I'm really really sorry for the long absence. I had too much on my hands (holidays, my studies, a relapse in depression on top of it all, and, uh, other stuff) plus writer's block so it was very hard to pick the fic up again. But, I'm back now, hopefully for a while.
I want to thank all the readers, new and old: the old ones who waited patiently for me to end the hiatus, and the new ones for giving the story a chance even with the hiatus ongoing. You're all amazing and I am truly grateful for the support.
Chibiusa was a girl with a plan. Not a really big plan, to be honest, just a simple one she hoped was going to work.
Before her departure from Crystal Tokyo, she had been advised by her parents to make friends while she was in training and she was trying to do so. She was doing well, so far, kids at school weren't too bad. But she liked to have older friends better. Maybe it was because for the longest time her only friend has been Pluto, maybe because she knew she was far older than any of them and there were things they didn't understand as she did, the fact was she found it hard to relate to actual six years-olds.
That's why she tried to reach for Hotaru-chan. And, okay, Hotaru-chan was super pretty and maybe she could have info about their investigation, which were two pros at befriending her.
So, the plan. Find Hotaru-chan and ask her to hang out, hoping she felt well enough to do so.
She had the route to Mugenzu memorized - not that it was a difficult one - and walking with a spring in her steps, she got there as soon as she left school, hoping to catch Hotaru. She remembered the direction she took the day they met and found a heavy iron gate that separated the public zone of the school from the reserved one. The gate was, as it was to be expected, closed shut, but the grates were large enough to see through it, so the small girl placed herself there to wait and look around.
Her wait wasn't particularly long and luck appeared to be on her side: Hotaru appeared shortly after, walking home from school inside the gate.
«Hotaru-chan!» Chibiusa called loud.
The pale girl hesitated a moment, then turned towards the gate, where Chibiusa waved happily until she approached, a bit of confusion on her face.
«I came to see you»
«You came all this way for me?» the disbelief was clear on her face.
«I wanted to do it after Usagi-chan introduced us but I've been busy. Are you free today?»
Hotaru seemed even more surprised, but a tiny smile appeared on her face. In change, Chibiusa smiled wider when Hotaru let her in the gate.
«I'll leave my bag home and get changed, maybe?» the pale girl hesitated, then looked down «I don't go out with friends often» she added quietly, almost like an apology.
«It's okay, neither do I» Chibiusa admitted without missing a beat «Usagi-chan and the others are more like family»
«Is it because you moved? Like Usagi-chan?»
«Sort of» she glossed over «I grew up mostly alone, with everyone older than me around, and private tutors and things like this. It's all different when I'm here»
Hotaru seemed surprised but didn't comment. They got in her house from a glass door that led to Hotaru's room, where she left Chibiusa for a while to get changed out her school uniform.
Chibiusa took that time to look at the room, which was spacious, tastefully decorated with multiple small lamps shaped like flowers and simple forniture and curtains in dark colours. When Hotaru came back shortly after, she made a point in praising the aesthetic.
«You have so many lamps! You room feels so romantic»
«I like being in dimly lit places» Hotaru explained.
«You also like dark clothes?» Chibiusa had noted the current outfit she was wearing, with thick black tights and turtleneck and an overall skirt in dark grey «You were wearing black tights the other day, too»
Once again, Hotaru looked down and Chibiusa was afraid of having upset her with her questions. The real reason was perhaps worse.
«I was caught in an accident when I was little, I've still got lots of scars from then»
Oh. Right. Luna and Artemis said something about that, now that she thought about it. The accident was the one that killed Hotaru's mother, too.
She overstepped more than she knew and felt the need to apologize, but Hotaru shook her head «I don't mind, not really» she assured, a white lie, plain as the day.
Instead of digging into it, though, Chibiusa changed the topic «Have you ever been to the cinema?»
«Uh?»
«There's little light, and we'd be sitting down and have fun together at the same time! What do you say?»
«I never did... it'd be nice, I guess»
«Let's go then! What kind of movies do you like? I like adventure and magical girls...»
Hotaru was still uncertain, with a few "are you sure?"s and hesitant pauses, and Chibiusa had to coax her in saying yes. After a while, they left the Tomoes' house and decided together the movie to see as they went from their phones, while chattering about everything and nothing.
They just clicked. As if they were meant to be friends from the start, simple as breathing. A new thing for both of them.
Katsuki snorted.
He didn't like doing commissions like a two-bits lackey but his hag of a mother had ordered him to grab things in a specific shop in Musutafu she needed for who-knew-what-shit and "since you are already there, you go get them before coming back home or you'll have to do your own laundry!", knowing full well with his type of sweat his laundry was a bio-hazard and he hated taking care of it, the witch!
So there he was, with a bag of useless shit in one hand and his school bag swung on his opposite shoulder, cursing his mother to hell and back for making him waste his precious time! As if he hadn't wasted enough on his useless internship!
He wasn't ready to see Cotton-candy hair not far from him once he crossed the street, nor he had the will to put up with the little brat's energy.
She hadn't seen him yet, busy talking with some other girl, of whom Katsuki could see the bob of black-purple hair and long jacket that probably hid him from the short one's sight.
He felt a mixture of relief at not being spotted and indignance at the same thing not happening and snorted it off, never stopping his pacing. If he was lucky, he could get the next train and experiment a bit in the garden with his quirk before it got completely dark out or his old hag called him in...
«Katsu-kun!»
He talked too soon, uh?
Without turning, he rolled his eyes «The hell you doing around, Cotton-candy hair?»
He just knew she was smiling from ear-to-ear when she answered: «Hotaru-chan and I met up. Ah, you don't know each other. Hotaru-chan, this is Bakugou Katsuki-kun. He goes at Yuuei»
And now he had to turn and meet the other girl, much to his annoyance. He felt the stare of both on his head and it was really pissing him off, so he turned, ready to scare them off to be left also...
Shit. She had purple eyes.
Incredibly similar to those purple eyes. The same ones that had been haunting his sleep for weeks now.
He could feel his heart stopping for a moment - the weapon going down and violet light all over - there was a distinct lack of air in his lungs - the feeling of the ground shattering under his feet, sucking him in - and he had to clench on his bag, closing his fists to remind himself he was still there, alive again - did he die? when? how? - in the middle of the sidewalk.
It went away as fast as it came, a matter of seconds, in truth, but it felt like an age, like he lived and died an entire life in the span of a few seconds and the rush didn't allow him to understand how and what, only the strangling pain that was so, so much like the Sludge Villain and he was spiralling faster than before...
«Are you okay?» Hotaru's voice was gentle, confused, a little wary but kind.
Voice grounded him. Pierced through the silence, gave him a hold to grab and pull himself out.
The horrifying visions were dead silent. He couldn't feel a single damn sound, couldn't scream, or hear his own explosions. He needed to hear almost as much as he needed to breathe.
"I can't be weak, can't be seen like this, so pathetic, what kind of Hero gets sucked in his own head like that?!"
«Why the fuck wouldn't I?» he gruffly replied, feeling a bit more of himself at the sound of the words out his own mouth too. He only had to take back control, all would be fine after that.
«You spaced out, sort of» Chibiusa replied, a hint of understanding - as if it was even possible! - on her face, but she changed topic «I thought you'd start working on your language»
«Never said shit about that, Cotton-candy brat» he was breathing fine now, everything was normal...
She put her hands on her hips «You should! Reputation is important»
«Not when you're at the top» he grinned, feeling like himself again bit by bit. It was a script he knew, mundane and reassuring. He could do that.
«You aren't there yet»
Now that the air was back in his lungs and the cursed visions were gone, he could finally see for real who he was talking with, as he replied: «Shit if I don't know that! But I will be!»
The girl next to Chibiusa was the epitome of frail: pale, thin, with a tiny mouth and delicate nose. She was engulfed in a huge jacket over a simple black outfit that left in sight only her face and small hands. Nothing to be even remotely afraid of. Nevertheless, he avoided her eyes.
«You're... You look like good friends» Hotaru - what was her surname again? Cotton-candy hair must have said that when he was like that - tried to say, the ghost of an uncertain smile on her mouth.
«We are!»
«Hell, no!»
The other two said at once, which prompted Hotaru to let out a little laughter, like a tiny chime of bells and his heart jumped again, for entirely different reasons than moments before, but the life of his he didn't know which ones. It wasn't the same kind as earlier, that much was sure.
The pink-haired girl pouted for a second or so, then scowled: «So, Katsu-kun, we're going to watch a movie...»
«I don't care» he cut her off before she could rope him in watching some stupid glittery cartoon or whatever girls like her liked.
«Good because I wasn't inviting you» she replied instead, throwing him off and grabbed the hand of the other girl «Come on, Hotaru-chan!»
«Ah, Chibiusa-chan, wait...»
«Bye, Katsu-kun!» Chibiusa ignored the meek opposition and kept pulling her female friend away, who could only wave his way.
"A pair of weirdos" he thought as he went the other way, towards the station.
He didn't walk more than a handful of meters when a commotion nearby grabbed his attention.
When you grow up in a world where Heroes are the norm, you learn to recognize the difference between screams of excitation for street performance from admiration-mixed-with-panic ones due to Hero vs Villain fights and the plain fright of an unchallenged Villain. One of the first things they taught in preschool was to take cover in a safe place during Villain attacks and wait for the situation to be solved by Heroes and police.
Sure, that went for extras.
Katsuki, instead, was a hero-in-training, so, obviously, he ran towards it, taking a shortcut through an alley. The alley wasn't empty, though.
It was one of those things in Hosu's video, the ones that looked like the USJ Noumu but weren't really like that, not up close, at least. The Noumu had a shape, awful and disgusting, but mostly human. This thing was nothing of the sort, it was shapeless, red-eyed and it had weird wings that didn't seem functional and yet worked: the thing was hovering on the paved road.
Katsuki cracked his knuckles, letting out a small explosion. With no one around, it'd be child's play to beat the thing to the ground...
The monster went airborne with a loud screech and hovered back to the main road, Katsuki chased it but in looking up for the thing he didn't watch his steps and collided with someone.
«Fuck...»
«Katsu-kun!» the exclamation was familiar but came with an unfamiliar voice.
He looked down to see a small girl about the same size as Cotton-candy hair - or was she taller? - in a weird white and fuchsia outfit, trying to get up. Was that one of the Sailor Vigilantes? There was one so tiny? Weird, he could have sworn...
«Which way did it go?» she asked, both finding back the focus on the task at hand, aka the monster appeared from nowhere. Without adding anything, she jumped away to the chase, following the exclamations of people around and running opposite to the ones escaping.
He followed with his explosions ignited - it wasn't as easy without his suit's gauntlets, but hell if he was going to complain -, shouting all the way «What do you think you can do, brat?»
«More than you» she replied, «I know the best way to fix this»
«Yeah, the best way is to fucking obliterate it!»
«No it isn't!» the small girl protested «And you can't fight without a License anyway, you'd risk your place at Yuuei!»
Damn, she was right. And she knew it.
They had lost it again, near another alley «Just let me deal with it, okay?» she said, and jumped away before had the chance to reply.
He didn't stop the chase though. What kind of future Number One would leave a job to a little kid? - But was he sure she was a little kid? Damn, yes he was, this was Cotton-candy hair, no one else called him that stupid way... -
After losing sight of her behind a corner for a moment, he had to look up in disbelief: she was holding a tiny baton and from it came out a rather large light beam coloured fuchsia that was keeping the monster frozen mid-air and screaming.
It lasted for a short time, then the monster wiggled free of the ray with going up higher... only to be invested by a large, golden-yellow sphere of light that dissolved it!
Something precipitated to the ground and a black egg fell without a hitch, next to what looked like a common parakeet, only to disappear half a second later.
The kid looked towards the direction the attack came from, on one of the nearby buildings, and spotted two other figures, similarly dressed but with darker and less flashy colours.
«Ah, wait!» she called the pair, but they were already too far and in a couple of jumps, they were out of sight.
She huffed and got close to the parakeet, touching it a bit with her baton.
A bird. A freaking bird made that whole mess, damn it! And what were those quirk? "Not quirks" a voice in his mind supplied, unexpectedly.
«The fuck was that?» he asked as soon as Cotton-candy hair was in earshot - because he'd be damned if that wasn't her, he was too stubborn to accept he could be wrong.
The little girl was still clenching her tiny baton «A daimon. They are...»
«I didn't mean that, Cotton-candy hair. Ok, fuck it, that too, but I meant you and this stunt and those two»
«It's a secret, okay?» she scowled, with a weird hardness in her features that threw him off, and started to walk away, so he was forced to follow her to a less crowded area. Good thing most people had run away and wouldn't chase them.
«We Sailor Senshi are working hard to get a Provisional License. We're scheduled for the next session, so until then it's shush»
He blinked a few times. She was too damn serious for this to be a joke.
«How the hell did they let you in?»
«I have contacts in high places» she boasted, then put up a finger «You need to keep the secret, okay? It's not only that we don't have the License and all, but if the Death Busters figure out who we are...»
«Yeah, yeah, I get it. It's not like I give a shit. Shut up now, damn it» he cut her off.
She lit up «Thanks» then she looked around a few times, touched her brooch and in a beam of glittering gold and pink light her baton and the fuku disappeared to go back to the previous outfit she was wearing and the usual Cotton-candy hair he knew.
"Fucking weird," he thought but didn't dare to show he was impressed out loud.
«Ah! I left Hotaru-chan alone!» she screeched.
The girl in question was only a little further down the alley, apparently unharmed but in the middle of a coughing fit, clenching her chest with one hand and her other arm wrapped around her midsection.
Fragile. Weak. Nothing like the figure in his nightmares.
Katsuki waited until Chibiusa stopped fussing around the older girl to get closer, using that time to get back his bags from the main street he dropped them on and be sure nothing of his shit was broken or damaged, never taking his eyes too off from the alley.
He thought the little kid had probably used her quirk to help her friend, if the pink and golden light that came out at some point was any indication, and the ever-pale girl was finally up, the two of them in a hushed conversation the whole time.
He was ready to leave them there, when he heard Cotton-candy hair's tone rising, in what was clearly worry.
«You can't go all the way to Mugenzu on your own if you don't have your amulet!»
Hotaru shook her head «It's not far and your family must be worried for you with what happened, you should go»
«I'm worried for you now»
«I feel better, it's passed...»
«I'll accompany her, Cotton-candy hair» Katsuki cut off the banter.
The two girls looked at him and he shrugged.
«Hero procedures and all that shit they teach us. I'll do it and then I can go on with my day»
Chibiusa was almost sure that wasn't true, Nedzu-sensei never mentioned anything of the sort. True, theirs was a crash course, and maybe he said something about that before Chibiusa joined the lessons, or maybe it was something they covered in the regular Hero course classes the presid didn't deem necessary for them to know, she didn't know much about that.
«Well, don't worry, you can leave now. I'm fine and I don't need you!» Hotaru replied, anger clear in her voice and Katsuki saw it.
Fragile, but the kind who'd rather break than bend. Fragile on the outside, with a core that was stronger than one would assume at first sight.
Her eyes turned cold and dangerous and there was something from inside her that came out wrong, something that almost made him recoil with an ancestral fear that had nothing to do with her words. A second and she was clenching her chest once more, wobbling on her knees, the cold aura dissipated as if it was never there.
«Hotaru-chan!» Chibiusa called.
She hadn't realized, Katsuki guessed, or didn't mind. Whatever had taken the place of the fragile Hotaru was now gone, leaving her weaker than before.
He grabbed her arm to steady her, not exactly gentle but not careful either «Are you stupid? You can't do it on your own and Cotton-candy hair is too small to go with you. Just fucking accept it»
Hotaru looked up to him, then agreed with a weak nod.
«I'm coming with you» Chibiusa affirmed.
«Like hell you do! Then I'd have to take your sorry ass home too!»
«But I...»
«I'll take my train from Mugenzu's stop so you don't dare to follow, brat» he ordered as his whole explanation.
«It's okay, Chibiusa-chan. You should go home, your family must be looking for you»
The shorter girl tackled the taller in a hug «We missed the movie» she pouted with her face in the older's coat before letting go.
«Another time» Hotaru replied with a gentle smile and a goodbye.
«Sure! Bye you two!» Chibiusa waved them off, not without a «Be nice with her, Katsu-kun» aimed at the boy who was already walking away.
«Fuck off and go home!» was his sole reply.
Hotaru rose a brow, then shrugged and followed the boy.
Albeit worried, Chibiusa walked in the opposite direction Hotaru and Katsuki did, knowing, if anything, even with his bad temper and all, he'd keep his word and accompany her friend home.
She had made only a handful of steps in the nearby square when a strong wind ruffled her pigtails and the roar of a helicopter got closer.
The door opened and a girl who looked a lot like Usagi's schoolmate, Haruka, peeked up «Hey, Chibi-Usagi-chan, if you're heading back to Usagi-chan's place we can give you a lift»
Yes, it was really Tenoh Haruka-san! Although, she thought the girls said Haruka was a boy? Oh, maybe it was both, she had to use "they", then! She didn't think much of it and gratefully accepted the ride, more worried about the chance of her family being upset she was involved in another daimon attack than anything else.
«So cool! It's my first time riding in a helicopter!» she exclaimed once settled in the seat with the headset in place.
The girl with aqua-blue hair who was flying the helicopter turned with a smile «Are you and Hotaru-chan friends?»
Chibiusa nodded happily «You know Hotaru-chan too?»
«Sort of...» Haruka replied, «So, what did you two talk about?»
Well, she didn't like it. It was rude to gloss over a question and make another, more personal one, soon after. Besides, it was none of their business.
«It's a secret»
«Oh, really?» they seemed dejected, or acted so, but not in an upset way. Their companion even smiled at their way.
«Haruka, what kind of private question was that?» she gently scolded «We know Usagi-chan, but Chibi-Usagi-chan barely knows us»
This piqued her interest «Do you know Usagi-chan well?»
«We do, even if she doesn't know us as much»
What a strange answer!
«Ah, but we talked about cars and videogames. Quirks too, a little bit» Haruka recalled «While on the field trip»
Chibiusa didn't know much of what happened on Mugen's field trip, save for the fact the planner turned out to be an enemy, now defeated for good, and that the students were sent home early. It wasn't strange that her ever-outgoing Usagi befriended people before that happened.
«Hotaru-chan and I talked about movies, and lamps, and lucky charms»
«Lucky charms?» Michiru repeated.
«Do you have one too, miss?»
She seemed to think a bit about that, then rose a hand. Small particles of water condensed from the air and shaped into an elegant-looking hand mirror.
«I suppose this one is my charm. It's the most important thing I've ever made with my quirk. A lot in my life changed after that, but...well, it's not as cute and simple as that. This is a Talisman»
Chibiusa could see from the mirror's surface the older girl's eyes get sadder.
«Talisman?» she repeated under her breath, unsure what to make of it.
Her hosts probably didn't hear her because the rest of the short ride was uneventful and soon they were descending close to the road of her current home, at the larger crossroad where the helicopter could land.
The noise attracted a lot of attention and more than a few people came out of the nearby homes to see the chopper, including Usagi, who Chibiusa could see as she got ready to dismount.
«Chibi-Usagi,» Haruka called «Don't tell anyone what we talked about today, ok?»
She could barely nod and grab her skirt to hold it in place, soon the helicopter was off the ground and Usagi reached her.
«What was with that?»
Chibiusa pointed excitedly at the sky «They flew me home on my way from the movies! They said they know you very well!»
At that, Usagi looked up, to see Haruka - in a dress?! - half out the door of the chopper, looking her way as they slowly disappeared in the impending night. The sight left the younger mesmerized for a second, then she recalled the situation at hand.
«Where have you been? Why didn't you come back straight home after school?»
«I don't need your permission, Toshi-papa knew» Chibiusa replied, arms crossed «I went to see Hotaru-chan...»
«Hotaru-chan? What about...? No, wait» she grabbed her hand and walked away until they were out of earshot from all the curious bystanders, who were already leaving too, anyway.
«What happened to "push the emergency button"?» Usagi pinched her future daughter's cheeks once alone «You were involved in a daimon attack and said nothing! We were worried!»
«It was a small one and the stranger Senshi arrived before I could call you»
«Not a good reason! What if it got worse?»
"What if they're not on our side? What if they aren't strong enough to deal with the next one? What if I lose you?"
«I'm fine, Usagi-chan» Chibiusa scoffed again «You worry too much, you weren't like that befo...» the younger teased, but stopped when she saw how puffy Usagi's eyes were.
«That's my job, baka! You don't know what can be out there! Or who!»
«Usagi-chan...»
The older got down to be eye-level «You need to be more careful. We all have to. Please, promise me you'll be more mindful what you do from now on. This world isn't the same you saw before»
Of course, that was the reason. The other past was more peaceful, less dangerous.
The kind that didn't need heroes.
At that, Chibiusa nodded.
«Let's go home now»
There were a few long minutes of awkward silence neither Katsuki nor Hotaru even tried to break, made even longer by the distance they knew they still had to cover and the girl's still fatigued state, before the boy's temper set off.
«We'll take fucking forever at this rate!» he exclaimed and pushed his bags in her hands, which she took out of reflex, then he scooped her up in a swift motion.
«Hey! Put me down! I can walk!» she protested.
«At snail's pace!» he rebuked «Don't drop my stuff» he added.
Hotaru pouted, but couldn't hide her face in her hands since she was holding tight his bags «This is embarrassing! You sure you can do it?»
«What did you take me for?» he shouted «I'm the future top Hero! And you weigh nothing, do you even eat?»
«That's rude!» she complained, but looked down with a light blush.
His only answer was a "tsk", then silence fell over them for a while, his pace notably faster than earlier on.
This time, it was Hotaru to break the tension.
«I'm sorry» it was barely a whisper, at first «I didn't mean to disrupt your day, or to be a bother. I just... it sort of happens, when I'm worse...»
«Yeah, don't blabber about that. I didn't have much shit to do, stop whining» he cut her off.
«But you said...»
«I know what I said, damn it! Just shut the fuck up and tell me if there's a shortcut or something»
She rose a brow «How do I tell you if there's a shortcut if I can't speak?»
Her tone was so fakely naive he couldn't but roll his eyes: «You think you're a smart little shit, uh?»
She stuck her tongue a bit «That's why you should be more careful what you say, people could take you seriously» then shrugged «Just go straight down this road, I'll tell you when to turn, it's the fastest route»
The silence became more companionable and less awkward as they left the more trafficked road and the occasional curious stares to reach the Sankakusu area, with its quiet broken only by the wind and the far-off sound of a chopper.
Katsuki dropped Hotaru off not far from the entrance of the Mugen building and her own home, more gently than both anticipated.
«Thank you» she said when he let her down.
«Yeah, yeah. I told you that...»
«Hero procedures and all that shit,» she quoted «Chibiusa-chan is right, you should really fix your language, it's unbecoming of a Hero. Even if it means you're spontaneous» she handed him back his shoppers and he took them, swinging his school bag over his shoulder along the rest.
«Whatever»
He didn't want to go. To leave her there - trapped, alone - with the shadows of the night so close, even if it was her home. It was a ridiculous thought, of course. She wasn't trapped by any means, as far as he knew, not that he'd care if she was. It was leftover adrenaline from the earlier attack speaking, that was it.
She didn't seem too eager to see him leave either, just by the way she moved from one foot to another instead of crossing the gate and go home.
«Ah, there you are» a female voice addressed from the now-open door, where a tall woman with bright red hair stood with her arms crossed «You father was worried, Hotaru-chan. Going around with your health being like that, how irresponsible of you»
Hotaru's back stiffened just a little, «This is none of your concern, Kaori-san»
There it was, the steel underneath the glass, Katsuki was starting to wait for it to show and almost grinned when it did.
«Kaori-san, is that her?» another voice came from inside and a tall man with glasses appeared soon after «Ah, here you are, Hotaru. You made me worry»
«I was with friends, dad. Bakugou-kun accompanied me home» she added, a little softer now that her father was there.
«Oh, a future Hero then, I recognize the uniform. Thank you for accompanying my Hotaru back home. Would you like to come in for some tea?» the man politely said.
The question was friendly but the tone was stiff. It didn't take a genius to get it was only pointless courtesy, the kind of stupid things Katsuki hated.
«Nah, I'm leaving. Got to catch my train back home» the boy thought was the best reply.
«I see, I won't keep you then. Thank you again» Tomoe said, moving to allow his daughter in the gate and close it behind her.
«See you» Katsuki added, like an afterthought, turning so slightly her way before leaving, too quick to see Hotaru's eyes lighting up.
Nor he could see Kaori lean down to speak at Hotaru's ear, once the girl reached the door, to say: «Don't imagine things, dear. Older boys in Hero schools don't like sickly little girls, they only help them out of duty»
The girl's face fell, all the happiness in the day drained out again.
«Mind your own business, Kaori-san» she hissed and marched towards her room.
The chopper landed on the top of the Kaiohozu building and the two occupants climbed down and towards the elevator with equally pensive stances.
«Do you think we should have told her to stay away from Hotaru?»
«If she's anything like the Princess, we would have gotten the opposite outcome» was the blonde's answer, as they pressed the button to their apartment's floor.
Michiru checked her phone, prompting her partner to do the same «You got nothing from Chronia yet either?»
It took a second to glance at the screen and answer: «Nope. Last message was that she had a setback and won't be able to move this week as planned. But I have a missed call» they added.
With a frown, they called back, not before handing Michiru the key to the apartment to get in.
One, two, three rings, then: «About time, kid»
«Nice to hear you too» was the retort «I was flying, didn't hear the phone. Something happened?»
Michiru lost a part of the conversation while she took off her shoes, so Haruka's following phrase took her by surprise.
«You want to come here?» if Haruka was a bit more than surprised by the call, the topic really threw them off balance «You never visit, wha...»
On the other side, Sorahiko scoffed: «Are you going to host me or not, brat?»
«Sure, sure, it's always nice to see you. Hey, the concert is this Sunday. I have another test drive Saturday afternoon, if you come then, you'll see both»
«I have people to meet with and things to settle, Haruka. I'm not taking a vacation»
«Come on, I'm going to let you in the paddock to see my car up close. May even convince the team to let you try it»
The old man paused, considering «I suppose one more day won't change much. I'll get there Saturday morning, do my things and see that car»
«And stay for the concert the next day» the younger added.
«Fine, fine. You really are a pain, kid»
«I'm your favourite grand-nibling»
«I wasn't aware I had others»
Haruka laughed «See you this Saturday, old man»
They put down the phone, face down on the table, under Michiru's skeptical gaze.
«It was uncle Sora. He'll come over this weekend» was the quick explanation.
«Haruka, do you think it's wise?»
The blonde shrugged «He's an old pro. One can't survive all those years in that field without being good at it»
«That's not what I meant» Michiru interrupted, sitting in front of Haruka with a serious stance «Our mission could easily become a suicide. Even if we manage to stop the Silence, it's not sure we...» she trailed off. They both knew what she meant anyway.
The other looked away, outside the large window «He buried a lot of people already, he can survive outliving me too. But I'd like for him not to regret the time he spends with me, the effort we put in getting along after grandpa left me with him»
«Don't you think it'll be worse? If he gets too close he'll suffer more»
A sigh «I'm selfish, Michiru. I want to be remembered, to be known. I am not only my talent in racing and I wish for someone to remember the person I am, even if it is for a short while after my death. No one knows me better than you do, but you'll be with me... won't you?»
«Of course I will. Always and forever» she assured, taking the other's hands.
«Then he's my only tie» the taller completed «And we have to believe we'll manage, Michi. It's Earth's only chance»
«Provided that we can stop the Silence. We haven't found a way to do it yet, and until Pluto awakens...»
«Chronia contacting us is a sign already. She'll wake soon. It's only a matter of time» was the reply.
«We may not have the luxury of time, Haruka»
«What else we can do? Besides, if Pluto doesn't awaken, her Talisman won't show up and Saturn won't be called. If anything, Pluto staying dormant is a good sign, if we think about it that way»
Michiru pushed up their joined hands and with a twirl, she leaned back on her lover's chest.
«You know, I really envy her, right now» she said softly.
«Pluto? Why?»
«Because she can live her life without this burden upon her. If we had never awoken either...»
«We wouldn't have met, then» Haruka interrupted, squeezing her tighter «You wouldn't have come to me, we would have been alone, like we were in Silver Millennium. We wouldn't have had this»
Finally, Michiru smiled. Tightened her grasp on her lover's hands, she nodded «Of course. That was silly of me to say. I'd see the world go to ruin a thousand times than losing you for good. Nevertheless, I wish we didn't have to face this at all»
«So do I, my love»
They stood there, pensive, looking at how the city lights lit up the landscape in front of them and reflected in the sea in front of the towers.
About all the lives out there they had to protect but didn't fully know how. About their duty, and their worries.
At least, they weren't each on their own, this time around.
Somehow, it made it all more frightening.
Notes:
anon who asked about Diana: I'm trying to find a place to add her to the story. When I'll figure it out, she'll appear. And yes, the girls are up for the Hero License exam in June, while 1-A will do the one in September.
So, from my research, I found out that in Japan the school's day ends around 3 pm and, usually, the same goes for all schools unless the kids have clubs or other activities. Usagi is canonically often in detention for being late, or in extra classes to make up for her bad grades, and I mentioned it already in this fic too. There is a chance Hotaru is in a similar predicament because her health makes her skip classes so she has to attend makeup classes too, that's why Chibiusa managed to catch her even if they technically clock out at the same time in different places. At Yuuei, the Hero Course has one extra period that lasts until 4.10 PM, plus they're the only ones who stay after lunch on Saturdays (I found the timetable in the Ultra Archive vol.1, page 164, if you want to see it).
About the meeting between Hotaru and Bakugou, I moved it like four times in different parts of the plot before setting it here. I suppose, between this chapter and the spin-off, now you know what I meant when I said I had plans for Bakugou, shipping-wise. (I won't lie, I'm going to make him suffer until he gets better ;P).
Next chapter will be Ami-centric with a little surprise suggested to me by Althea Sirius, I hope you'll like it.
Stay safe!