Chapter 3
A year passed by quickly and Hoshi was standing in the kitchen, putting the dishes from dinner into the washing machine one evening. Hoshi was wearing a white blouse, with the sleeves pulled to her elbows and a pair of gentle blue pants. She sighed as the last glass was in the machine, and soon she closed it. She sighed once more and pulled her loose hair from her face, before she walked to the open door into the gallery, where Michiru was sitting, and painting onto a large canvas on the floor. The girl was wearing a shirt that Hoshi had given to her to paint in, and it had been in great use already, just like the pants.
"How's it going sweet heart?" Hoshi asked as she leaned against the doorframe.
The three year old looked up from the canvas with a smile over her face, which had some paint spots. Hoshi walked over and kneeled down beside the girl, looking at the canvas. "You think I need to ad anything, mommy?" The girl asked as she looked at her painting.
Hoshi smiled amazed at the painting, just like all of the girl's paintings that covered most of the walls in the house. The painting was on a landscape, which seemed like something out of a fantasy novel, with a large palace made of crystal. "It's beautiful darling." Hoshi replied and soon stroked Michiru's hair, which was hanging loose at her shoulders. "I can't understand were you come up with everything." She added. "What's its name going to be?"
"The Crystal Palace." Michiru answered with a warm smile.
Hoshi nodded as Michiru put her brushes into a jug filled with dirty water. "And were would you want to hang this one?"
Michiru seemed thoughtful for a while before she looked at Hoshi. "Why not in the living room? We could move Sea and Sky into the kitchen."
Hoshi laughed warmly and soon Michiru sat down into her mothers lap. "As you wish, my princess." Hoshi replied, having a feeling that the painting would be perfect by the fireplace. "Want to watch a movie with me? I'm done with the dishes." She said after a while of them both gazing at the painting.
"Can we see Tara again?" Michiru asked while looking at Hoshi, as she leaned her head back against Hoshi's shoulder.
Hoshi didn't know why the girl liked that movie so much, it being about a girl who was taken away from her own family, and brought up by a stranger, who made her into an amazing and highly respected musician. "If you like." Hoshi noted as she got up from the floor with Michiru now hanging around her neck. "But first you'll take of your work clothes."
Michiru smiled at Hoshi while hanging around the woman's neck. "Okay." She nodded after a while and was soon placed onto the floor. Hoshi helped Michiru of with the shirt, but suddenly Hoshi got up from the floor, staring right at the window. "Mommy?" Michiru blinked as she pulled a pink jersey over her head.
Hoshi slowly walked to the window and just stared into the yard. There she was, the woman who hadn't been around for sometime, carrying her staff and wearing the same uniform as she had the very first time. "It's her." She whispered, as Michiru walked over and stood on her toes to look out the window. Hoshi suddenly picked up Michiru into her arms and ran out of the room, running down the stairs and trough the living room. She soon opened the door into the back yard and slowly walked outside, still carrying Michiru in her arms.
The woman turned around from facing the back yard, and now saw the two by the house. The woman smiled and slowly walked over. "Evening, Suteki-san." She bowed her head a little towards them, as she stopped by the house.
"Why are you here?" Hoshi asked suddenly, holding onto Michiru like if she was afraid of loosing her.
"I only came by to see how life was treating you both." The woman replied and soon rested her eyes on Michiru, who was holding onto Hoshi by the neck. "Hi little one." The woman smiled now.
Michiru just gazed at the woman and soon she looked at Hoshi. "Mommy, can I say hi?" She whispered while putting her hand onto Hoshi's cheek. "It's alright."
"Mi-?" Hoshi blinked, but didn't protest the girl's request. She slowly put Michiru down, and let the girl walk over to the woman. Hoshi looked at them for sometime before she calmed down, having a feeling that it wasn't the time to part.
"How are you?" Michiru smiled at the woman.
"I am very well, thank you." The woman answered and kneeled down by the girl. "You have grown since last time, little Neptune." She added and placed her hand onto Michiru's shoulder.
"Yes." Michiru nodded. "You haven't visited us for a while, why?" She asked after a while of gazing at the woman's red and gentle eyes.
"I have been looking over some others. I am sorry I haven't visited." The woman replied with a comforting voice.
"Others?" Hoshi stopped in her tracks as she walked closer to them.
The woman looked at Hoshi and nodded. "You will eventually meet them someday, or at least one of them. The one who's destiny to become Michiru-san's partner."
Hoshi stared at the woman and was a bit horrified over the words she heard. "Partner...?" She whispered now, while her gaze slowly ended up at Michiru.
The woman nodded. "When the time comes, you will recognize her." She added, now talking to Michiru. "She wont be easy to talk to in the beginning, little one." She continued, getting Michiru's attention. "But you will succeed in making her listen after a while. She is your soul mate and you will understand why, when the time comes."
Michiru looked at the tanned woman for a while before she nodded. "I understand." She noted.
The woman nodded back at Michiru and now looked at Hoshi, who was just staring and looking pretty much like a question mark in the face. "I could show you the past..." The woman said after a while, trying to comfort Hoshi as much as she could.
Hoshi blinked suddenly and took a step closer towards the woman.
"But it is only the past, which has been. The future that is to come can still be changed." The woman continued. "But you have done well so far, in keeping the balance of the future, I must say Suteki-san." She added with a comforting smile, which faded as she rested her eyes on Michiru, who was looking at her with a sad look. "But it would only hurt the child..."
Hoshi looked at the woman and then at Michiru. "Can't you show me something happy?" She asked suddenly, not wanting to make Michiru sad in anyway.
The woman blinked and soon looked at Hoshi, who walked over to them. "I could..." The woman nodded and looked back at Michiru again. "Would you want to?" She asked with an asking smile over her lips.
Michiru looked at the woman for a while before she looked at Hoshi. "If mommy wants to..." She blinked and soon smiled, running over to Hoshi who kneeled down and put her arms around her. "I want to." She added and looked at the woman, while Hoshi got up from the ground while holding onto Michiru.
The woman nodded and soon held up her staff over her head. "I will show you the lost memories. But do not be scared of the past." She remarked, and soon she looked at the staff and its orb, which suddenly started shining brightly.
Hoshi and Michiru slowly opened their eyes, finding themselves standing in a large garden, which seemingly had no end, but begun at a large gate, which lead into a huge palace. Suddenly the woman appeared beside them, with the orb still shining, but more gently now. The sky was dark and filled with stars over their heads, while everything was silent.
"This is the palace on Neptune..." The woman noted while looking at the palace.
Hoshi's eyes widened at the words and soon she stared at the woman. "On Neptune?" She gasped. "You're telling me that were on a other planet?"
The woman only nodded as an answer, and soon she looked at the gates to the palace, which slowly opened a little. "Watch now..." She whispered. "The people here aren't able to see us, since we are only inside of a memory." She added.
Hoshi blinked and soon she looked at Michiru who was holding onto her by the neck, while staring at the gate. Hoshi blinked once more and soon followed the blue eyes to the gate, were a young woman walked out, wearing a dark marine green dress, which reminded pretty much of a old Greek toga in someway. She had shoulder length aqua hair and her eyes were in shadows. "Who's that?" Hoshi asked in a low voice.
The woman just smiled at the question. "It is Princess Neptune."
Hoshi blinked at the reply and watched after the young woman, who walked into the yard, while looking around herself like if she was looking for something. "What's she doing out side?" Hoshi suddenly asked.
"She is looking for her partner." The woman replied and at the same time the young woman stopped in her steps. "There." The woman added now, while pointing into the yard.
Hoshi and Michiru followed the way the woman pointed and soon a young woman appeared in the yard. She had short blonde hair and was wearing a dark blue dress, which was pretty much like the aqua haired woman's. "And she is?" Hoshi blinked and raised an eyebrow.
"Princess Neptune's partner..." The woman started.
"Uranus." The aqua haired woman's voice was heard suddenly.
"Yeah, I'm here." The blonde replied as she stopped some feet away from the aqua haired young woman. The two looked at each other for some time before they walked closer to each other, and took each other's hands.
"What do you mean by partner, anyway?" Hoshi asked in a low voice, now looking at the tanned woman beside her.
"In life and death." The woman replied shortly with a gentle smile.
Hoshi sweat dropped at the answer and suddenly Michiru gasped a little. "What's wrong?" Hoshi looked at the girl who was blushing a bit, and holding onto Hoshi a bit tighter. Hoshi followed the girl's gaze and soon her eyes widened a little. The two young women were holding each other tightly now, and Hoshi could clearly see that the embrace wasn't just a friendly one.
"This is one of the memories that I can show you both. The rest I can not." The tanned woman whispered. "It might change the future."
Hoshi blinked and suddenly she understood, pretty much of everything. She slowly let her gaze from the two women end up at Michiru. Neptune... she is Michiru. Hoshi thought now and held her breath for a second.
The tanned woman looked at Hoshi, clearly seeing that the woman was thinking. "This is all I can show you..." She whispered suddenly and now Hoshi's attention was with her again.
Hoshi nodded and soon looked at the two young women in the yard for a while before she closed her eyes once again, feeling Michiru holding onto her a little bit tighter than before.
Hoshi opened her eyes finding herself in her yard once more, still with Michiru in her arms, who had now fallen asleep, but the tanned woman was nowhere to be seen. Hoshi gazed at the sky for sometime and soon smiled warmly, feeling a slight relief inside of her, like if the memories she had seen took away something heavy from her chest. She looked over the girl in her arms and smiled warmly.
"Let's get you into bed... princess." She whispered and gently kissed Michiru on the forehead, before walking into the house and closing the door after herself.
Hoshi turned of the lights as she left each floor of the house, and soon she lied Michiru down in her bed, pulling the blanket over the deeply sleeping girl, who sighed in her sleep. Hoshi just gaze over the girl for a while before she gently stroked the girl's hair from her cheek, not minding in saying a word she slowly got up from the edge of the bed and walked out of the room, leaving the door open and walking into her own room. She got undressed and slowly dressed up for bed. She stopped in her tracks towards the bed and ended up looking out the window, seeing the moon shining over the yard. She just smiled at the sight and slowly got in bed, pulling the blanket over her self, now looking at the ceiling. Her head hadn't been clear since the first day Michiru was given to her, only questions about the child had been buzzing around inside of her, but now she knew the past. Hoshi sighed gently and turned onto her side, facing the window once more and for the first time she knew, she would sleep easy this night.
A year passed by quickly and Hoshi was standing in the kitchen, putting the dishes from dinner into the washing machine one evening. Hoshi was wearing a white blouse, with the sleeves pulled to her elbows and a pair of gentle blue pants. She sighed as the last glass was in the machine, and soon she closed it. She sighed once more and pulled her loose hair from her face, before she walked to the open door into the gallery, where Michiru was sitting, and painting onto a large canvas on the floor. The girl was wearing a shirt that Hoshi had given to her to paint in, and it had been in great use already, just like the pants.
"How's it going sweet heart?" Hoshi asked as she leaned against the doorframe.
The three year old looked up from the canvas with a smile over her face, which had some paint spots. Hoshi walked over and kneeled down beside the girl, looking at the canvas. "You think I need to ad anything, mommy?" The girl asked as she looked at her painting.
Hoshi smiled amazed at the painting, just like all of the girl's paintings that covered most of the walls in the house. The painting was on a landscape, which seemed like something out of a fantasy novel, with a large palace made of crystal. "It's beautiful darling." Hoshi replied and soon stroked Michiru's hair, which was hanging loose at her shoulders. "I can't understand were you come up with everything." She added. "What's its name going to be?"
"The Crystal Palace." Michiru answered with a warm smile.
Hoshi nodded as Michiru put her brushes into a jug filled with dirty water. "And were would you want to hang this one?"
Michiru seemed thoughtful for a while before she looked at Hoshi. "Why not in the living room? We could move Sea and Sky into the kitchen."
Hoshi laughed warmly and soon Michiru sat down into her mothers lap. "As you wish, my princess." Hoshi replied, having a feeling that the painting would be perfect by the fireplace. "Want to watch a movie with me? I'm done with the dishes." She said after a while of them both gazing at the painting.
"Can we see Tara again?" Michiru asked while looking at Hoshi, as she leaned her head back against Hoshi's shoulder.
Hoshi didn't know why the girl liked that movie so much, it being about a girl who was taken away from her own family, and brought up by a stranger, who made her into an amazing and highly respected musician. "If you like." Hoshi noted as she got up from the floor with Michiru now hanging around her neck. "But first you'll take of your work clothes."
Michiru smiled at Hoshi while hanging around the woman's neck. "Okay." She nodded after a while and was soon placed onto the floor. Hoshi helped Michiru of with the shirt, but suddenly Hoshi got up from the floor, staring right at the window. "Mommy?" Michiru blinked as she pulled a pink jersey over her head.
Hoshi slowly walked to the window and just stared into the yard. There she was, the woman who hadn't been around for sometime, carrying her staff and wearing the same uniform as she had the very first time. "It's her." She whispered, as Michiru walked over and stood on her toes to look out the window. Hoshi suddenly picked up Michiru into her arms and ran out of the room, running down the stairs and trough the living room. She soon opened the door into the back yard and slowly walked outside, still carrying Michiru in her arms.
The woman turned around from facing the back yard, and now saw the two by the house. The woman smiled and slowly walked over. "Evening, Suteki-san." She bowed her head a little towards them, as she stopped by the house.
"Why are you here?" Hoshi asked suddenly, holding onto Michiru like if she was afraid of loosing her.
"I only came by to see how life was treating you both." The woman replied and soon rested her eyes on Michiru, who was holding onto Hoshi by the neck. "Hi little one." The woman smiled now.
Michiru just gazed at the woman and soon she looked at Hoshi. "Mommy, can I say hi?" She whispered while putting her hand onto Hoshi's cheek. "It's alright."
"Mi-?" Hoshi blinked, but didn't protest the girl's request. She slowly put Michiru down, and let the girl walk over to the woman. Hoshi looked at them for sometime before she calmed down, having a feeling that it wasn't the time to part.
"How are you?" Michiru smiled at the woman.
"I am very well, thank you." The woman answered and kneeled down by the girl. "You have grown since last time, little Neptune." She added and placed her hand onto Michiru's shoulder.
"Yes." Michiru nodded. "You haven't visited us for a while, why?" She asked after a while of gazing at the woman's red and gentle eyes.
"I have been looking over some others. I am sorry I haven't visited." The woman replied with a comforting voice.
"Others?" Hoshi stopped in her tracks as she walked closer to them.
The woman looked at Hoshi and nodded. "You will eventually meet them someday, or at least one of them. The one who's destiny to become Michiru-san's partner."
Hoshi stared at the woman and was a bit horrified over the words she heard. "Partner...?" She whispered now, while her gaze slowly ended up at Michiru.
The woman nodded. "When the time comes, you will recognize her." She added, now talking to Michiru. "She wont be easy to talk to in the beginning, little one." She continued, getting Michiru's attention. "But you will succeed in making her listen after a while. She is your soul mate and you will understand why, when the time comes."
Michiru looked at the tanned woman for a while before she nodded. "I understand." She noted.
The woman nodded back at Michiru and now looked at Hoshi, who was just staring and looking pretty much like a question mark in the face. "I could show you the past..." The woman said after a while, trying to comfort Hoshi as much as she could.
Hoshi blinked suddenly and took a step closer towards the woman.
"But it is only the past, which has been. The future that is to come can still be changed." The woman continued. "But you have done well so far, in keeping the balance of the future, I must say Suteki-san." She added with a comforting smile, which faded as she rested her eyes on Michiru, who was looking at her with a sad look. "But it would only hurt the child..."
Hoshi looked at the woman and then at Michiru. "Can't you show me something happy?" She asked suddenly, not wanting to make Michiru sad in anyway.
The woman blinked and soon looked at Hoshi, who walked over to them. "I could..." The woman nodded and looked back at Michiru again. "Would you want to?" She asked with an asking smile over her lips.
Michiru looked at the woman for a while before she looked at Hoshi. "If mommy wants to..." She blinked and soon smiled, running over to Hoshi who kneeled down and put her arms around her. "I want to." She added and looked at the woman, while Hoshi got up from the ground while holding onto Michiru.
The woman nodded and soon held up her staff over her head. "I will show you the lost memories. But do not be scared of the past." She remarked, and soon she looked at the staff and its orb, which suddenly started shining brightly.
Hoshi and Michiru slowly opened their eyes, finding themselves standing in a large garden, which seemingly had no end, but begun at a large gate, which lead into a huge palace. Suddenly the woman appeared beside them, with the orb still shining, but more gently now. The sky was dark and filled with stars over their heads, while everything was silent.
"This is the palace on Neptune..." The woman noted while looking at the palace.
Hoshi's eyes widened at the words and soon she stared at the woman. "On Neptune?" She gasped. "You're telling me that were on a other planet?"
The woman only nodded as an answer, and soon she looked at the gates to the palace, which slowly opened a little. "Watch now..." She whispered. "The people here aren't able to see us, since we are only inside of a memory." She added.
Hoshi blinked and soon she looked at Michiru who was holding onto her by the neck, while staring at the gate. Hoshi blinked once more and soon followed the blue eyes to the gate, were a young woman walked out, wearing a dark marine green dress, which reminded pretty much of a old Greek toga in someway. She had shoulder length aqua hair and her eyes were in shadows. "Who's that?" Hoshi asked in a low voice.
The woman just smiled at the question. "It is Princess Neptune."
Hoshi blinked at the reply and watched after the young woman, who walked into the yard, while looking around herself like if she was looking for something. "What's she doing out side?" Hoshi suddenly asked.
"She is looking for her partner." The woman replied and at the same time the young woman stopped in her steps. "There." The woman added now, while pointing into the yard.
Hoshi and Michiru followed the way the woman pointed and soon a young woman appeared in the yard. She had short blonde hair and was wearing a dark blue dress, which was pretty much like the aqua haired woman's. "And she is?" Hoshi blinked and raised an eyebrow.
"Princess Neptune's partner..." The woman started.
"Uranus." The aqua haired woman's voice was heard suddenly.
"Yeah, I'm here." The blonde replied as she stopped some feet away from the aqua haired young woman. The two looked at each other for some time before they walked closer to each other, and took each other's hands.
"What do you mean by partner, anyway?" Hoshi asked in a low voice, now looking at the tanned woman beside her.
"In life and death." The woman replied shortly with a gentle smile.
Hoshi sweat dropped at the answer and suddenly Michiru gasped a little. "What's wrong?" Hoshi looked at the girl who was blushing a bit, and holding onto Hoshi a bit tighter. Hoshi followed the girl's gaze and soon her eyes widened a little. The two young women were holding each other tightly now, and Hoshi could clearly see that the embrace wasn't just a friendly one.
"This is one of the memories that I can show you both. The rest I can not." The tanned woman whispered. "It might change the future."
Hoshi blinked and suddenly she understood, pretty much of everything. She slowly let her gaze from the two women end up at Michiru. Neptune... she is Michiru. Hoshi thought now and held her breath for a second.
The tanned woman looked at Hoshi, clearly seeing that the woman was thinking. "This is all I can show you..." She whispered suddenly and now Hoshi's attention was with her again.
Hoshi nodded and soon looked at the two young women in the yard for a while before she closed her eyes once again, feeling Michiru holding onto her a little bit tighter than before.
Hoshi opened her eyes finding herself in her yard once more, still with Michiru in her arms, who had now fallen asleep, but the tanned woman was nowhere to be seen. Hoshi gazed at the sky for sometime and soon smiled warmly, feeling a slight relief inside of her, like if the memories she had seen took away something heavy from her chest. She looked over the girl in her arms and smiled warmly.
"Let's get you into bed... princess." She whispered and gently kissed Michiru on the forehead, before walking into the house and closing the door after herself.
Hoshi turned of the lights as she left each floor of the house, and soon she lied Michiru down in her bed, pulling the blanket over the deeply sleeping girl, who sighed in her sleep. Hoshi just gaze over the girl for a while before she gently stroked the girl's hair from her cheek, not minding in saying a word she slowly got up from the edge of the bed and walked out of the room, leaving the door open and walking into her own room. She got undressed and slowly dressed up for bed. She stopped in her tracks towards the bed and ended up looking out the window, seeing the moon shining over the yard. She just smiled at the sight and slowly got in bed, pulling the blanket over her self, now looking at the ceiling. Her head hadn't been clear since the first day Michiru was given to her, only questions about the child had been buzzing around inside of her, but now she knew the past. Hoshi sighed gently and turned onto her side, facing the window once more and for the first time she knew, she would sleep easy this night.
