Disclaimer: I do not own Sailor Moon. All rights are reserved for Naoko Takeuchi.
Author's Notes: Thanks to Perfect Beauty, devilsangels11287, CherrySerenity-sama, Leslie wjack, LoveInTheBattleField, Duarten88 and Guestnumber2 for their awesome reviews!
Perfect Beauty: So glad that you think that. My heart is fluttering as well.
CherrySerenity-sama: Sorry to have disappointed you in that aspect. I had it in my previous draft, but decided to edit it out because I didn't like the writing. Thanks to your feedback, I've added some school scenes. It's not the best, but I hope you'll like it.
devilisangels11287: Updated! Thanks for reading.
Leslie wjack: Thanks for the support and for the interest in the story. I haven't really gotten around to Darien's perspective, but look forward to it!
LoveInTheBattleField: Thanks, I'm watching it well and have been keeping up.
Duarten88: Aww thanks for being supportive. Great prediction, but you'll just have to read to find out.
Guestnumber2: Haha, I'll try my best to not make you guys wait four years for one chapter.
-S2-S2-S2-
"That's her."
"What is she doing here?"
"Shameless."
"Who does she think she is?"
"I'm annoyed just from looking at her."
Several groups scattered themselves around Kai and stood with watchful eyes as they conversed in hushed whispers. The atmosphere felt hostile. Usagi was beginning to feel like an animal at a zoo. No, she felt worse than that. At least zoo animals didn't have to endure harsh criticisms and hateful stares. It was as if the whole world was against her. Keeping her head down, she kept walking, trying not to make eye contact with anyone. Never in her life had she felt so small. It was painful.
Her path was suddenly blocked by a group of girls. Usagi slowly looked up, not knowing what to do and felt intimidated. Five girls stood before her with arms crossed. Usagi's hands began to tremble. She willed them to stop, but they wouldn't listen. Hiding her hands behind her back, Usagi was hoping the girls wouldn't notice her weak disposition at the moment.
"Where do you think you're going?"
Usagi eyed the girl in front of her who sported a high ponytail. She stood proudly with hands on her hips and spoke such confidence that it scared Usagi a little. The menacing girl seemed to be the leader of the group.
"To class." Her voice cracked and it didn't go unnoticed as the girls smiled sinisterly.
"Class?" another girl laughed. "I think you're at the wrong school," she snickered. Usagi stood there, not knowing what they were up to. "Confused? To put it simply, you don't belong here."
"Look, I don't know what you're talking about," Usagi angrily retorted. She balled her hands into fists, trying to control her angry. "I am enrolled at this school. You didn't seem to mind when I came yesterday. Hell, no one seemed to care!"
"That was before we found out who you were."
"And who am I?" Usagi challenged.
"A commoner. You're just part of the status quo Kai likes to maintain. You know, accepting commoners so that our school can be more diverse."
"My god, are you listening to yourself? This is immature." Usagi could not believe what she was hearing. It infuriated her. "We are adults. This type of behavior is really inappropriate especially when we enter society as citizens working together. How will we cooperate when we can't even get along in this school?"
"We will never get along. You seem to forget that there are hierarchies in society. Know that two social economic classes do not interact with each other unless it's for business reasons. Know where you stand in society, Tsukino-san. Stop walking around the school like the princess you aren't."
The words were hauntingly familiar. And that was when Usagi realized that no matter how hard she tried to keep to herself at this school or pretended to be one of them, she would never fit in. No matter what she did, no matter what she said, she would always be left ostracized. Tears of anger and frustration pricked the back of her eyes. Her body shook with bitter rage. She wanted to run and never return, but that would only prove their point. No, she needed to stand her ground. Running away would not solve the problem at hand. She had to stay strong and be her own greatest ally.
Students walked by with shaking heads. Others gathered around at the confrontation and whispered to one another. The silence between Usagi and the group of girls was long. One could cut the air with a knife. It was a mental and emotional battle. Students gathered around eagerly awaiting the ensuing bloody battle.
Hard clicks cut through the silence. The girls' gaze focused on the figure behind Usagi who was approaching the group. They straightened themselves up and lined up. Usagi was afraid to look behind her, fearing the worst. The footsteps came closer and closer until they finally stopped. Usagi could feel the presence of another human being standing beside her.
"Good morning Rei-sama!" the girls greeted while bowing their head. All other students who had gathered around did the same.
Usagi rotated her head to her right. A girl with long dark hair stood beside her. She was a couple of centimeters taller than Usagi. The girl took three steps forward before stopping. Turning her gaze to the side at an angle, she finally spoke with an air of authority.
"What are you doing? Come with me." It wasn't a request, rather a command. And with that, she started walking.
Usagi didn't know what to say, wondering whether the comment was directed towards her. With questioning cerulean eyes, she looked around for any sort of hints. The glares from the girls only confirmed her thoughts. With quick steps, Usagi trailed behind the girl they called Rei.
"Looks like Rei will get rid of her for us."
"Good riddance." The girls walked away and everyone dispersed.
Usagi didn't know how long she had been walking for. Rei was leading her to a building in front of the school. Rei walked up to the elevator and pressed the up button. Once it came, she walked in and Usagi followed suit. The imposing girl pressed the button that took them to the eighth floor. Walking down the hall, the two reached a door and opened it, leading to the rooftop. Walking to the edge of the building, Rei held on to the railing and leaned over to observe the world below her. Usagi stood behind the girl. She seemed familiar. Rei spun around at the feeling of being stared at. Usagi took a step back to get a better look at Rei. A memory suddenly came to mind.
"Y-you're that girl."
The dark haired girl smiled and titled her head to the side.
"I'm Rei," she introduced herself.
"I'm-"
"Tsukino Usagi," Rei interrupted. "You're getting quite popular at this school." The distressed blond silently cursed. Usagi didn't want all this attention, not like this. "I hope you're okay."
Usagi looked up surprised. "Why are you being so nice to me?"
"Let's just say that I don't approve of their ways. I was taught better than that." Taking a step closer to Usagi, Rei extended a hand. "I hope that we can get along."
"Get along?"
Rei shrugged. "It's not a bad idea to have me as an ally, don't you agree?"
It was an unusual proposition. She wasn't sure whether or not to trust Rei. Apart from knowing Rei when she first defended Usagi, there were no other doubts about Rei's kindness. But it could have been a trick. Not knowing what to do, Usagi decided it would be best to accept her friendliness for the time being. To be on the safe side she kept her guard up, preparing herself should this be a ploy.
"Good morning class."
"Good morning!" the class greeted. The professor smiled in acceptance. She surveyed the room to get an idea of the atmosphere. Class sizes in Kai ranged from twenty to fifty students. Each class was small considering that only the elite and selected few were allowed to attend. For more general and introductory classes, class size accommodated one hundred students.
"Today will be our first lesson. I'm sure your previous teachers have already gone through the art of creative writing. Today will just be a little refresher. For the rest of the semester, we will focus on the project. I hope everyone has read the handout. As you all know, those enrolled as creative writing and art majors have combined classes and all lessons taken are directed towards the project. I expect nothing but the best from you Kai students." Turning attention to the lesson plan, the professor flipped through her notes. She turned her back to the class and picked up the black marker to write on the white board. The class of forty students quickly shuffled through their notebooks and started jotting down notes.
Usagi pulled out her pink bunny notebook and copied what was written. She sat in a desk located in the back corner of the classroom near a window, not wanting to draw attention to herself. It was already a rough morning for her. She couldn't muster up the strength to continue her day with a smile. Her tired eyes strayed to the outside world below her. Kai had a beautiful campus, yet the same cannot be said about the student body. She wasn't sure whether all students were like the ones she had met so far. Perhaps there were good people like Makoto and Ami, but finding them was hard. It was a world she didn't belong to and she knew. A tall man wearing a blue sweater came out of the building while reading a book. Usagi scooted closer to the window to get a better look. The thought of a pretty flower boy came to mind. She silently giggled to herself. His back view was familiar. The man turned around and Usagi could clearly see his facial features. It was Mamoru. Usagi could feel herself becoming instantly warm.
'Again, my heart is beating fast. Every time I see him it goes doki-doki.'
It was an unbreakable trance. She couldn't take her eyes off him. There was still a lot she didn't know about him. Mamoru was mysterious in many ways, always keeping to himself. Usagi had the impression that he was a strong, silent, and unshakable person. He seemed reliable. Every now and then, Usagi would only get a snippet of his playful and gentle side. It was a rare occurrence and only happened when they were alone. The combination of his characteristics was perhaps what drew Usagi to him. When had he started moving into her heart? It was so gradual that she wasn't able to detect it. But now she was aware of her feelings. She was falling, falling hard. With his continued kindness and gentleness towards her, she was afraid that when the day came for her to leave she wouldn't be able to go through with it.
Usagi reprimanded herself for letting such feelings manifest within her. She didn't have time for this, not when there was so much to accomplish and so little time. However, she could not stop the involuntary doki-doki rhythm of her heart. And if she let it all go and basked in the happiness that her heart yearned for and tried to make things work, the results would be devastating.
Looking up to the heavens hidden behind the blue sky and white clouds, Usagi prayed for a miracle, anything that would put an end to the doki-doki of her heart. Returning her gaze to the world below her, her eyes made contact with Mamoru's cobalt eyes as he looked up to the second floor where Usagi was.
"Kya!" she squeaked as her eyes became wide and she pushed herself away from the window only to land on the ground with a thud. All eyes were on her.
"Tsukino-san, is everything alright?"
"Y-yes! Sorry."
The entire class snickered. A blush crept on her cheeks as Usagi picked herself off the ground and sat back down.
'So embarrassing! I'm such a klutz. Baka, baka, baka!' Discreetly scanning out the window, Usagi could not find the flower boy anywhere. Her eyes refocused to the white board in front of the class. 'That wasn't a figment of my imagination…was it?'
It was a warm autumn afternoon. The sun shone brightly with gray clouds blocking its brilliance every so often. The color of the leaves changed to vibrant oranges, yellows, and reds. As the wind blew, they floated gently to the ground signaling the forthcoming of winter.
With a broom in hand, one dark haired girl swept away the debris. Adorning the traditional white haori and long red pleated skirt tied with a bow, the girl was the essence of purity. She was hard at work, clearing the area of the scattered leaves. She paused and wiped the sweat forming on her forehead. Leaning on her broom, she sighed as she looked up at the cherry blossoms. They were all bare. All the leaves and flowers had fallen off. It was a sad sight.
"Oi!"
The maiden turned around at the light tap on her shoulder. She smiled at the familiar face and examined his appearance.
"What brings you here?"
"Nice to see you too, Rei," the man commented sarcastically. "I need to consult the fire."
"Let me guess," she began with hands on her hips. "Your little black answer book didn't work."
"You know me so well."
"Not quite true, you forget that I have supernatural powers." Reading the man's aura, Rei knew he was troubled by something. "What's wrong? You usually don't consult the fire unless something is seriously bothering you."
"I…" he paused, taking a deep breath to collect his thoughts. "I'm feeling troubled. I feel as if the ground I am standing may crumble at any moment and lead me to an abyss of darkness. Everything was fine until-"
"Until this marriage came into play," Rei finished.
"Hmm," he nodded. "Once she came in, I was reminded of the past I thought I had forgotten. I suddenly became obsessed with what if scenarios. I really thought I had moved on, but the past is still clinging to me. That or I'm still clinging onto the past. I don't know what to do."
"And Usagi? Does she know?"
The man bowed his head in disappointment.
"Yes."
"How?"
"She overheard the conversation between me and Motoki."
Balling her fist, Rei expressed her mock irritation. "That blonde buffoon and his big mouth." Placing a hand on his shoulder, Rei gently gripped it. "Don't worry Mamoru, I'll get him for this." The man smiled at Rei's attempt to console him. Returning to the matter at hand, Rei cleared her throat. "What do you want to know?"
"What do I need to do to regain the stableness I once had? Can I make things work?"
"You…want to make it work?"
"Or at least try," he confirmed.
"Mamoru, do you…like Usagi?"
"I can neither say that I do or don't."
"What the heck. If you really like her, gather the courage and tell her. If you don't, don't lead her on. If do you do that, then you're a terrible person and I will have lost all respect for you."
Mamoru smiled wearily. Was he misleading Usagi? Usagi occupied his mind at times. He had felt the need to protect her, but whether it was his sense of duty or his true feelings was unclear. Even so, Usagi expressed her reluctance to marry him, especially when there was no love involved. But he wondered whether it was possible for love to flourish if one or both parties tried. Mamoru wanted to know.
"Which is why I came to you," the dark haired man replied. "Show me what's in store in the future."
Rei closed her eyes, thinking about the situation at hand.
"Okay. Let's go into the room."
Rei led Mamoru to a room inside the temple. Sliding the door open, the two took off their shoes before entering. In the middle of the room was a wooden square base that enclosed the fire. The flames crackled, inviting the shrine maiden to its warmth. A cushion was placed a few feet away from the flames. Rei took her position at the cushion. Mamoru sat a few feet behind Rei and waited. Clasping her hands together, Rei sat in silence for a few moments. She cleared her mind of all outside thoughts and sounds. Her breathes were even and calm. A string of hushed chants came from the shrine maiden . Each chant grew louder and louder. Rei pulled out an Ofuda scroll from her sleeves and began chanting nine words with fervor.
"Rin, pyou, tou, sha, kai, jin, retsu, zai, zen." Her eyes popped open. "Akuryō taisan!" She threw the scroll into the fire. The fire blazed more brilliantly. It seemed as if it would engulf the entire room. With vigilant eyes, Rei examined the flames. Images projected themselves onto the flames that only Rei could see.
Mamoru sat in the back watching the entire process. It was nerve-wracking as he waited for an answer. He looked at the flames and felt as if he was put under a spell. He wasn't paying attention to Rei and her actions. The outside world became numb to him. All he could see was the flame as it enchanted him like a pure maiden. It wasn't until Rei's gasp that brought him back to the present situation at hand. The flames roared, filling the entire room in light. Rei recoiled at the blazing fire. The heat and intensity was too much for her to handle. Never before had she experience the fire's fury. Soon after, the flames calmed down and reverted to its original state. Rei looked behind her. Her eyes became wide and serious with a tinged of regret.
"Rei, what's wrong?"
"I-I don't know. The flames…they aren't showing me anything!" Clutching her head in her hands, Rei's eyes became frantic as she tried to think of a possible explanation. "The only thing I could see was a scar."
"A scar?"
"Mamoru, do you have a scar?"
"No."
'Could it have been Usagi's?' Biting her lip, Rei desperately tried to interpret the flames' image.
"Rei?" Feeling uneasiness, Mamoru didn't know what to do to console the girl. Her premonitions were generally clear and on the right track, but after seeing her behave like this Mamoru could only predict a dreaded future. "The scar…what does it mean?"
"I'm not sure, but it is connected to both you and Usagi." She stayed silent, trying to calm her anxious heart. "I can feel it," came her grave tone. Mamoru held his breathe and waited for the news. From Rei's expression he knew that it wasn't a good thing, which only supported his suspicions. "There will be a calm before the storm." Turning back to the flames, Rei continued. "It is what the gods have dealt you two."
"And if I face this storm head on?" Mamoru's eyes burned with determination.
"I don't know. The flames did not show me anything further than the misfortune that is to come. But I am afraid, Mamoru. I'm afraid for you," Rei admitted. She leaped into Mamoru's strong arms and hugged him. A single tear left her eye. "I'm sorry if I wasn't much help."
Mamoru's arms automatically wrapped around Rei's distraught form and stroked her back.
"No, it's more than enough," he reassured. "You've given me something to think about."
The two released each other. Getting up, Mamoru began walking to the door. Rei followed him outside. They walked out to the front of the shrine to the steps that led down to the street. Stopping under the Hikawa Shrine sign, Rei reached out to Mamoru.
"What are you going to do now?"
"Follow my gut feeling."
No words more words were exchanged between the two. Rei knew that whatever Mamoru decided, he would do it with confidence and succeed. Rei nodded at Mamoru. Mamoru returned the gesture and departed. Rei looked at Mamoru's back with a sad smile as he went down the steps. She sighed and looked up at the sky. Two flying black crows cawed and landed in front of Rei.
"He'll be fine, right Phobos? Deimos?"
The crows cawed at their master. Rei smiled and turned around with the intention of finishing her chore before Mamoru came. As she walked, she noted a girl with long blond hair standing in front of a blossom tree that was decorated with small glass wish bottles. Rei approached the familiar figure.
"Usagi-san?"
The blond turned around.
"Rei-san? What are you doing here?"
"You're such an oddball," Rei muttered. "I work here. Why else would I be here?" Usagi examined Rei's clothing and blushed at the obvious answer. "What are you doing here? Did you come to make a wish?"
Usagi shook her head and looked at the highest bottle on the tree.
"I've already made my wish," she said while remembering the night she came with Motoki. "I'm just here to check up on it."
"I see. Has it come true?"
"Not yet."
"These things take time. Don't give up hope." Rei grabbed Usagi's hand. "Would you like to come in for tea?"
Usagi smiled at the gesture and nodded. Rei kept her grip on Usagi's hand and led her inside. Once inside, they walked down the hall to a room. Rei slid open the door and walked in with Usagi. A bed was located in one corner of the room. Two bookshelves were filled from top to bottom with mangas and other knickknacks. A large floor table was located in the middle of the room with cushions placed around it.
"I hope you don't mind the mess. You can wait here while I go prepare the tea. I'll be right back."
The blonde nodded and Rei walked out. Usagi looked around. She felt almost at home. Rei's room was similar to hers back when she resided with her parents. It felt comfortable. Usagi enjoyed the feeling the room evoked within her. It was nostalgic. Her feet led her to a bookshelf filled with mangas. Usagi's blue eyes were in awe at the vast collection Rei had. Her carefully skimmed through each title. Usagi could almost feel herself drool. How she wished she could read them all.
"If you'd like, you can borrow some of them."
Usagi jumped. She was surprised, wondering when Rei had returned. Rei closed the door behind her and made her way to the table in the middle. Usagi sat down at the table while Rei pour the tea into two white cups. Usagi examined Rei. She was a beautiful dark haired girl and had a royal aura surrounding her. She had a pretty face, one that resembled that of a noble. She reminded Usagi of someone.
"Stop staring at me or you'll burn holes into my body," Rei commented while still focused on pouring the tea.
Quickly looking away, Usagi blushed. Rei placed a white cup in front of Usagi. Grateful for the drink, Usagi took a sip before warming her hands with its heat. Her eyes strayed to Rei sipping her tea. Usagi searched her mind for an answer. Rei looked like someone, but she couldn't figure out who.
"Chiba Mamoru."
"Eh?" Usagi was startled and spilled some of her hot tea on her hand.
Rei giggled. "You think I look like someone."
"I…how did you know?"
"I'm a shrine maiden," she replied nonchalantly. "My sixth sense is strong."
"Oh."
Setting her tea down, Rei propped her elbow on the table and rested her head on her hand.
"He's my cousin," she revealed, smiling.
Usagi's eyes grew wide, not believing her ears.
'Is she the one Motoki mentioned?' Usagi wondered.
"My mother was the third child in the Imperial Household. She passed away while I was young. My father is a diplomat and lives abroad." Examining her room fondly, Rei resumed her story. "This shrine belongs to the royal family was passed down to me by my grandfather. I am its guardian and protector. Therefore, I reside here and away from the Imperial Palace. Before me, my mother was its guardian and protector." She sighed longingly. "I guess you can say that I've grown attached to this place because of that."
Usagi became confused. Rei easily opened herself up. No hesitation. But Usagi couldn't understand why she was doing it.
"Why are you telling me all of this?"
The dark haired maiden grinned knowingly.
"Because you're curious. Not to mention that I'm saving us from the silly back and forth of questions and answers."
"Is that why you're so kind to me?" Usagi asked, referring to the fact that she was Mamoru's cousin.
"No," Rei simply answered. "You're different from all the girls I know. I like your personality. You have a hard shell on the outside, but on the inside you're just a kind person. I want to get to know the real Usagi. Not the façade that you put on for everyone to see."
Rei's sincerity could be detected. This was the first time in a long time anyone had approached Usagi with the offer of being friends. Due to her happy-go-lucky kind of personality, Usagi was usually the one who approached others. She did so with Ami and Makoto, but ever since her grandfather's declining health, she lost that happy-go-lucky attitude. Rei reminded Usagi of her past self. She missed that. She missed being carefree and easygoing. Usagi knew that she and Rei would get along well.
"Usagi-san…do you by any chance have a scar?"
"A scar?" It was an unusual question. "No, why?"
"Huh? N-nothing! Don't mind me, it was just an icebreaker so that we can get to know each other more intimately!"
"Is that so…"
Scolding herself for the lame excuse, Rei continued to sip her tea.
'Then the scar has nothing to do with Mamoru and Usagi? What is wrong with me today? My premonitions are never wrong.' Glancing at Usagi, Rei thought back to the fire reading from earlier today. 'But that calm before the storm, it felt really strong. What is it?'
It was around five in the evening when Usagi returned to the Imperial Palace. She quietly entered the palace. It seemed as though no one was home. Even the maids who were usually around could not be seen. Usagi closed the door behind her and made her way to the stairs. As she was walking up, a man walked down the stairs. From far away, Usagi could not make out his features. As they became closer, they paused. The man bowed his head.
"It's you!" Usagi couldn't believe her eyes. "You're the doctor from Kai University Hospital!" she gasped. He was the same doctor who sat across from her while she waited for His Imperial Majesty the day she accompanied him to the hospital.
"Good evening. My name is Eto Junichi."
"Ah," Usagi bowed and became embarrassed due to her lack of formality. "Good evening to you too. I'm Tsukino Usagi." Facing the doctor once again, Usagi tilted her head to the side. "What brings you here?"
"I am the royal family's doctor. His Imperial Majesty has requested that I make house calls to check up on his health every now and then so that he doesn't have to make trips to the hospital."
"That's good." Usagi bit her lip in worry. "There's nothing wrong, is there?" The doctor smiled warmly and shook his head. "That's a relief," Usagi breathed.
"You seem a little tired. How is your health these days, Usagi-san?"
"Fine!" she waved her hand dismissively. "It's just the result of school and work."
"If you have any health issues or complications please do not hesitate to contact me," Dr. Eto offered.
"Ah, of course."
"Well, I must get going. I'll see you around." With that, he departed and Usagi watched him leave through the front doors.
Examining her body, Usagi noted her good health. Before she came to the Imperial Palace, she knew that her body wasn't the same anymore. She had loss of appetite, loss of weight, nausea, headaches, heart pains, stomach pains, night sweats, and fatigue. Getting sick regularly seemed like a normal occurrence. But since Usagi entered the Imperial Palace her health suddenly took a one-eighty turn. Her health seemed to have improved. The symptoms she regularly got seemed to have ceased to exist. It wasn't until now that she noticed. It disturbed her.
'Perhaps it's only temporary,' she thought as she shook her head. 'I'm getting my hopes up for no reason.' A cynical smile crept on her lips. Life was a funny thing. She wanted to laugh like the madwoman she was. She wanted to cry like the scared child she was. This wasn't the time or place to do so. Finally breaking away from her thoughts, Usagi took another step up the stairs and continued until she reached the top. Turning to the left, she made her way to her room. Upon reaching her door, she placed her hand on the knob ready to turn it.
The sound of a door shutting a couple of feet away grabbed her attention. Down the hall she saw Mamoru struggling to put books in his backpack. When he was about five feet away from Usagi, he lost his grip on one and accidently dropped the textbook from the struggle. Before it could land on the ground, Usagi outstretched her arms and saved it. She looked at the cover. It was Genetics in Medicine. She handed the book back to Mamoru.
"Thanks." Mamoru took the book back and put it in his backpack.
"Oh? I didn't know you wore glasses," she commented as she saw his thin framed spectacles. She had to admit, the glasses complemented his azure eyes and facial features.
"I have trouble reading sometimes." Mamoru adjusted his glasses a bit before swinging his backpack around so that he was carrying it on one shoulder. "Since school has started, I've started wearing them again."
"Where are you headed?" Usagi didn't know why but she was curious.
"I have a seminar tonight."
"Have fun."
"I'll try," he smiled as he laid a gentle hand on top of Usagi's head. The affectionate gesture did not go unnoticed by Usagi. Her insides tickled with warmth and apprehension. "I forgot to mention, next week we're going to have dinner with your parents."
Only able to nod, Usagi could feel the excitement running through her veins at the thought of being able to see her family after a very long time. The last visit she made was two months after she had settled in the Imperial Palace. Visits were rare as her family as her time was taken up by work and later with school as well.
"I'll see you later," he said before leaving. Disappointed, Usagi stood there and watched his retreating form. He moved further and further away and down the stairs until she couldn't see him anymore.
Making her way into her room, Usagi closed the door behind her and headed to her bed. She made two steps up the elevated floor to the edge her bed. Sitting down, she placed a hand delicately over her heart.
'My heart…It's still going doki-doki.'
-S2-S2-S2-
Author's Notes: Thanks for waiting patiently everyone! I hope you guys enjoyed this installment.
This storyline is going too slow for my liking. I try to speed things up, but I always end up thinking of new ideas last minute and inputting them in the story. Ergh, super frustrating!
I do hope that you guys are still interested in this story. Nothing exciting so far. These days I've been plagued with writer's block, but I'm not giving up yet. I'll try my best to not make you guys wait four years for one chapter. Please continue to love and support this story. Thanks for reading!