly knew everything.

Smiling softly down at Hikari, who kept singing.

"Hikari." Just one word. Just one.

Hikari stopped singing and looked up at Amane.

"Amane-senpai?" Hikari asked.

Amane nodded, but she knew it was enough. Hikari's eyes widened. She smiled and through herself into Amane's arms, and Amane could feel the tears on her shoulder.

"Hikari," she said soothingly, bringing her arms up around the smaller girl. Hikari leaned back and Amane leaned down and Hikari leaned up and then they were kissing.

"It's alright, I'm here, I remember," Amane soothed, running her hands through Hikari's hair, and all Hikari was doing was hugging her as hard as she could. Amane smiled, and ducked her head, nudging up Hikari's head with her hand so that she could kiss her.

Hikari smiled and Amane brushed away her tears, and Hikari rested her head against Amane's shoulder, breathing out heavily.

"I thought I lost you forever," she admitted.

Amane didn't want to tell her how close that had been to happening. If Hikari hadn't been out there, and if she hadn't found that scarf… She wouldn't have remembered, and she wouldn't have been going to participate in the Etoile elections in a few days' time. Amane didn't think she could have forgiven herself if she had remembered later and known that she had given away the opportunity to be Etoile with Hikari.

"I'm never going anywhere ever again," Amane breathed. "Do you want me to show you how sure I am?" She asked.

Hikari looked up, and Amane knew that there was no mistaking the question in her eyes. Hikari looked down and licked her lips, and Amane's eyes followed the action. She could feel her heart beat starting to speed up, and she shifted slightly, moving towards Hikari and facing her more directly.

Hikari finally looked up. "Amane-senpai, I would like that."

"You should stop that," Amane whispered, leaning closer. "If we're going to be partners. In here, at least."

Hikari looked up but nodded, and then they were kissing again, and her mouth tasted like how she smelled and it was wonderful.