Dance as if noone is watching

Love as if you've never been hurt

Sing as if noone can hear

And live as if heaven is on earth

                "So who were those girls you saw in the park?"  Demando asked curiously, sitting next to her later on, as they took a break from the business of the inn's common room.  He had offered to help Bunny's mother with serving, as he always did when he stayed at the inn for an extended period of time.

                "Some stupid twinks from Seimei.  First time I have ever seen someone else in our spot."  She growled, and pulled out her ID verifier.  She scrolled through the names, almost snarling at the names that flashed up.

                "Mizuno Ami," the daughter of a famous doctor, and said to be a genius herself,

                "Hino Rei," one of the last priestesses of the Shinto religion

                "Aino Minako" was a famous actor, one who usually played the roles of heroic female

                "Kino Makoto" was a famous diplomat, striving for peace, though Bunny snickered at her as she thought of the pending war,

                "Kaioh Michiru," a famous artist and violinist,

                "Tennoh Haruka", had been a famous racer, though she had turned to doing duets with Michiru when travel between cities had stopped.

                "Tomoe Hotaru," one of the few living cyborgs, who were more machine the human.  She was also a gifted healer, though her gifts were often discounted by professional Doctors.  She was the only one of the seven Demando had ever seen, and the only one Bunny had seen before the day.  To him, Hotaru Tomoe had seemed almost human, at least in comparison to others he had met from Seimei.

                Bunny showed the results to Demando, who would have smiled if it would not have upset Bunny.  "I don't see what you are worried about.  We should be honored that famous people have visited our clearing."

                He didn't add anything else, though he knew very well that Usagi automatically hated anyone from a higher district then herself.  She merely shook her head, and put the id verifier away.  He got off he bed, intending to put his clothes away in drawers.

                As he was folding his shirts, Usagi spoke up.  "You know how Mama really wanted to be officially married?" she asked innocently.

                "Yes," he said cautiously, wary of her whenever she used that voice.

                "Well," she drawled, fingering the device in her hands, "this Hino Rei could possibly help them, you know."

                Demando stiffened.  "Why exactly are you interested, Usa-ko?  I thought you would stay away from one like her."  He picked up the shirt he had dropped, still shocked.

                "Oh, I don't think I like her any more than anyone else from Seimei.  But not only would I be able to make Mama happy, but this would give me a chance to take a look around Seimei."  Bunny sat on his bed, looking deceptively innocent.

                Unfortunately, Demando knew that his Bunny was anything but innocent.  She was his equal with her knives, and she also knew enough self-defense to keep her safe in Zetsubo, where killers, among other things, walked the dirty streets.  She looked as if she were a cat who had just been turned loose in an aviary.  "You've been to Seimei before, Usako."

                She grinned.  "Of course, but this time I would be doing it legitimately.  Or, at least, far more legally then the last time."  Though venturing between districts was not illegal, it was definitely disapproved of, especially if you were from a lower district in the social chain.  Usagi's gift with technology, however, allowed her to fiddle with her ID so that sensors read that she was from wherever she wished.  Such was the trick that made her so invaluable to the thieves and criminals of Zetsubo.  She had done so once, just to check if her trick worked, and had had a field day in the richer districts, leaving behind a trail of messed up electronics.

                "If you say so, my bunny."  His eyes widened.  Eep, he thought.  His Bunny?  That was definitely not what he meant to say.

                Fortunately, Bunny didn't seem to notice.  She had a slightly vacant expression, meaning she was lost in her thoughts.  Good for me, Demando thought, relieved.

                He had finished unpacking by the time that Bunny finished dissecting what ever was on her mind, and he sat down next to her, expecting an explanation.

                Bunny wrapped a friendly arm around him.  "Here's the idea, Demando-chan," she said sweetly.  She grabbed his wrist.  "See this thing," she said, acting as if she was dealing with a young child.  Her rapid changes of mood often confused him.

                "Yes, Usako."  He sighed.  What ever she was planning, he should be afraid.  With out a doubt.

                "Ohayo, kaa-san!!" Bunny caroled as she and Demando returned to the inn.  Her mother glanced up and smiled, but returned to serving the customers.  "It's busier then usual, wonder why?" Usagi asked Demando as they quickly went upstairs to change.

                "Who knows?  It's probably the coming war.  People like to get nice and drunk, rather then think about the implications that world wide bombings have for their lives."  He went into his room, leaving Bunny to go on to her own, once again unnerved by the callous way her oldest friend had of dealing with war. 

                All she truly knew about what he did for a living was that he was a sort of modern mercenary, hiring his skills out, much the way she did her hacking.  But he was no technology genius.

                Demando was, by far, the best fighter Bunny had ever met, up to and including the top gang leaders in Zetsubo that she had had the chance to witness in a fight.  He was close-mouthed, however, whenever she asked about where he had learned all he knew; he only said that he was carrying on some sort of legacy.  How and why where two questions Bunny did not have the resources to answer,

                Bunny slipped on working clothes, and leaned against her door.  She knew herself to be a fairly complex person, but Demando took personal complexity to an entirely new level.  In a way, he was like the best built computer system she had encountered, and not one she could find the way to dismantle it. 

                And one thing Bunny Son did not tolerate was inability, because inability was the same as failure.  And failure was not an option, in a world where mistakes were deadly.

                Her own experiences, and losses, were proof enough of that.

                Demando knocked on Bunny's door, wondering what was taking his friend so long.  Normally she would be changed faster then him, and that meant she must be still bothered by something.

                He wondered what she could possibly be still worried about.  They had taken a jaunt into the higher districts, searching for Hino Rei's temple.  They had found it easily enough, and had requested a marriage ceremony for Bunny's mother, which they had been granted.  What had baffled the two was that the ceremony was given free of charge, and that was unheard of.  At least to the two from Zetsubo.

                Guess neither of us as really as world-wise as we thought.  Although, religion is a subject neither of us has had the occasion to need to know.  But even so, knowing that her mother could get married whenever, now that they knew where to go, should have made Bunny happy.  Not make her quiet, reticent.

                When Bunny opened the door, the guilty look on her face when she saw who it was gave away her thoughts.  Demando was very good at reading faces, and long companionship with Bunny made it all the easier.  His bunny had been thinking about him again, and whatever it was, she didn't want to discuss it with him.  "Come on Bunny, let's get downstairs and help your mother out."  He said nothing about her thoughts, figuring on getting them out of her later.

                Bunny nodded, relieve that he wasn't querying her.  She grinned, and looped her arm through his, pulling him with her as she went down the dark hall.  She didn't let go of his arm until she was called to help a customer, liking the feel of his arm through hers.  The thought should have felt odd, but somehow she didn't think something that felt so right could be wrong.

                Something else for her to think about.

Yes, I know not much happened in this chapter, but it was introductions to the characters.  It had to be done.  Moving on.  I have changed my mind.  More of the canon will be in here then originally planned, so expect see some Dark Moon Arc stuff, as well as Galaxia (maybe) and Starlights.  And a Demando/Usagi pairing (even though it's not canon- I hate Mamo-baka)!  How rare is that?  There should be more of them (anyone know of any good ones?  I want more)
Thank-you, Iron Mouse (Yes, Mamo-baka is a very unliked person, ain't he?  Sorry to say, this is not a Seiya-Usa fic.  Not that I don't like that pairing, it's just I wanted to do a Demando/Usa.  There are too few of them.) and Charity (I like being different!  Thankee!) for reviewing.  Maybe if others see that they will too be acknowledged, they too will review.  Easy, eh?