Chapter Two: Part I: A Second Encounter
That night I had the dream again, but this time, Zoicite was almost fighting Malachite to come save me and as I faded away, I heard a mothering voice echoing around me.
When I awoke, I found Haruka by me bed. "You're gorgeous when you sleep." She murmured.
"Oh, thanks."
"C'mere, sit up." I did so and noticed that the sun had already risen, at least an hour before. Haruka picked up a hair brush and started playing with my hair. "So he told you?" Haruka's long beautiful fingers quickly worked through my hair.
"Yes, he did. I guess it makes sense." I wanted to fall into her arms ad sob and tell her that I had always thought of her as my mother and I loved her. But I couldn't, I was afraid she would think I was strange. Haruka pulled my head into her lap and bent down to kiss my nose.
"Can I tell you a secret?" She whispered in my ear. I nodded. "I love you. You're like a younger sister, or even a daughter, to me." She murmured.
"Now this would be an interesting place to interrupt." Haruka and I looked up to see Darien leaning against the door frame with his arms crossed on his chest.
"Ah, hi Darien." I tried my best not to sound annoyed with his intrusion. Haruka sat me up and got to her feet. "What do you want?" She walked over to him, her body only the smallest bit smaller than his did, and stood in front of him, hands on her hips.
"Your girlfriend is coming over pretty soon to make breakfast." Darien always called Michuru "Haruka's girlfriend," although it was quite close to the truth.
"Oh good, so you won't ruin it." Haruka had relaxed her stance. I got up and walked over to Darien.
"Good morning." I said as I hugged him.
"Good morning darling." He leaned down to kiss the top of my head as he returned my embrace.
Darien started down stairs and Haruka and I followed. Michuru was already in the kitchen by the time we got there. "Good morning," she greeted us, looking up from her waffles. "They'll be done in just a minute." She gestured towards the waffle iron.
I went over to the counter and poured my self a cup of coffee. I dumped sugar into it and swirled the deep brown liquid absently with a fork. The clatter of dished brought me back to my senses. A plate of steaming waffles had been set in front of me. Just realizing I was hungry, I began devouring them.
For a few moments no one spoke. A pervasive quiet has settled over the room. For a moment I imagined that we were an actual family. Zoicite, Malechite, and Queen Beryl had never existed and Haruka was my sister and Michuru my mother.
All of a sudden, Rini burst through the door. "Need…help!" She panted. It took her a bit to catch her breath, but once she did she quickly explained. "Serena is trapped by Zoicite. She needs help!"
"So?" Haruka had never liked Serena much and wasn't about to leave a nice breakfast to go save her.
"Haruka, we should go help her." Michuru said.
"No, we shouldn't. She has never helped us. She has even been our enemy. We share nothing, we owe her nothing. She is but a sniveling crybaby who couldn't hold her own if she had to. Maybe the world would be better if she was distroyed!" I knew Haruka didn't like Serena much, but I never thought she'd wish death upon her.
"She came to save Darien." I murmured.
"What?" Haruka looked up, rather startled.
"She came to try to save Darien." I said again. Haruka sighed.
"I guess we can go help her." She said, a hint of exasperation in her voice.
"Oh thank you!" Sqeaked Rini, "Follow me!" The three of us, Haruka, Michuru, and I, followed the little pink haired child, Haruka muttering incoherently the whole way, until we reached a small square. Serena was slumped down on the ground and Zoicite was doing her evil work again.
My change was easier and faster this time and in seconds I found myself, once again, in the little orchid skirt. "Veyl Shooting Stars!" I screamed, at the same time Haruka and Michuru, now in their sailor scout alter-egos, shouted their attacks. Five throwing stars appeared in my hand. I chose one and threw it at Zoicite. At that exact same time, Zoicite turned around and saw me. Then she saw the now fire engulfed star. A second too late. The thing hit her right on the chest and she fell backwards, a huge gash opened along her middle. The evil woman turned and ran, but not before my second star had been released. This one skimmed right down her back, from her right shoulder blade to her left hip. This slash was burnt black from the flames on the star and I heard the woman scream in agony as it left it's bloody trail.
Then I realized what I had done. This woman was my mother. And I had just given her injuries that could end her life. I might have just killed my mother. I fell to my knees sobbing. Haruka knelt down next to me and pulled a strand of hair out of my face. I put my arms around her neck. "Oh goddess. I might have just killed her." I pulled away to look Haruka in the face. "I might have just killed my mother!" I half screamed half cried. I continued sobbing incoherently for a few minutes. Then Michuru shook me.
"Hey, Gazze." I looked up at her. "You didn't kill you. These Negaverse people seem to just regenerate their bodies. That's why your hair wouldn't cut."
"She's right ya know." Haruka added. "They are rather hard to kill. A couple of throwing stars shouldn't even phase them." My crying quieted and I wiped my eyes. I can't even start to explain my relief at finding that she would be okay. Then Darien pulled up in his cool little car.
"Hey you guys. Get in here!" Darien called. We all seemed to have forgotten Serena. Not for long.
"What about me?!" Serena had just come back to her senses and was sitting dazed on the ground. Rini was standing next to her, looking worried.
"Oh, you'll be fine in an hour or so." Called Haruka, getting into the car. Michuru and I followed. I spent the ride home thinking about my parents, ignoring the chatter going on between the three adults. Once we got home, I went upstairs to do my homework and think
That night I had the dream again, but this time, Zoicite was almost fighting Malachite to come save me and as I faded away, I heard a mothering voice echoing around me.
When I awoke, I found Haruka by me bed. "You're gorgeous when you sleep." She murmured.
"Oh, thanks."
"C'mere, sit up." I did so and noticed that the sun had already risen, at least an hour before. Haruka picked up a hair brush and started playing with my hair. "So he told you?" Haruka's long beautiful fingers quickly worked through my hair.
"Yes, he did. I guess it makes sense." I wanted to fall into her arms ad sob and tell her that I had always thought of her as my mother and I loved her. But I couldn't, I was afraid she would think I was strange. Haruka pulled my head into her lap and bent down to kiss my nose.
"Can I tell you a secret?" She whispered in my ear. I nodded. "I love you. You're like a younger sister, or even a daughter, to me." She murmured.
"Now this would be an interesting place to interrupt." Haruka and I looked up to see Darien leaning against the door frame with his arms crossed on his chest.
"Ah, hi Darien." I tried my best not to sound annoyed with his intrusion. Haruka sat me up and got to her feet. "What do you want?" She walked over to him, her body only the smallest bit smaller than his did, and stood in front of him, hands on her hips.
"Your girlfriend is coming over pretty soon to make breakfast." Darien always called Michuru "Haruka's girlfriend," although it was quite close to the truth.
"Oh good, so you won't ruin it." Haruka had relaxed her stance. I got up and walked over to Darien.
"Good morning." I said as I hugged him.
"Good morning darling." He leaned down to kiss the top of my head as he returned my embrace.
Darien started down stairs and Haruka and I followed. Michuru was already in the kitchen by the time we got there. "Good morning," she greeted us, looking up from her waffles. "They'll be done in just a minute." She gestured towards the waffle iron.
I went over to the counter and poured my self a cup of coffee. I dumped sugar into it and swirled the deep brown liquid absently with a fork. The clatter of dished brought me back to my senses. A plate of steaming waffles had been set in front of me. Just realizing I was hungry, I began devouring them.
For a few moments no one spoke. A pervasive quiet has settled over the room. For a moment I imagined that we were an actual family. Zoicite, Malechite, and Queen Beryl had never existed and Haruka was my sister and Michuru my mother.
All of a sudden, Rini burst through the door. "Need…help!" She panted. It took her a bit to catch her breath, but once she did she quickly explained. "Serena is trapped by Zoicite. She needs help!"
"So?" Haruka had never liked Serena much and wasn't about to leave a nice breakfast to go save her.
"Haruka, we should go help her." Michuru said.
"No, we shouldn't. She has never helped us. She has even been our enemy. We share nothing, we owe her nothing. She is but a sniveling crybaby who couldn't hold her own if she had to. Maybe the world would be better if she was distroyed!" I knew Haruka didn't like Serena much, but I never thought she'd wish death upon her.
"She came to save Darien." I murmured.
"What?" Haruka looked up, rather startled.
"She came to try to save Darien." I said again. Haruka sighed.
"I guess we can go help her." She said, a hint of exasperation in her voice.
"Oh thank you!" Sqeaked Rini, "Follow me!" The three of us, Haruka, Michuru, and I, followed the little pink haired child, Haruka muttering incoherently the whole way, until we reached a small square. Serena was slumped down on the ground and Zoicite was doing her evil work again.
My change was easier and faster this time and in seconds I found myself, once again, in the little orchid skirt. "Veyl Shooting Stars!" I screamed, at the same time Haruka and Michuru, now in their sailor scout alter-egos, shouted their attacks. Five throwing stars appeared in my hand. I chose one and threw it at Zoicite. At that exact same time, Zoicite turned around and saw me. Then she saw the now fire engulfed star. A second too late. The thing hit her right on the chest and she fell backwards, a huge gash opened along her middle. The evil woman turned and ran, but not before my second star had been released. This one skimmed right down her back, from her right shoulder blade to her left hip. This slash was burnt black from the flames on the star and I heard the woman scream in agony as it left it's bloody trail.
Then I realized what I had done. This woman was my mother. And I had just given her injuries that could end her life. I might have just killed my mother. I fell to my knees sobbing. Haruka knelt down next to me and pulled a strand of hair out of my face. I put my arms around her neck. "Oh goddess. I might have just killed her." I pulled away to look Haruka in the face. "I might have just killed my mother!" I half screamed half cried. I continued sobbing incoherently for a few minutes. Then Michuru shook me.
"Hey, Gazze." I looked up at her. "You didn't kill you. These Negaverse people seem to just regenerate their bodies. That's why your hair wouldn't cut."
"She's right ya know." Haruka added. "They are rather hard to kill. A couple of throwing stars shouldn't even phase them." My crying quieted and I wiped my eyes. I can't even start to explain my relief at finding that she would be okay. Then Darien pulled up in his cool little car.
"Hey you guys. Get in here!" Darien called. We all seemed to have forgotten Serena. Not for long.
"What about me?!" Serena had just come back to her senses and was sitting dazed on the ground. Rini was standing next to her, looking worried.
"Oh, you'll be fine in an hour or so." Called Haruka, getting into the car. Michuru and I followed. I spent the ride home thinking about my parents, ignoring the chatter going on between the three adults. Once we got home, I went upstairs to do my homework and think