~Wavering Destiny~
by Strawberry Moon Rose

Thanks for the reviews! =)

Note: "Mizuno Ami" means "Friend of Water".

Enjoy! :D

Disclaimer: I do not own Sailor Moon or any of the characters. They belong to Naoko Takeuchi.

Chapter 22: The Photograph

The preparations were coming along smoothly, right on schedule. Strings of lights and Kinmokian flowers hung everywhere, giving the palace a jubilant atmosphere putting everyone in the holiday spirit. Kakyuu told the girls their help wasn't necessary and they may do as they wish for the next few days prior to the party.

"I want you girls to enjoy your time on Kinmoku," she had said kindly, "you are our guests."

Yaten and Taiki decided to postpone their music practice until Seiya recovered, leaving the two of them free time as well. The silver-haired Starlight dragged Minako back into the music room to practice her opening song. Taiki was headed towards her room when she spotted a short girl with a blue bob-cut up ahead.

"Ami," Taiki called.

She turned around, a look of surprise crossed her face. Ami hurried down the hall with a pleasant grin. "Taiki! You called me by my name."

Taiki blinked. "Oh. I apologize. Do you wish to be called 'Mizuno'?" she asked. She'd called her 'Mizuno' back on Earth.

Ami quickly shook her head. "No, no. 'Ami' is fine. More than fine," she beamed. She nervously brushed her blue bangs out of her matching eyes.

Taiki smiled. "Okay then, Ami. I was just wondering if you had a moment. I want to show you something, if you'd like."

"Sure."

The duo walked in a comfortable silence. Neither one of them mentioned where they were going, but their feet seemed to take them instinctively towards the library. They had to step around decorators and maids, going away at making the palace sparkle and shine with festivity. The palace was huge, and the walk took a while. Although neither one of them particularly minded.

The palace's library was the biggest library Ami had ever been to. Tokyo was a large city and had multiple, wondrous libraries that didn't begin to compare to the Kinmokian palace's.

Stepping through the doors, the faint scent of old books drifted through the cool air. Rows upon rows of towering bookcases were lined like ginormous dominoes. The ceiling stretched up towards the heavens, the walls filled with books of all sizes, colors, and ages. The library was dim, giving everything a soft yellow glow. Despite how busy the rest of the palace was, few people were occupying the library. It was quiet except for the sounds of pages turning and minds engrossing themselves into different worlds. An occasional scraping of a chair or the tall moving ladders at the walls dared to disturb the peace. Just standing in a place full of knowledge and wonder set the two of them at ease.

Taiki took Ami to the back of the library, weaving around tables and shelves. It was a secluded area near a crackling fireplace. The white curtains danced, revealing open windows as the wind swished them frivolously.

The brunette led her to the wooden bookcase in the back corner. Stepping into an aisle, she traced her finger along the spines until she stopped at the one she wanted. Taiki pulled the book out with a grin.

Ami cocked her head, trying to get a better look at the title. Its cover was violet and looked somewhat worn. It was blank with no title nor author. It looked more like a journal than a novel.

"This is where I keep my poetry," Taiki explained. "This whole section is private. Only Seiya, Yaten, and I may come back here. Although, it's usually just me."

"Is that so? But you took me here. Tsk, tsk. You're going to get in trouble," Ami teased.

Taiki smiled. "I suppose you're right.," she agreed, narrowing her violet eyes in a playful manner. She reached into her pocket and pulled out her glasses. Slipping them to her nose, the Starlight flipped through the crisp pages of the book in her hands.

"It's really nice here," Ami commented, looking around. The bookcases were packed with books so tightly, it was impossible to see through the cracks above each shelf into the next aisle. She liked the seclusion.

"It is."

Ami let her eyes drift back to the tall girl in front of her. The slight breeze from the nearby window ruffled her chestnut ponytail over her shoulder. Ami had never had a boyfriend, nor a girlfriend before. She didn't like to think about love; it was too embarrassing. But she'd never felt such a strong attraction to anyone as she did to Taiki Kou. At first she believed it was because they had so much in common, but gradually she was starting to see that the way she felt around Taiki was different. She wondered if Taiki felt the same way. Whatever that feeling was.

The brunette pointed to the page excitedly. "Ah! Here it is," she said at last.

"What is it?" Ami asked, craning her head to get a better view of the journal's contents.

Looking up over the book in hand, Taiki smiled. "When we came back to our planet last year, it was then that I realized how much I had changed. Before the war with Galaxia, and before we fled to Earth, I spent the majority of my time fulfilling my duty of protecting the Princess. When I wasn't doing that, I busied myself with independent things like reading and poetry. The only friends I really had were Seiya and Yaten."

Ami nodded sympathetically. Before she'd met Usagi and the others, she often found herself eating lunch alone.

Taiki continued, "I couldn't relate to a lot of people, so I preferred to be on my own. I didn't believe in dreams or romance. I like scientific facts and realistic ideas, not all that fairy tale nonsense. But when we were on Earth, I met someone who gave me a different perspective. She showed me that because of those hopes and dreams, such things are possible."

A light pink tint rose in Ami's face. She glanced down at her shoes.

Taiki smiled and glanced back to the book. "I like writing about nature. This was the first poem I wrote when I got back to our planet and things settled down. Would you...care to hear it?"

Ami nodded eagerly.

The corners of Taiki's lips curled up into a smile as she began to read.

"The Friend of Water washes me
The fireball of life rises once again
Dawn paints the sky and ground
sketching light ripples upon the water
Nature is the most talented artist

The Friend of Water soothes me
warm colors that heat one's soul
As the delicate serenity drapes over
stars of dreams and romance
The perilous world suddenly disperses

The Friend of Water envelops me
casting everything in a new light
A bright morning, the sun has risen
illuminating the forest with a different tone
nature has exchanged charcoal for colorful paint"

Ami closed her eyes, letting Taiki's smooth voice pour into her ears and soul. When the Starlight finished, Ami opened her eyes to see the taller girl was looking at her.

"That was lovely," she told her.

"Thank you," Taikii replied modestly. She shut the book and placed it back on the shelf behind her.

"'Friend of Water'?" Ami murmured with a sly smile.

Taiki tried not to grin as she looked over her shoulder. "Yes. That poem is dedicated to the girl who helped me see a brighter side of life. She was one of the first people I could connect to on my level. My recent poetry is very much inspired by her. I hope she stays around a while longer."

Ami blushed again, hiding her eyes under her bangs. "I think that's a good idea," she replied.

"I do too."

After taking Seiya's temperature, and finding her fever was gone, Usagi stretched from her chair and starting pacing around the bedroom.

Aside from the king-sized bed Seiya was asleep in, there was a red, L-shaped leather couch in front of a flat screen TV on the other side of the room. Usagi considered curling up on it and watching a movie until Seiya woke up. She walked over to it and ran her fingers across the cool leather, temped.

She continued circling the room, curiously taking in her surroundings. One bookcase along the wall was full of trophies and medals from various sports. Another held rows and rows of CD's from bands Usagi had never heard of before. There was a sleek guitar propped against the stereo, and a half open notebook full of lyrics resting on the floor near it.

Usagi was passing the dresser when something caught her eye. She halted and did a double take. A framed photograph of a little girl stood out among the nick-knacks splayed across the top shelf.

"Aw...so cute!" Usagi said. She picked up the picture. There was no doubt about it - the little girl with a chin-length black bob was Seiya as a child. She was wearing tomboyish clothes, and sitting in what looked like a Kinmokian version of a sandbox. She was smiling a fearless grin and holding up a miniature shovel.

She's so cute! Usagi resisted the urge to snatch the photo out of the frame and stuff it in her pocket. She set the picture back on the shelf when another photograph caught her attention.

This one appeared to be more recent. Usagi recognized Seiya right away. She looked younger, about fifteen years old. She was smiling again, making a peace sign with her fingers. Her long hair was tied back in its low ponytail, her bangs falling messily over her tanned skin. Judging by the lush, green trees in the background, it seemed to have been summer when the photo was taken. A pair of arms were draped over her shoulders, as she was being hugged from behind by a taller guy wearing an equally lively grin. Seiya's free hand reached up, touching his wrist in a way that could be described as affectionate.

Usagi's stomach churned as if she'd just swallowed a large ice cube. She snatched the picture frame up. Who...is that?

The boy in the photograph looked a few years older than Seiya. He had handsome features; piercing navy-blue eyes, dark brown hair swept just right into his lashes, and a nice build.

Usagi gulped. Is this...her boyfriend at the time? Seiya looked joyful in the picture, as did the guy. It was weird taking a peek into Seiya's past. She didn't know what felt more wrong; looking at the picture without permission or seeing a guy embracing her. She started to wonder if she was coming down with Seiya's cold, she felt so dizzy.

"Snooping are we?"

Usagi nearly jumped out of her skin. She whipped around, clutching the frame to her chest. Seiya stood right behind her.

"Seiya! Y-you're awake! How...how are you feeling?"

"Pretty good actually, that nap really helped. What are you doing, Bun Head?" Her gaze fell to the frame in her hands.

"Ahaha," Usagi laughed nervously. "N-nothing! I was bored, so I was...just walking around and I saw these pictures sitting here. I couldn't help but look," she admitted.

"Oh yeah?"

Usagi bit her lip and set the picture frame back on the dresser behind her. "So um...can I ask you something?" she asked tentatively, trying to steady her voice.

"Sure." Her voice was still raspy, but it had healed enough for her to stop whispering.

Usagi pointed to the guy in the photo she'd been examining. "Who's...this?"

Seiya squinted at the picture. "Oh? Is that what you were looking at?"

Usagi fidgeted. "I was just wondering, that's all. He's good looking. Is he...a friend of yours?" She asked to the dresser in front of her. She was so nervous to hear the answer, she couldn't turn around and ask it to her face.

"I guess you could say that. His name is Kallen."

"Kallen?"

"Yes."

"I see. You two look really happy..." A tugging sensation stung her heart. Could I really be...jealous? Of somebody I don't even know?

"We... are pretty close," Seiya said in a faraway voice, "being around him always makes me smile."

Usagi swallowed, noticing how Seiya said 'are' and not 'were', implying she still had relations with him of some sort.

"Oh...I see. Well that's good. I'm glad he makes you so happy," she said quietly. She wished that she had just stayed in her chair instead of roaming around the room. It was a cold slap in the face realizing she didn't know anything about Seiya's past, and worse to know she wasn't a part of it. Of course I'm not a part of it, but still...

"What's wrong?" Seiya asked, sensing the distance in her voice.

Usagi waved her hands in front of her face. "Nothing! Nothing at all. I was just...thinking. This guy...he was your boyfriend, I take it?"

Seiya blinked. She then threw her head back and laughed.

"What's so funny?" she demanded, frowning.

Seiya snickered, wiping a tear from her eye. "I'm...sorry, Bun Head. But I...haha! Kallen my boyfriend? That's a good one. Haha!"

"Why are you laughing? What's so funny about that? You two look pretty cozy in the picture, what else am I supposed to think? If he wasn't your boyfriend, then who is he? And why do you have a picture of you two on your dresser, in your bedroom?" she asked, slightly irritated.

Seiya shook her head. "You've got it all wrong. He's my older brother."

Now it was Usagi's turn to be surprised. "Your...brother?" she asked stupidly, as if she'd misheard. She tore her eyes back to the picture. She could see the resemblance now. Their blue eyes were the identical shade, and they had the same cheekbones. Even their smiles were similar. How could she not have noticed that earlier? No wonder he was so good looking; he looked just like his sister, but with lighter hair and no ponytail.

Seiya narrowed her eyes. A satisfied smile crept on her face as she took in Usagi's relieved expression. "You were jealous weren't you?" she accused.

Usagi felt her face warm. "Okay...well, maybe just a little," she admitted.

She patted one of Usagi's hair buns. "Good," she said.

"Don't flatter yourself," Usagi grumbled, a twinge of annoyance and relief in her voice.

Seiya laughed at the remark. "You don't have to worry about a thing, Bun Head. My heart belongs to you and only you. Besides, I'm not interested in men."

"I should have figured that much, I guess..." she said shyly, feeling dumb for her assumption. Standing beside her, Usagi felt Seiya nudge her hand against hers playfully. Usagi tried to ignore it, but Seiya persisted, lightly brushing her fingers against her own, without acknowledging it aloud. Usagi returned the gesture.

"He's three years older than me," Seiya explained, "I also have an older sister too. Her name's Misaki. I think you'd get along with her, she's pretty cool like me."

"I didn't know you had siblings," Usagi said. The idea hadn't ever crossed her mind. Even within her circle of close friends, they didn't really talk about their families. Rei had lost her mom at a young age, and disliked her traveling father. She choose to live with her grandpa at the shrine. Makoto's parents had died in a plane accident. Ami's parents were divorced. Only Minako and her had both parents present all the time, and Usagi was the only one with a little brother. It was a topic that was rarely brought up, and hearing Seiya talk about hers so openly surprised her.

"Do you get to see them often?" Usagi asked. "I mean...'cause you live here at the palace and all..."

Seiya shrugged. "Occasionally. I'm usually busy with duties so I don't have a lot of free time to visit them. They're older anyways and Misaki's got a family of her own."

"Are they gonna be here? At the party, I mean?"

Seiya grinned. "Yep. I guess I'll get to introduce you to my parents too. Well, if they come. It's a complicated situation, they work a lot, always have."

"So, what about Yaten and Taiki? What are their families like?" she asked curiously.

"Taiki's an only child. I don't know about Yaten, she doesn't talk about her family. But she's got a younger sister though, I've met her once. She's...something alright." Seiya laughed.

Usagi giggled at the thought of a miniature Yaten. Usagi picked up the frame on the dresser, holding up the picture of Seiya playing in the sandbox. She already knew what mini Seiya looked like and couldn't get over it.

"And what about this cutie? Seiya, I had no idea you were so adorable! What happened?" Usagi stuck out her tongue.

Seiya made a face. "G-give me that, Bun Head!"

Usagi danced away from her. "Nuh uh, I think I'm gonna keep this," she teased.

"Bun Head, why you!" Seiya laughed. She reached after her. "That's not fair, that picture is the worst!"

"Really? But you're so cute! Look at that smile, you haven't changed a bit!"

"That's it!"

Usagi was one step ahead, easily evading Seiya's attempts. It was to Seiya's disadvantage that she was under the weather and couldn't keep up. "Come on, let me have it, it's priceless!" Usagi insisted, dashing around to the other side of the couch.

Seiya rolled her eyes. "I'll let you have it alright," she mumbled with a familiar smile. The taller girl made a quick move and stepped around the furniture.

"No! I really want to keep it!" Usagi took a step backwards only to stumble and fall back onto the couch. She sank hopelessly into the cushions.

Seiya smirked at the easy chance. With one stride, she climbed onto her and pinned her down. She tried to take the frame, but Usagi held it tightly against her body, relentless. "I want to show this to Minako and the others," she mused, "I bet they'll get a kick out of it!"

"If you wanna play that way, Bun Head, you leave me no choice, " Seiya warned, grinning. She slid her hands up Usagi's shirt, dancing her fingers across the bare skin of her stomach. She squealed and squirmed, immediately loosening her grip as Seiya tickled her. The Starlight snatched it out of her hands in a swift movement.

"Ha! Success," she triumphed, holding the old photograph above her head.

"Okay fine, you win. For now. But I'm sure you've got more of those around here somewhere..."

"You're gonna have to find them first," she whispered down to her. Her ponytail tumbled over her shoulder, tickling Usagi's face.

"I will," Usagi said confidently, pushing her off. "When you're asleep. Which is what you should be doing now since you're still sick," she added, brushing off her shoulders and fixing her shirt that had ridden up.

"Are you kidding? I've slept all day!" Seiya objected. "I'm starting to feel better."

"But your voice isn't back, so don't celebrate yet. It's not the Three Lights with only two of you guys singing," she said.

"Bun Head, you worry too much." Seiya tapped the photograph against her nose.

Usagi made one last attempt to snatch the picture from her, but Seiya pulled it away at the last second and stuffed it into her back pocket with a wink. Usagi rolled her eyes.

Little did they know, they had a lot more to worry about than Seiya's voice returning.