~Wavering Destiny~
by Strawberry Moon Rose
Thank you for those who continue to read this story. I love reading your feedback and comments :D
Enjoy :)
Disclaimer: I do not own Sailor Moon or any of the characters. They belong to Naoko Takeuchi.
Lunch was delicious but quiet. Everyone kept to themselves as they devoured the scrumptious meal. Yaten was too pissed off at Seiya for mindlessly hitting on Minako to say anything. Usagi was too flustered trying to figure out why it bothered her so much to see Seiya looking at another girl to say anything.
"This is great, Mako-chan!" Rei said, breaking the silence. "Tastes just like home."
Makoto blushed. "Thank you, Rei-chan."
Tick. Tick. The grandfather clock filled the void.
And that was that. Everybody dispersed to their own activities after lunch. Yaten strode off lazily to take a nap in her room, telling everybody not to bother her. Makoto told Usagi to come to her room and hang out, and Seiya went to help the workers with the party preparations. Minako and Rei returned to their room. That left Taiki and Ami standing alone in the center of the palace, unsure of what to do.
"I finished that book you lent me. It was very good," Ami said to the tallest Starlight. She pushed her blue bangs out of her matching eyes.
"Is that so?" Taiki asked. "Well, I am glad that you found it to your interest. I have other recommendations to show you if you would like," she offered. Her purple eyes sparkled with satisfaction.
"That would be great," Ami said. She smiled shyly at the brunette.
"How about we go back to the library? There is this great novel that came in recently," Taiki suggested. The two girls walked through the corridor to the grand library.
"That sounds good. Thank you," answered Ami. She grinned. "How about we have another game of chess while we're down there?"
"Oh?" Taiki gave her a longing glance. "Is that a challenge?"
"I suppose you could put it like that." Ami laughed.
"I shall warn you that I will not hold back this time," Taiki said confidently.
"What do you mean by that?" Ami playfully narrowed her eyes.
"I will give it everything I have got," Taiki replied in a low voice. She smiled down at the short, inner senshi. Ami blushed and looked at the carpeted floor. They had reached the library doors.
"After you," Taiki said politely, holding open the tall door for her.
"Thank you." Ami grinned and stepped into the quiet, vast room. She inhaled the sweet scent of books. It was like home to her. She felt even more at peace when she was with a certain someone.
"So Mako-chan, what do you wanna do?" Usagi sat down on the edge of Ami's bed. The two girls were sitting alone in Makoto and Ami's guestroom that afternoon.
"Hmm, anything is fine. I just didn't want to be alone since Ami-chan went with Taiki again."
"Okay!" Usagi gave her a cheerful smile. "Oh I know, we could go look at the garden again! But it's still raining isn't it? How about we just walk around the palace and try not to get lost?" She laughed. They could easily get confused in the labyrinth of halls.
Makoto played with the curly ends of her cinnamon-colored hair. "Actually Usagi-chan, I wanted to ask you about something first..."
"Okay. What is it, Mako-chan?" Usagi pulled her feet up and sat cross-legged on the soft bedspread.
Makoto raised her emerald eyes. "How long are we going to stay on Kinmoku?"
Usagi blinked and scratched her head thoughtfully. "Oh...well, I'm not exactly sure!" She sweat dropped.
"I was just wondering," Makoto replied quickly. "Of course we'll be here for the party, but I meant after that... The others will start to worry if we don't return soon."
Usagi nodded. "I guess you're right. I don't know, I'll have to think about it." She didn't want to leave Kinmoku yet. They'd only been there for two days! She knew they'd have to leave eventually, but she didn't want it to be anytime soon. Earth had been pretty boring lately and she didn't want to return to her usual, uneventful routine. And leaving Seiya already? Who knows how long it'd be before they'd see each other again?
Usagi's cheeks flushed at the thought of the Starlight. Why do I keep thinking about her all the time?
"Usagi-chan...I don't know how to put this, but is there something you want to talk about?" Makoto asked. She could sense Usagi's uneasiness across the room.
"N-no, not really," Usagi replied quickly.
"Okay. Well, I'm always here to listen. I just want you to know that."
"Thanks, Mako-chan." Usagi stared at her hands in her lap. "I'm...I'm just a little confused right now, that's all," she admitted.
"About what?"
Usagi sighed. "A lot of things." Her thoughts about Seiya tumbled around in her head like a washing machine on a never-ending cycle. She couldn't stop replaying every moment and touch they'd shared. She didn't know what any of it meant. She wasn't sure if she wanted to know.
"I can tell something's been eating you lately. Don't worry though, everything will turn out okay. It always does."
Usagi nodded. They sat quietly for a few seconds. "Hey, Mako-chan..." she started hesitantly.
"Yes?"
Usagi twirled a strand of hair around her finger before continuing. "What's it mean...when you can't stand seeing someone...flirt with someone else?" She hid her eyes under her bangs.
Makoto tapped her index finger to her chin. "I believe we call that 'jealousy'."
Usagi bit her lip. "Oh. I see..." Jealousy? No way! That can't be it...
Makoto grinned and shook her head. "I know where this is going."
Usagi snapped her gaze up. "You do?"
The brunette nodded. "Yep. I know exactly what this is about."
Usagi sighed, slightly relieved that Makoto knew where she was coming from.
"You saw Mamoru-san hanging out with one of his college girl friends again, didn't you?"
Usagi blinked, confused. "Ugh, Mako-chan...I don't think we're talking about the same thing."
Makoto continued. "Yes, I bet that's it. Now I know why you were so depressed back home! That's why you wanted to come here to Kinmoku, right? To get your mind off of him?"
Usagi didn't know what to say. "Um...I was actually talking about S-"
Makoto crossed the room and lowered herself onto the bed next to her. She placed her hand on Usagi's shoulder. "Don't worry about a thing! You two were meant to be. Nothing can destroy your love. Besides, to even think that one of you has feelings for someone else is absurd, am I right?"
Usagi stomach churned. She suddenly didn't feel so good. "Uh...yep. You got me, Mako-chan!" she said with fake enthusiasm. "That's it. That's who I was talking about...haha."
Makoto beamed. "Good. I just hate seeing you down, Usagi-chan. It doesn't suit you. So cheer up! Mamoru-san only has eyes for you, and he's waiting patiently with open arms for when we get back."
"That's great... Thanks, Mako-chan," Usagi murmured. She felt awful. Not only did Makoto completely misunderstand her, but she had to bring Mamoru into the conversation too. As if her feelings towards Seiya weren't confusing enough!
Makoto hugged her friend. "No problem. And hey, if you're jealous of someone with another person, that's just proof that you're in love with them. So no worries!"
"W-What!?"
Makoto just laughed. "Don't act so surprised! What else would it mean?"
Usagi was stunned. No...no way!
"Hey, how about we go see what Rei-chan and Minako-chan are up to?" Makoto suggested, standing up and stretching.
Usagi stood up shakily and swallowed her feelings. Her knees felt weak. 'That's just proof you are in love with them.' The words echoed through her head like a voice yelling into a cave. She recalled the way her stomach felt when she watched Seiya brush Minako's hair back and gaze into her eyes. It'd felt like she swallowed five pieces of bubblegum at once.
The realization finally sank in. Does that mean...that I am in love with Seiya?
Later that evening...
The gray skies continued to shower their cold raindrops over the town. As the afternoon went on, they only seemed to grow even more relentless, determined to drench everything in sight. By nighttime, the clouds were yelling angrily at each other again. The wind whipped the tall trees violently with its powerful gusts.
"It sure is storming out there," Kakyuu said, peering through the thick curtains of one of the ballroom windows. The sun had set into the ocean, and the sky had melted into a stormy, starless night.
"Yes it is," Seiya agreed cheerfully. She knew perfectly well what that meant and she couldn't wait until bedtime. With every second it grew nearer.
"Fighter," Kakyuu said turning around, "why don't you head back now? You have been a great help today. It's almost dinnertime."
"Are you sure, Princess?" Seiya asked. The enormous ballroom was littered with tons of stuff, all in preparation for the party in a few days. The marble floor was filled with scurrying workers setting up lights and other decorations. Seiya was in charge of directing everyone so it'd all be done on time. She had worked all evening catching up on her duties since the Starlights had yesterday off.
"Yes, we have everything under control," Kakyuu answered with a kind smile.
"Thank you, Princess." Seiya bowed before exiting the spacious room. It was really starting to look great. She couldn't wait until the night of the party. But until then, she had other things to look forward too...
"Minako-chan, you're sure in a great mood lately," Rei noticed. She smiled at her roommate who stood in front of their mirror combing her long, Rapunzel-like locks.
"Really? I guess you're right." Minako giggled. She hummed cheerfully to herself.
Rei raised an eyebrow. "Any particular reason? You seemed so down this morning before we went shopping."
Minako shrugged nonchalantly. "What can I say? I love to shop. It cheered me up." As did a certain girl just a few rooms down the hall. She untied her red ribbon and spread her blonde hair out like a curtain over her back.
Rei narrowed her eyes. "Hey, did you forget to buy pajamas?"
"No, why?"
"You're wearing Yaten's again. Don't you think you should give them back since you have your own now?" Rei asked. She was sitting in her bed examining her fingernails. She had already changed into her own purple pj's that she'd purchased earlier that morning.
"Ahaha, I guess you're right. It's...um, just that hers are really comfortable," Minako said quickly, hugging the nightgown to her chest. Not because they smell like her or anything...hehe.
Rei shrugged. "Whatever floats your boat." She crawled under the covers and pulled the thick blankets to her chest. "I just feel like you're hiding something from me, that's all."
Minako flicked the lights off and got into her own bed on the other side of the room. She closed her eyes. "Rei-chan, don't worry about me. I'm great. Really great, actually." She would fall asleep breathing in Yaten's scent through her pajamas. She was on cloud nine.
Rei sighed. That's what I'm worried about.
Grumble! Crackle! The night sky lit up like the Fourth of July.
Usagi winced. She didn't have to look out the window to know the storm hadn't let up. She closed the curtains as if it would make the nasty storm go away. It didn't work.
She had changed into her new pajamas (after the cute maid, Ria, had them washed for her). Usagi made sure that the door was locked before she undressed. She wasn't taking any chances of Seiya walking in on her again, especially in the state she was now. She was still rattled by the fact that she may possibly be in love with Seiya. What other explanation could there be? It made her stomach feel so queasy that she even skipped dinner that night. And Usagi never missed food.
Boom!
She shuddered. The storm was getting closer and louder. She had procrastinated going to bed as long as she could, in hope that it would stop. Everyone else was asleep. The mini clock on the white nightstand read 10:28 PM. Usagi turned the light off and nervously approached her bed. So far the only thing she heard was the pitter-pattering of the heavy rain outside. She slowly pulled back the covers and slid in between the soft mattress and fluffy comforter. Bringing the blankets to her chin, she gave a sigh of relief. See? This isn't so bad. What was I afraid of anyways? It's kinda silly, it's only thunder-
KABOOM! The windows rattled.
"Ah!" Usagi squealed and cringed into a ball. Her heart was racing - in a bad way. I hate this! She squeezed her eyes shut and prayed for the storm to pass.
A fork of lightening lit up the black sky like the sun. It was so bright it left ragged marks of light in her eyes. A few seconds later it hit. The thunder clap shook the world. Usagi couldn't even hear her own scream over the deafening roar. That's it! I can't take this any longer! There's no way I can sleep in here all alone! She sat up and threw the covers off of her shaking body and froze. But...I can't. I promised myself that I'd stay here, no matter what the weather did. I have to!
Usagi reluctantly lowered herself back into bed. Her heart was beating as loud as the thunder outside. Oh, what should I do?
The next thunderous boom made up her mind. She yelped and hit the floor. That's it! I don't care how wrong it is, I'm sleeping with her! She tore across the room and threw the door open. Usagi peeked into the dark, empty hallway. Not a soul around.
Usagi quietly shut the door behind her and crept down the corridor. The palace looked like something out of a horror film at night. As if the storm wasn't frightening enough to make her blood run cold, walking down the hall of a haunted looking mansion topped it off. Usagi gulped and ran her hand along the wall. It was cool and smooth under her fingers. She took few steps and realized she was standing in front of Rei and Minako's room.
That's it! I'm brilliant! I can sleep with one of them! That way I won't have to be alone with Seiya... Usagi gently pushed the door open and stuck her head into the dark room.
"Psst! Rei-chan! Minako-chan! Are you guys still awake?" she whispered. Usagi squinted, but couldn't make out anything but shadows. There was no reply.
"Rei-chan?" She tried again. Usagi didn't want to wake her, but she was desperate.
The figure in the bed mumbled something incoherent and rolled over. "Ugh, what do you want?" the voice croaked, full of sleep.
"Sorry to wake you up, but I was wondering if I could sleep with you tonight. You know, 'cause of the storm..." Usagi whispered into the darkness.
The figure sat up. "What?"
Usagi froze. That wasn't Rei's voice. Or Minako's voice for that matter.
"Who's there?" Yaten grumbled. "What do you want? I'm trying to sleep for pete's sake!"
"I-I-I'm sorry! Wrong room!" Usagi quickly pulled the bedroom door shut. She hurried away from Yaten's room, just in case she would come out bite her head off. She felt like she had just awakened a hibernating bear. A handsome bear, but that was beside the point.
Usagi stumbled through the darkness. That was a bad idea! Of course everyone's going to be sleeping! And Rei-chan would be just as cranky as Yaten if I woke her up at this time of night. Maybe I could just creep into her bed and she wouldn't notice... No, she'd wake up for sure and yell at me. And Minako-chan would hog all of the blankets. I don't really have a choice do I? I can't go back to my room, it's too scary! Stupid storm!
Usagi wandered through the shadowy, twisting hall until she found herself in front of Seiya's door. She stared at it a long time, debating whether to knock or not. The window in the hallway shone dim moonlight through, casting shadows of tree branches onto Usagi. A streak of lightening flashed, temporarily blinding her. Usagi cringed, knowing what was coming next.
Kaboom! The powerful grumble made her silently whimper. She clenched her teeth and took a deep breath. Usagi raised her fist and softly knocked three times on the tall, wooden door. She held her breath and strained her ears, listening for footsteps.
A few seconds later, the shiny doorknob twisted. The door slowly crept open. A beautiful figure stood in the doorway. The girl wore a tight tank top and boy short pajama bottoms. The dim moonlight illuminated her alluring face. Piercing blue eyes cut through the blackness. Long black hair untied from its usual low ponytail tumbled down her shoulders. Seiya folded her arms across her full chest and said in an inviting whisper,
"Come on in, Odango."