Tsuki sighed as she sat on the bench, watching as the sun sunk behind a layer of buildings.
"Why do you trust me so much Princess?" she asked, recalling all too well that when annoyed the black crescent appeared between her eyes.
"Because I know you're not bad! If you where you'd already killed Chibi-Usa and the other four." Usagi answered, earning a chuckle from Tsuki who glanced over at where the children were playing.
"Who are they anyway? They're an odd bunch." She asked after a while, earning a sigh.
"They were awakened before they were due to and as a result….are stuck as children…though what I have figured out by Chibi-Usa they have stayed in some shady places." Usagi answered, earning a sigh.
"Damn…Eternal childhood must suck." Tsuki stated, her mind flashing back to her own childhood though she quickly shook the memories away.
"That's why Michiru agreed to let them move in with you guys. They didn't tell you?" Usagi stated, earning a snort.
"That slipped their mind….but then again I woke up to what sounded like something tearing down a wall and finding Hotaru, Chibi-Usa, and the fruit bats doing who knows what they were doing." Tsuki replied, shrugging.
They sat there in silence for a while before Tsuki glanced over her shoulder at the group of boys sitting nearby.
"I wish that the blonde bimbo wouldn't have summoned the princes' court to play babysitter." Tsuki muttered, earning a sigh.
"Can you at least try to use their names? I know Minako was a jerk but there's no reason to be so snarky." Usagi stated, earning a chuckle.
"Yeah well Princess, they have to earn my respect. I had to respect them in the past as Shoku but I don't have to do anything as Tsuki." Came the retort.
Tsuki's eyes went over to where the kids where playing, dragging Mamoru into it as well.
"Though I'll give them a chance….Only because of you princess."
With that Tsuki produced a pack of cigarettes from her back pocket.
"Aren't you a little young to be doing that?" Cerecere stated as they walked by, chasing a ball that they had found abandoned in the bushes.
"So what if I am Froufrou? What ya gonna do about it?"
Tsuki retorted, rolling her eyes as she lit it and took a long drag.
"I have a name you know!" Cerecere bit out, glaring up at the older girl who just chuckled.
"I know….I just don't have to use it." Tsuki retorted, resulting in the younger girl storming off.
"Why do you call her that anyway if you know their names?" Usagi asked, earning a smirk.
"It gets under her skin. If I say something like that to the other three they just brush it off, cerecere on the other hand gets royally pissed and I find it funny." Tsuki replied, blowing a puff of smoke into the wind.
"Hey, maybe you should come by the Crown tomorrow, Ami and Makoto is supposed to meet me there." Usagi stated, earning a skeptical look.
"I'll think about it Princess. Oi! Time to head back….Before Haruka comes looking for us!"
Tsuki's pace was slow as they walked home, though she kept a careful eye out for anything that didn't settle well with her. Suddenly however she suddenly heard a yelp and quickly glanced back, seeing that the one who had made the noise was Pallapalla.
"What's wrong?" she asked, going back to where the girl was stopped.
"Look." The child muttered, pointing at the small mangled hump that lay under a heap of trash.
"Looks like a vehicle hit it." Tsuki stated, hunkering down to get a better look.
"Can we help it?" the blue haired child whimpered looking up at her with tear-filled eyes, earning a sigh
"Hotaru! You and the goof troop come here minute!" Tsuki called, removing the trash from the small creature.
"Tsuki, do you think this is a good idea?" Shin asked, earning a sigh.
"No but I'm not letting the thing die...at least not without trying." Tsuki answered, standing up and placing a hand on Pallapalla's head.
"Don't worry….We'll try to help it."
When the others came over to them Tsuki glanced at Hotaru.
"Can you heal it?" she asked, earning a concerned look.
"I can try."
Nodding Tsuki watching as a faint glow left Hotaru's hands and the labored breathing slowly lightened into whimpers.
"I healed it the best I could." Hotaru stated, earning a nod.
"Okay, we'll take it with us then and drop it off at the vet." Tsuki retorted, removing her jacket to wrap the creature in.
Haruka glanced up when the door opened, though to her surprise everyone seemed near tears.
"What did you do to them?" she asked Tsuki who just glared and brushed past her before heading upstairs.
"Did she hurt you?" Haruka asked again, this time to Hotaru who shook her head.
"No. I just couldn't heal it enough to help…."
Hotaru replied, hugging Haruka who—despite confusion—returned the embrace.
Meanwhile Tsuki sat in her room, running a hand rapidly through her hair as she mumbled a strand of profanities'.
"Damnit…." She mumbled once she calmed down slightly "Why do I care that some random dog died. Strays die every day!"
Though she knew the reason all too well, even if she would never admit it aloud.
Those girls are devastated, I probably should go check on them.
With that she groaned and stood up, ditching the jacket on the bed as she walked back toward the door.
"Where's the fruit bats?" she asked nonchalantly as she walked into the kitchen.
"Outside….What happened? They were quite upset." Michiru asked, earning a sigh.
"There was a stray hit by a car or somethin' and they wanted to help it. It died before we could get it seen by a vet." Tsuki answered, running her hand through her hair again.
"How are you doing?" Michiru asked softly, earning a grimace.
"Why should I care? It wasn't my damn dog. I'm just worried about the brats."
As she said this her voice softened slightly, her eyes moving toward the door "Usagi told me they'll be living here."
Michiru sighed at that and nodded.
"They have nowhere else to go and their lives have been anything but easy. That's why Pallapalla acted like she did when you came into the room earlier today."
Tsuki could hear the hidden meaning behind the mermaid like girl's words and managed a small nod.
"Can I get you to drive me to fourth street? I have a friend that lives there that I need to talk with."
Tsuki couldn't let this get to her, but at the same time Tsuki knew that it wouldn't be that simple.
"My friend Danny is supposed to help me get some stuff until I can get a job to get my own." She added.
"Alright….but you know you can ask us for anything right?" Michiru replied, earning a sigh and nod.
"Yeah but I don't want to owe you guys more than I already do." Tsuki replied, sighing as she left the room.
Once outside Tsuki took a detour from the garage and went over to where the kids were sitting outside.
"It hurts doesn't it? Watching something die." Tsuki stated, kneeling down behind them, earning a glare from Vesves.
"No shit Sherlock! How the hell are you so unaffected by this? You don't give a shit about anything do you?" the redhead stated, tears flooding her eyes.
"Easy there Red, Don't take it out on me." Tsuki sighed as she ran a hand through her bangs once again before adding
"my step father Sota gave me a parakeet for my birthday when I turned nine years old. I loved that thing. The thing got out of its cage somehow one day while I was at school and I found it that evening…..it had flew into a window and broken it's neck. I had to work that day but as soon as all my chores where done I hid in my room and I think that is the hardest I have ever cried in my life."
Vesves's eyes widened as she looked up at the older girl, noticing the dark look in her eyes though everything else seemed unaffected with emotion.
"Why did you hide?" Cerecere asked, earning a humorless chuckle as Tsuki got up.
"That is one thing, froufrou…..That I do not want to talk about." Came the answer as Tsuki headed back toward the garage where Michiru was waiting.
"What did you tell them?" Michiru asked, noticing the redness that seemed to tint Tsuki's eyes though the dark haired girl just sighed.
"I was accused of not giving a flying fuck about that dog….I just told 'em a story." She answered, walking to her side of the car and putting a pair of Haruka's sunglasses on.
"The lights from the headlights of oncoming traffic hurts my eyes." Tsuki stated, though Michiru knew the real reason because every now and then she noticed that Tsuki would try to discreetly rub at her face.
Damnit…..Mother was right…..I am a coward. I can't even tell a bunch of kids the truth….not even at the vet, I just walked out like it was nothing….I left them in there to hear the news from him! Damnit…..why am I so weak?
She thought, thankful that the glasses hid most of her facial expression.
