A Second Chance
By: Ryu Niiyama
Chapter 3
Disclaimer: See Chapter 1...
AN: Let me go ahead and warn you the formatting keeps messing up when i upload the fic so this might look like a jumbled mess... but i'm working on it.
"Which galaxy within the LG is currently being disrupted by the Milky Way?" Ami asked. "Andromeda!" Was the reply. "Wrong. It's Snickers, love. Have you been studying at all?" Ami gently scolded. "Well I- No. I'm not like Nephrite, I just don't find the heavens quite as enthralling. That's why I'm having such trouble in that class." Zoisite replied. The mizu no senshi smiled and checked her watch.
"It's ok Zoe-chan, we all have out strengths and weaknesses. I still don't see the possibilities you do when it comes to code breaking. Well it is getting late, I'd better go." Ami told him. When the blue haired woman rose, Zoisite grasped her hand and gently tugged, causing her to tumble into his lap. "Thanks itooshi. You can always tell when my ego's a little bruised can't you?" The blue haired woman smiled in her boyfriend's embrace and trailed a finger down his cheek. "Of course. You get this adorable little pout." Zoisite blushed at the complement. "Oyasumi koibito." The polar general said as he placed a light kiss on her lips. Ami blushed and gathered her things before heading for the door. The blue haired woman walked out the apartment, before turning to wave at her boyfriend. "Mata ashita Zoe-chan!" Zoisite watched Ami until she left his line of sight. Smiling, the general turned and gathered up the textbooks and other study materials. After everything was cleaned up, he turned on the television to catch some news. Turning it up loud enough that he could hear it in the kitchen, he then left to do some dishes.
"The idol singer trio, Three Lights returned to Japan earlier today. The band, comprised of the three Kou brothers, was an international sensation in the pop world. Their return has been long awaited by their loyal fans and record companies are expecting great things from the Kous. In fact, loyal fans mobbed the trio as they tried to exit their plane. Only by hiding in a bookstore were they able to get away. From what we understand, Seiya, Taiki, and Yaten will be entering the studio soon to work on their new album."
Zoisite walked back into the room drying his hands, with a puzzled look on his face. "Taiki Kou… Where have I heard that name before?"
"Ahh Tokyo!" Taiki exclaimed as they stepped off the plane. The brunette took a deep breath and headed down the walkway. "Yosh! The first thing I'm going to do is shop till I drop!" Yaten exclaimed, following his brother. Seiya took no notice of anything around him as he trailed after his siblings. He couldn't get the dream out of his mind. Taiki and Yaten were talking about what they should do first when Seiya joined them. "Yo Seiya what do you think we should…" Yaten trailed off when he felt someone tap his shoulder. When he turned around, he was face to face with a teenage girl who was wearing a T-shirt from their last tour. The girl made some kind of hand signal to a group of girls and then… And then all hell broke loose. "OMIGOD! It's Three Lights!" A strange red headed girl, wearing a Seiya T-shirt shrieked.
"Uh-oh." All three spoke in unison. A herd of girls were headed in their direction. The Lights stood rooted to the ground like deer caught between headlights. Snapping out his fear, Seiya looked around for a place to hide. "There! Hayaku!" He screamed, pointing to a nearby bookstore. They watched as the mob ran by, screaming for autographs, towards the exit. "Who's GRAND idea was it we come as men again?" Yaten asked, his voice seething with anger and sarcasm. "Heh heh, gomen guys. How was I supposed to know that our plane tickets could be traced so easily?" Seiya apologized.
As they left their hiding place behind a bookcase, Yaten noticed Taiki was gone. The silver haired Light rolled his eyes, and looked back for his brother. As usual, Taiki was enthralled in a book. "What'cha reading?" Yaten asked in a singsong voice, while grabbing a huge Webster's Dictionary. "Hyperspace, by Michio Kaku." Taiki replied, not looking up. 'That's great, but we've got to go NOW!" Yaten yelled, whacking Taiki on his head with the dictionary. "ITAI!" The tallest starlight screamed. Alarmed by Taiki of all people screaming Seiya rushed back just in time to see Taiki have his head knocked in. He whistled to get their attention. "Yeah well, what about our bags? Do you really want to wait until that mob comes back?" Seiya reminded them, a sweatdrop running down his head. 'Only my family…' The dark haired starlight thought in mortification. He groaned under his breath as he heard the exchange between the tallest and shortest Kou.
"Did you have to hit me so hard?"
"Why are you such a geek anyway?"
"It would not hurt you to become more studious, Mister C-my-way-out-of-EVERY-class!"
"Well, I am so sorry I can't be a socially challenged genius like you!"
Seiya turned around glaring at his siblings. 'Dysfunctional to the extreme.' "Say one more word Taiki, and I will tell Ami the most embarrassing childhood stories about you that I can think of! Believe me when I'm done, she won't even look at you twice! As for you Shrimpet I have one thing to say to you: I know your secret." Seiya turned and stormed off.
"Hai Oka-san…" Yaten and Taiki muttered. Of course, they dare not say it any louder. Taiki's reputation in front of Ami depended upon their silence and apparently the privacy of whatever dark secret his silver haired brother had to hide did as well.
"Hey Yaten? What is he talking about?"
"Taiki! Don't. Go. There."
Night found Taiki pouring over a poetry book in hopes of easing her melancholy mood. Within the confines of their home the starlight felt no need to maintain her male form. Perhaps that was why the words on every page began to swirl together as the starlight halfheartedly leafed through the book. She sighed in frustration before removing her glasses and pinching the bridge of her nose. Brooding had always been a part of the reserved starlight's nature; it brought her comfort when few things could not. Yet tonight the familiar train of thought only brought upon waves of despair rather than clarity. Returning to the world that she'd both longed for and feared unsettled her greatly; just being on Earth was threatening to rob her of her valued control.
Yet she knew it wasn't Earth itself that rendered her so helpless, so uncertain. It was her. If she closed her eyes she could almost imagine she was there. She could almost feel those endless pools of azure reaching out to drown her with their intelligence, with their intensity… their passion. She could almost feel her in the room with her; her very nerve endings raced with electric fire at the thought.
"Ami…" The starlight moaned desperately. The sound of aching need within her voice shocked her from her reverie. Taiki groaned and put her head into her hands, fighting to keep the dam from breaking… fighting to keep the tears she'd refused to shed for four years from falling. "Stars above, if only this were lust." Yet she knew it wasn't. Lust she could handle. That she could analytically pick apart and examine until it were no longer a threat. But this… this was far more than simple desire it was… love.
Most people, on both Earth and Kinmoku alike, thought of Taiki as noting but a cold analytical machine; a beautiful treasure one could admire and never truly posses. To be honest that was what she preferred; she'd spent years pushing people away, cultivating her aloofness until it formed an impenetrable fortress around her heart. She did what he had to in order to survive. Taiki was no fool, she was not so immersed in the distant allure of science that she's lost the ability to be introspective. In fact it was trait of hers that she'd prided herself upon. She made sure that she knew her emotions, her thoughts… that she knew herself so that there would be no surprises.
Taiki knew that her disdain for others, her coldness was a façade to hide a woman whom felt too much and too deeply, a woman whom was afraid of love and what it represented. Taiki was the only Kou whom knew the truth of their heritage. While both Seiya and Yaten knew that they weren't truly siblings, that they were brought together as infants and raised to love one another as sisters, but they'd always assumed that they were Kinmokuseijin. Taiki knew better, she had wrung the story out of Queen Kakyoku and a crying Princess Kakyuu long ago. The three of them were the last of their respective races, Makan, Fightian, and Healerite, the last of their royal lines. Their worlds had been shattered by Galaxia not long after they were born and Queen Kakyoku had saved them all.
Therein laid the truth. Taiki lived in fear of love because she'd felt that anything she'd allowed herself to care for she'd lose. So she established herself as the voice of reason among Seiya, Yaten and even Princess Kakyuu's chaos. She'd hidden her admiration and sisterly love for her teammates for fear of being alone. The only evidence that she'd cared was the devotion with which she approached her duty. When they'd lost Kakyuu it took everything Taiki had to keep from breaking down, as she'd watched her greatest fears come to pass.
Then she'd met her. That one girl who was so damned simple and complicated at the same time. Ami Mizuno, with her intelligence and passion for knowledge which only Taiki could match and her dreams of romance and childish belief in love that Taiki could never understand. And yet this small slip of a girl… this child who'd seen nothing who'd knew nothing of life's harsh cruelties turned out to be a warrior…. a warrior who fought for ideals such as justice and love and then it was Taiki who realized that she was the one who was naive.
Taiki knew why she'd left and it had little to do with duty. She was ashamed. Ashamed for wanting to believe in Ami and her dreams of love and romance. She was ashamed for wanting her for…needing her. Most of all she was ashamed for not being able to be the woman Ami needed her to be. As much as she'd wanted to she couldn't make that leap of faith. That fear had cost her everything.
She'd spent four years hoping against hope that perhaps without Ami's presence in her life her love would grow cold and she could live out her life in peace. How wrong she had been. Instead, the flames of her love grew in intensity and heat with each passing day. Ami began to visit her in her dreams. Longing and desire tempered by frustration slowly elevated the nature of the dreams until they would leave a very rattled and cranky brunette starlight spending absurd amounts of time in an ice cold shower to ease the painful need.
The starlight sighed. She was glad Seiya had suggested that they come as men. It made it easier for her to battle the torrents of emotion which hammered at her resolve constantly. She knew if she'd found Ami as a woman, there would be little to prevent her from telling Ami of her love… from showing her the depth of that love. Taiki groaned in frustration at the thought. She knew she could not hide behind her male mask forever. Even 'he' was beginning to falter. There was a part of her, a part she'd spent a lifetime trying to ignore that had refused to be overlooked this time. It was that part that was the source of the dreams, the reminders of everything that threatened Taiki's safe little world to come toppling down. It craved freedom, it longed for the chance to use a more than capable heart that had been placed upon a shelf for far too long. If she thought about it too long she found that longing was consuming more of her everyday. That was what frightened her most: losing herself.
'Or is it finding yourself that you fear?'
"Arrgh! Enough!." Taiki got up, slammed her book shut and reached for her coat. Taking a calming breath she allowed her form to shimmer, and it was a male Taiki who ran his fingers through his lose hair before tying it off. "I'm going out!" The tallest starlight called out. He rolled his eyes when he got no response. As he reached for the doorknob, he heard Yaten's belated voice. "Yo, Taiki! Bring back some burgers will ya? Seiya is about to die of hunger!" Taiki slapped his forehead in exasperation. "If you guys are hungry, quit playing that video game and go buy your own food. Besides, I don't know how long I will be gone." After a few seconds, Seiya came stomping into the room. "Fine. I'll go out. But if I die of hunger on the way… it's on your head!" The raven-haired starlight huffed. "I'll try and live with the guilt!" The brunette called out as he closed the door behind him.
"Tokyo is so beautiful this time of night. Strange how this place can give a measure of comfort that not even Kinmoku can instill in me." The solitary starlight mused as he walked down the street. He stopped in his tracks as a blue-haired woman rounded the corner in front of him. 'It can't be. But who else in Tokyo has blue hair? It's longer than I remember… Say something, if it isn't her just say you mistook her for someone else!' Taiki took a cleansing breath, steeling his nerves. "Mi… Mizuno-kun?" Taiki groaned inwardly at the crack in his voice. The woman turned. As cerulean eyes locked on to mauve ones, the woman's face lit up in recognition. "My word, Taiki-san?"
'Stars above it is her…' The starlight stood rooted to the ground, nearly hyperventilating as he stared into the face of the woman he loved… and walked away from. Concerned Ami risked reaching out to touch his arm, knowing how he shied away from contact, to steady him. At the simple gesture, what was left of the starlight's reserve crumbled into nothingness, as warm tears began to slowly leak from his eyes. Distraught that her very presence seemed to disturb the starlight Ami cast pleading eyes to Taiki as she dried his tears with a handkerchief.
"Taiki-san please… tell me what's wrong!" Ami pleaded softly. Taiki could only offer a shuddering breath as a response. It hurt so much. The starlight felt as if his entire body had turned inside out, the pain was so pronounced. He was so tired. Tired of having to be strong, tired of the fear, of the longing. Startling both himself and Ami, Taiki pulled the blue haired woman into his embrace, shaking gently as he cried into her hair. Never in his life had Taiki felt a moment of perfection like this. As he tightened his grip on the precious bundle, Taiki knew he was home. In her arms he felt he was seeing only a glimpse of what he'd walked away from… of what he'd always wanted. This woman and his sisters were all the family he would ever need.
Realizing that the starlight was truly shaken to allow this much of his inner emotions to show, Ami gently pulled herself from Taiki's hold and took his hand. "Taiki-san, let's go to my apartment so we can talk." Though Ami's grip on the starlight's hand was gentle it was also stern, just in case Taiki's pride would cause him to run. Taiki really had no choice in the matter, he knew that his erratic behavior on top of his sudden appearance startled Ami, but in truth he couldn't run even if he'd wanted to. Not when he was so close; not when everything he'd ever desired stood before him.
"Mizuno-kun… I" the starlight began, only to falter as a rain drop hit his nose and fell to the pavement below. For a brief second, a lull permeated the night air before the bottom of the sky all but fell out. Rain fell in torrents about them and the starlight's eyebrows rose as Ami's lilting laughter caressed his ears. "You'll have to hold that thought, Taiki-san. Seeing as I don't have an umbrella and neither do you!" Ami laughed again, not at all sounding dismayed by the fact they were getting drenched by the second. Taiki found himself echoing the blue haired woman's mirth with a smile. "Come on, my apartment is this way. I'll race you!" Ami called out taking off down the street. Taiki wondered at the joy brought on by her element before he took off after Ami his pain seeming to be washed away by the rain for the moment.
Zoisite stepped from the shadows of a near by alley. He'd seen the entire exchange between Ami and the brunette. While their meeting seemed innocent enough, if not slightly disturbing, the general felt something 'off' about this… Taiki-san. The way the taller man had looked at Ami bothered him for some reason. Kunzite had always harassed him about his penchant for jealousy but the blonde general knew to trust his instincts. Tucking the book he had been about to return to Ami under his arm and adjusting his umbrella, the polar general of ice walked away in search of answers.
"Here we are Taiki-san. It's not much but make yourself at home." Ami murmured as they removed their shoes and coats once they entered the apartment. Taiki smirked as he looked around. The apartment was modest in size but lavishly decorated. Obviously even though Ami no longer lived with her mother, Dr. Mizuno did not want her child to be without. 'Not much indeed.' The starlight though sardonically as he looked around. Ami's azure gaze followed the starlight as he perused the many bookshelves lining the walls. Glancing up, mauve eyes lighted upon a painting and he walked over to it reading the inscription.
-Awakening by Kenneth Shigeru Anderson
Congratulations Little Tsunami, may all your dreams take flight
"My father. It was my graduation gift." Ami answered before Taiki could voice the question. Shocked, Taiki turned around staring at the blue haired woman. He could see the pride in her eyes… and the pain. He frowned slightly in sympathy before crossing to the other side of the room to stand in front her. "I've heard of him, remarkable man. I never would have guessed that you were not fully Japanese." Ami smiled at Taiki's attempt to ease the tension. "I'm three quarters, that's close enough in my book. Besides with your command of the language if it weren't for your eyes I never would have guessed that you weren't Japanese yourself, let alone human… or a man."
Taiki's eyebrow flicked upward. He leaned forward, amethyst eyes never leaving sapphire as his voice dropped unbidden. "While I can't do anything about my eyes, or humanity for that matter, I can be more than man enough for you…" He husked out, his right hand moving to cup Ami's cheek. Ami's eyes widened and she forestalled Taiki's hand stepping away from him. "I should change, and you need a towel to dry off. Excuse me." Ami stammered out, blushing, before fleeing to the safety of her bedroom.
Dismayed by his forward behavior and Ami's reaction to it, Taiki slumped into a nearby chair, mindless of his wet clothing. . "So how are the guys?" Ami asked from her bedroom. Taiki smiled sadly at Ami's attempt to renew a conversation. 'Just pretend nothing happened huh?' The starlight though darkly for a moment before clearing his throat. "They're ok I guess. I mean Seiya hasn't been the same since he met Usagi, and Yaten is...well, Yaten." Ami chuckled knowing full well what that meant. Taiki undid his ponytail, letting the long, chestnut locks cascade down his back. The starlight rubbed his temples hoping to ward off his impending headache.
Taiki was at war with himself. He had so much that he wanted to tell her and yet the sanctuary of silence beckoned him. He had come to love Ami which such fervor; he wasn't sure he could handle a rejection. To make matters worse, every time he thought he'd managed to tame his wayward emotions he had to but look at Ami to be swept away by the tidal wave once again. The uncertainty weighed heavily upon him and yet he reveled in the promise of it as he despaired. Wanting to be free at least for the moment of his conflicting emotions and his body's gleeful surrender to them, the starlight retreated to the sanctuary of her true form, her fear of Ami's reaction being overpowered by her need for the control brought on by clarity..
While Taiki internally debated her decision to return to earth, and to Ami, the senshi of Mercury found herself in a similar predicament. Running her fingers through her damp locks Ami blinked back tears as she slipped out of her soaked shirt and bra. She looked at her flesh, covered in rainwater and for the first time cursed the awareness her element brought with its cooling touch. Everything about Taiki hammered at her senses, his sent, the texture of his skin, the heat of his body, Ami absently licked her lips longing for the taste of him as well.
She'd known not long after the starlights had left, and a seemingly never ending melancholia settled upon her, that she'd loved the reserved, statuesque starlight far more than she was supposed to. When did she cross the line? When did her admiration for Taiki as a rival and friend become the desire and tenderness of a lover? She knew that her love for one so disdainful of the emotion was emotional suicide at best, so she'd tried desperately to move on. Zoisite had been a welcome distraction in the aftermath of the destruction the senshi of StarMaker had left upon her heart but if she looked deeply enough he was little more than that. Not even the whispers of memories of an era long past could bind her to the polar general enough that it would banish Taiki forever. And that knowledge alone hurt above all else; because she knew that Zoisite loved her…. And she had not the strength to feel the same.
Sighing Ami slipped on a large shirt and removed her damp pants and panties, throwing the sodden materials into the nearby hamper to be washed tomorrow. Slipping on another pair of underwear, Ami walked to the linen closet and retrieved a towel for the starlight. Taking a deep breath to steel her nerves, Ami clutched the towel to her chest and walked back out to the living room to her guest.
"It's good to hear that you and your siblings are doing alright Taiki-san. I must admit I was a bit shocked to see you here… I trust Kinmoku is also well?" The fact that Ami did not mention Kakyuu did not go unnoticed by the starlight. Taiki stood and accepted the proffered towel dwarfing Ami with her six foot four frame while her eyes unknowingly darkened with desire. As she looked at the senshi of Mercury she could almost forget that they were just merely friends and comrades in arms; she could almost imagine that Ami was her… Taiki shook her head to clear it and stepped away under the pretense of toweling off her face and neck. "… No Mizuno-kun, everything is fine… on Kinmoku. We just decided to visit, that's all." Taiki tried desperately to inflect her voice with a calm she definitely did not feel. For the moment, her decision to change from her male form had been a wise decision, as she could feel Ami moving closer from behind. 'Damn you woman! Don't you know what you do to me?' The starlight roared internally only to be instantly mortified by her anger; she had no right to be angry at Ami; this was her fault and hers alone.
"Taiki-san you should come out of those clothes, you'll catch cold." Taiki heard her but remained frozen to the spot, her fevered mind conjuring possibilities out of every word the senshi of Merucry uttered. Ami frowned at the lack of response and the sheer tension that radiated from her friend in waves. Placing a gently firm hand on the taller woman's shoulder, Ami spun the brunette around to face her. Taiki looked as if someone had kicked her puppy; lost and hurt and so very alone. Putting on a professional smile, Ami moved the hands that gripped the towel in front of the brunette and reached for the buttons of the shirt. That spurred the dormant starlight into motion. Eyes widening, Taiki reached tapered fingers and grasped the future doctor's hands. "Mizuno-kun… " The starlight fell silent, shaking her head.
Ami feigned obtuseness to the source of Taiki's obvious discomfort. "Taiki-san. You are a woman now correct? Seeing as my mother was your physician on earth, I know that you can mimic the outward body of a human male perfectly; This being said, I am quite sure that you don't have anything that I've never seen before." Taiki, either accepted Ami's point, or had not the strength to argue because her hands went slack before falling to her sides. Ami slowly unbuttoned the expensive silk shirt, willing her hands to remain steady. The shirt unbuttoned, but not opened, Ami took the time to admire the hint of full breasts and hardened nipples that proudly strained against the clinging material. It was strange seeing Taiki like this, even as Sailor StarMaker the brunette had always maintained an aura of impassive analytical aloofness, yet now as she stood there, her long, damp hair cascading about her face and back, her beautiful amethyst eyes hooded in desire, she'd never looked more… sensual. Ami found the change absolutely addicting.
Zoisite bounded up the steps to the Hikawa Jinja, confident that if anyone could give him the truth of Ami's strange guest, it would be the miko within. He pounded on the door, driven by fear and desperation. The doors slid open with a frantic air and the annoyed face of Rei Hino, dressed in her miko garb greeted the blonde general. Judging by the slightly darkened tint of her skin, the miko had been consulting the sacred fire for a while now.
"What the… Zoisite-san? What…?"
The polar general gave a curt nod of apology to the disgruntled miko. "Hello, Rei-san. I know it's late, but may I come in?" Rei sensed the urgency surrounding the general and stepped aside to allow him passage.
"So Zoisite-san, what's up?" The senshi of Mars asked as she closed the door. She sat down and the general followed suit. Rei could feel Zoisite's aura flaring with emotion, dark emotions. Something was pulling the polar general off balance. If the miko knew anything at all about the verdant eyed man before her was that Ami was the only thing that could unhinge him. "I need to know about a person named Taiki." Rei looked at him for a minute, wondering what the long gone starlight could have to do with Ami. For all she knew Ami had gotten over her one sided infatuation with the aloof starlight. She decided not to ask him why he needed this information or how he knew anything about the brunette. "Uh, Taiki was part of the idol singing group, Three Lights." She paused thinking about how much she should tell him. "Who?" Zoisite questioned obviously never having heard of the band. That didn't surprise Rei in the least, as the generals had been revived three years ago. While they were instilled with the memories of a life that they hadn't lived and the memories of the populace changed as a result, there were still a few minor things that either destiny or Pluto had left out.
"They were Taiki Kou and his two 'brothers'. They were enrolled at Juban High." She told him. "Ami's old high school?" Zoicite questioned puzzled. Although he had been enrolled at a different school than Ami, an idol band should have been included in Zoicite Sakura's memory as well. This glaring omission in his fabricated memories did not make the polar general feel any better. In fact he felt more unease than ever. The blonde schooled his features, hoping that if he appeared more impassive Rei would be more forthcoming. The miko didn't disappoint. "Yeah, but after a time we found out they were women is disguise."
"W-women!" Zoisite interrupted. The polar general tried to imagine the tall brunette as a woman and the image it conjured was hauntingly familiar. 'It can't be.' Oblivious to the blonde's discomfort, the miko nodded and continued. "Not to mention they were also the new senshi who helped us fight Galaxia" Rei answered him. The more he heard the more the image of Taiki dressed in skimpy form fitting leather imposed itself on his mind's eye. He'd heard of these senshi from Nephrite, they were called… "The Starlights, right?" Rei's raven head nodded again. Zoisite knew he was getting closer to finding the truth yet with each new revelation he found himself feeling sick and empty. "I've heard about them. They were looking for their princess, and their leader fell in love with Sailor Moon." Zoisite stated. Rei smiled sadly and for a second the general wondered why "Yes, that's them, and it was Seiya that fell in love with Usagi." Rei replied, her eyes distant. "Hmm..." Was all Zoisite could say. There had to be more to it, there had to be something that he was missing. His instincts hammered at him insisting that Ami was not safe… but for a senshi to be the cause of that fear shrouded his mind in doubt.
Rei cleared her throat and the general was filled with such a sense of foreboding he could almost imagine the room darkening about him and suspenseful music filling the air. All he needed now was a well placed lightning flash. The storm outside didn't disappoint him. "A-also, I am more than positive that Yaten fell in love with Minako; although he, or rather she would deny it to her grave. I'm notone hundred percent sure on this... but in my line of work you learn to read the unreadable, to see what is unseen." The miko paused for a moment, clearing her throat andbuying as much time as she could before voicing her suspicions.She glanced over ather guest and sent a prayer to the flame that the could both weather the storm that was sure to follow. "Rei-san, please. I need to know..." The miko sighed and looked into verdant eyes that were starting to darken with fear... and something else the miko knew all too well. She'd seen it in her own gaze countless times. "... Taiki, the most distant of them all managed to fall in love as well, with...with Ami." Rei whispered as if to spare him the pain of it all. "Nani!" Even with the suspision the reality of this revelation wounded Zoisite to his very soul. An anguished cry lurching from his throat, the polar lord stood up abruptly.With those words the floodgates opened up and Zoisite recalled why the idol singer had seemed so familiar…
Zoisite sat in a nearby chair as Ami set up the chessboard, looking through the azure haired woman's yearbook. His eyebrow quirked when he caught a page entitled: Remember When: Three Lights went to Juban? He'd glanced at the montage of pictures of three ponytailed teens, not recognizing any of them. In most of the images they were in suits, obviously singing passionately about something, and next to a single shot of the tallest member, glasses perched upon an androgynously beautiful face and a poetry book held in his grasp, was a single pressed white rose.
"Ami-chan? Who is this guy?" The general asked holding the book out so Ami could see it. Her eyes had widened and she blushed slightly, before moving back to finish the board. "Oh… that's Taiki Kou, he attended Juban two years ago…" Shrugging, Zoisite quickly finished flipping through the book, barely noticing the newspaper clipping of a scantly clad woman who could have been mistaken for this Taiki's twin.
"Zoisite calm down! Taiki left with the others to rebuild their home!" Rei tried to calm him. Now he knew why the image of the starlight kept pushing itself to the forefront… as he searched his memory, he could now recall the tear stains on the picture of Sailor StarMaker and the hastily scribbled and then marked out 'Aishiteru' under the picture. "Iie! I've got to get to her!" He had to return to Ami before it was too late… too late for him and too late for their future. Barely stammering out a proper goodbye, Zoisite burst out of the Jinja. Running with desperate strength he could only pray that could make it in time…
AN: If the formatting is bad I'm sorry, but and has been giving me hell in the formatting department... I'll keep working on it though...