Teresa! Cue your gasps…because I got ANOTHER idea for an HYD AU. I'll probably tell you all about it so that you can bask in the glory of knowing my stories. (Or something.) Help me, you make me perfect! Help me think I'm somebody else! (Okay I won't keep with the song or I'd have to up the rating!!!) Well have fun kiddos!
Readn: Glad you like 'em! Although some of them are downright strange.
SilverStarWing: Ah, I'm going to go read your fics after this, don't worry! Glad your liking the story so far!
Hotaru Tomoe: Yes, it is becoming a bit of an obsession for our Yaten isn't it? Heehee, it does make the story soooo much more interesting! ~_^
Disclaimer: I don't own Sailor Moon.
Warning: Cussing! Um…darn…. I can't think of anything else! Oh well!
Second Chances
Chapter Ten
"Touched,
You say that I am too,
So much of what you say is true,
I'll never find someone quite like you, again.
I'll never find someone quite like you,
Like you."
-Touched by Vast
Kakyuu smiled brilliantly as she walked into the school building. Everything in life was going so wonderfully. She had her Starlights after years of patient waiting, she had friends, and she had a sister. It felt so routine that she couldn't really remember what it was like before.
Everyday, she would come into the school and probably end up stopping Yaten and Seiya from hitting the other. Those two were always at it. They always had been. Taiki would hide behind his book, not wanting anyone else to figure him out. But Kakyuu knew he looked out for the others as much as he could. They were kind of like a little family.
"Good morning." Kakyuu greeted them, the sight of Seiya and Yaten fighting over a bag of Skittles staring right back at her. They quickly stopped and straightened themselves up.
"Morning Kakyuu." Seiya smiled back at her. Kakyuu felt the familiar rush to her head. If only she could forget about that for once.
"Those are my Skittles." Taiki informed them. "I remember saying you could have some but I didn't mean engage in combat over the bag."
"Thank you Book Boy." Yaten muttered.
"It's not a crime to read." Taiki replied defensively.
"Yaten's just mad cause he can't." Seiya cracked.
"Seiya…" Kakyuu spoke in a tone full of warning. "If you don't stop…"
"Fine, I'll stop." Seiya crossed his arms.
"Dork." Yaten shot at him. Kakyuu shot an imperious expression at the silver-haired boy. Yaten glowered at all if them.
"We should probably go to class." Taiki suggested.
"Good idea." Kakyuu agreed. "If these two can stop acting like children."
"I'm not a kid!" Seiya crossed is arms. "You know, I am the same age as you Kakyuu. In fact a couple of months older."
"Oh Seiya, I know." Kakyuu patted his shoulder comfortingly. "You know what I mean though." Seiya pouted slightly.
"Taiki! I have a new plan." Yaten informed the brown-haired boy.
"Not another one." Taiki pulled out his notepad. "These are really starting to go downhill."
"Stop writing them down!" Yaten snatched the notepad away. Taiki's eyes widened suddenly and tried desperately to get it back. Yaten opened it up. "What the hell...The Study of An Emotionally Dysfunctional Man And How He Tries To Love? Hey…this is about me!"
"Give that back to me!" Taiki grabbed it. "That's mine!"
"What the hell are you talking about in that?" Yaten asked him.
"Never mind, it's not important." Taiki tucked his notepad away. "Weren't you telling me about a plan?"
"Oh yeah…well…" Yaten began but Kakyuu didn't hear the rest of it as Seiya leaned over and whispered into her ear.
"Yaten's really starting to lose it." Seiya stated before Kakyuu giggled slightly. Kakyuu looked over at Yaten who was making several various hand gestures while explaining to Taiki his plan. Taiki was reading his book.
"I'm sure he'll be okay. It's just a phase." Kakyuu sighed slightly. "I hope."
* * *
"Hey Ami!" Usagi waved the blue-haired girl down. "Come sit with us!" The blue girl approached the table shyly. It was rather crowded with the Starlights, Kakyuu, Hotaru, and almost all the Inners plus Mamoru.
"Um…okay…" Ami shyly sat down next to Usagi who pulled up an extra chair for her.
"I'm taking away those chopsticks!" Kakyuu threatened Seiya, Yaten, and Taiki who were all sword fighting with chopsticks right over Kakyuu while she tried to eat. They immediately stopped.
"That was quite the battle though." Hotaru giggled into her hand.
"Good to know that if all else fails the 'Lights can come and save us with a pair of eating utensils." Mamoru joked. Ami kept her head down as she ate her lunch.
"More useful than throwing around flowers." Seiya muttered.
"I heard that." Mamoru raised a challengingly eyebrow at him.
"Hey, I've read that book." Rei pointed the book on the top of the stack that was sitting in Ami's lap.
"Really?" Ami smiled a little. "I really like it."
"So did I." Rei agreed.
"That was MY cookie!" Minako stood up shaking her fist a little in warning. "Usagi!"
"You weren't eating it!" Usagi defended, holding her hands up as if too ward off Minako's wrath.
"Here Minako, you can have one of my cookies." Makoto offered as to make a peace.
"Thanks Makoto!" Minako took the cookie and sat back down, anger completely forgotten.
"I really like your hair." Usagi turned to Ami. "It's really pretty."
"Oh…thanks…" Ami went a little red. "Your hair is much longer and shinier though."
"Wow! Thanks!" Usagi smiled her biggest friendliest smile.
"I MEAN IT!" Kakyuu yelled over the din. Seiya and Taiki sheepishly stopped fighting with their chopsticks and began to eat.
"Hey Seiya, does that leash hurt?" Yaten cracked.
"Shut up!" Seiya snapped.
"I hope you don't think we're all nuts or anything." Minako grinned apologetically at Ami.
"No, actually think you're all quite nice." Ami told the blonde.
"Well I thought they were all nuts." Minako confessed. "I guess you get use to it."
"For the princess!" Seiya had been chopstick fighting with Mamoru instead of Taiki, obviously not heeding Kakyuu's words of warning. With his battle yell, Seiya almost succeeded in knocking Mamoru's chopstick out of his hand.
"That's it!" Kakyuu reached over and took away Seiya's chopsticks. "If you can't eat properly, you don't get your chopsticks back."
"I'm sorry. I promise to stop…" Seiya apologized. Kakyuu sighed before handing him back his chopsticks.
"Good." Kakyuu brandished one of her chopsticks. "Because I could probably take you all on at once."
"Especially since Seiya is such a wuss." Yaten muttered.
"I um have to go to the library." Ami started to get up. "Thanks for letting me sit here."
"Really?" Usagi looked up at her curiously. "Are you sure you don't want to stay?"
"I should go." Ami smiled at her. "I'll see you around." With that the blue-haired girl walked away from their table. Everyone looked curiously after her.
"You don't think we scared her away do you?" Makoto asked the others.
Rei shrugged. "Ami's always been a little to anti-social. She probably didn't like being confronted with a big group. Plus some people…"
"I'm sure that if we warm up to her a bit that she'll be fine." Kakyuu took a sip of her drink. Everyone nodded in agreement with that.
* * *
"Hotaru?" Setsuna caught the young girl by the arm as she went by. "You've been called to see the principal." Setsuna told her. Hotaru's eyes widened.
"Okay." Hotaru turned around and headed towards the main office. She had never really even seen the principal. She couldn't even remember the name of the principal. She did know that the principal was a girl. Hotaru couldn't understand why she would be called to the office. She hadn't done anything wrong, had she?
She entered the office to see that sitting, waiting in chairs was a very nervous looking Haruka and Michiru. They were holding each other's hands, gripping them.
"What are you two up here for?" Hotaru asked the two.
"We don't know. I think Haruka has been caught." Michiru confessed looking rather distraught.
"How?" Hotaru questioned them.
"I'm on the motor racing team and one of the boys tried to pick a fight with me. He grabbed my shirt but I think…" Haruka trailed off. "The way his eyes nearly popped out of his head…"
"Why do they have you down as a boy in the first place?" Hotaru shook her head. "Why aren't you down as a girl?"
"My mother and my father made an agreement that when I was born, if I was a girl, I would go to my father. If I was a boy, I would go to my mother." Haruka took a deep breath. "My dad started to drink heavily and my mom wanted to keep me away from my dad. So she told everyone I was a boy. She wrote it on my birth records because I wasn't born in a hospital."
"So you've had to pretend you were a boy? I don't think you can really get in trouble…" Hotaru smiled reassuringly.
"We aren't so sure." Michiru admitted. "Why are you up here?"
"I don't know. I just got called up." Hotaru shrugged. "It could be for anything."
"Miss Tomoe? Ms. Tuyo will see you now." A secretary told Hotaru. Hotaru took a deep breath before going into the principal's office. A high backed computer chair was turned from Hotaru.
"Please sit down." A female voice told her as the chair turned around. Ms. Tuyo had long black hair and narrowed purple eyes. Hotaru thought for some reason she looked a little familiar, though she couldn't think of why. Hotaru sat down in her chair. "Don't worry, you're not in trouble."
"I didn't really think I was." Hotaru couldn't understand why her mind was panicking. Why is this person familiar? She doesn't really look like anyone…
"Most people think they are. I'm just pulling random students to ask them a few questions about the school. The school board is conducting a survey." Ms. Tuyo explained, picking up a piece of paper and a pen. "Now, Hotaru, what do you think of the teachers at this school? Do you think they do a good job?"
"Yes I do." Hotaru answered truthfully, thinking about Setsuna. "I've learned a lot already this year."
"Good. Now, what do you think of the environment we have here?" Ms. Tuyo asked her, writing down her other answer. Hotaru wondered why they had such weird surveys like this.
"It seems okay." Hotaru shrugged. "I don't think I've heard anyone complaining about the environment."
"That's true." Ms. Tuyo started to laugh. "Well I'm glad to have your insight." Hotaru froze, that laughter was so familiar…
"Ahahahahahahaha!" She laughed maniacally as her hands closed around the Holy Grail.
"Yeah…bye…" Hotaru walked out of the office in a slight horrified daze. As she walked down the hall she passed Usagi who was walking by.
"Hey, Hotaru you look like you've just seen a ghost!" Usagi joked.
"The principal…Mistress Nine…" Hotaru tried to shake herself. Some things in life were really unexpected, this was just disturbing. How many times did you run into the person who possessed you in a past life? Hotaru gulped, hoping that she wouldn't have too many more run ins with the principal.
* * *
Kakyuu looked up sharply as she felt a dark presence as she was in the hallways by herself. She started to run towards the source of it, transforming in the process. She hoped the others would either already be there when she got there but they weren't. The ugly youma was tearing up the shed outside the school.
"Disgusting creature from another world, I will destroy you in the name of my planet Kinmokusei!" Kakyuu announced as stepped into sight. The creature tried to grab her with its slime-covered tentacles. She dodged out of the way.
It seemed determined to grab onto her however. Its tentacles shot one way and she jumped confidently out of the way. What she didn't see was the other tentacles that grabbed around her waist, arms, and legs, raising her up in the air. She felt as though her strength was starting to drain away. Kakyuu tried to fight it, tried to get away but couldn't.
"Princess!" Seiya came running out followed by Yaten and Taiki. They were all transformed of course.
"Be careful!" Kakyuu shouted in warning as tentacles shot towards them too. They all jumped out of the way. With more of them there, it was harder for the youma to grab onto them.
"Star Serious Laser!" Seiya fired his attack, hitting the youma but Kakyuu suddenly felt a burning pain come over here.
"Ahhhhhhhh!" She screamed as the painful waves washed over her. The youma simply started to suck more energy from her to heal itself.
"We can't attack it that way!" Taiki told the others. "We'll hurt the princess."
"What the hell are we supposed to do then?" Yaten asked him before jumping out of the way of the tentacles. Kakyuu was breathing shallowly, trying to get breath as the tentacles tightened their grip on her.
"Maybe I can help." Saturn came out of the building, wielding her Silence Glaive. She rushed up towards the youma, dodging tentacles. She took aim and swung purposefully, cutting the tentacles that held Kakyuu. Kakyuu fell through the air and felt someone catch her. She looked up at her savior.
"Seiya…" Kakyuu got out weakly as Seiya looked down at her in concern. Her transformation left her body. Kakyuu closed her eyes, the world fading around her.
"Let's get this thing!" Yaten exclaimed. "Star Sensitive Inferno!"
"Star Gentle Uterus!" Taiki joined in, the double attack blasting the creature severely but not completely destroying it. It opened its mouth and fire came shooting out of it. Yaten only just managed to get away in time.
"Burning MANDALA!" The fire rings were cut through by the youma's fire. Sailor Mars jumped out of her hiding spot.
"Venus Love-Me Chain!" Minako called as her chain wrapped around the creature. She pulled him tight. "Sailor Moon, would you like to do the honors?"
"Of course!" Sailor Moon came out, taking out her scepter. "Moon Princess Halation!" The attack seemed to obliterate the youma who had wreaked so much havoc on them.
"Is Kakyuu…" Taiki trailed off as he looked at the red-haired princess that Seiya was cradling in his arms. Kakyuu's hand was hanging down limply.
"She's still breathing." Seiya answered. "I think that she's just exhausted. The creature was sucking out her energy." Seiya de-transformed.
"Thank Serenity…" Hotaru murmured in a quiet voice so no one heard her. "We should get her to a bed."
"I'll take her home." Seiya told them all. "It's my duty."
"It's our duty too." Yaten started but Taiki put his arm on the silver-haired man's shoulders and shook his head slightly.
"Let's let Seiya do it, okay?" Taiki's voice was slightly pleading. Yaten nodded before they started to walk away from the battle scene.
* * *
Kakyuu's head throbbed as she opened her eyes to see Seiya sitting next to her bed, studying her with concern. She smiled weakly at him; she hadn't fully recovered just yet from her encounter with the youma. Kakyuu realized that she was in her own room which was good because it made her feel a lot more comfortable than a hospital would.
"Seiya, did we get that youma?" Kakyuu asked cheerfully.
"Yes we did." Seiya answered even though he looked upset. Kakyuu reached out, her fingertips touching the sides of his face.
"Good." Kakyuu dropped her hand away from his face. "Are the others here?"
"No. I brought you home, Setsuna said you should be fine, you just need time to recover your strength." Seiya explained to her. "But…I…"
"What?" Kakyuu tried to sit up but found she couldn't really move her head without feeling dizzy. She laid her head back down on the pillow.
"It's all my fault! I fired that attack without even thinking…" Seiya grasped at the sides of his head. "I'm so sorry Kakyuu…I thought I could kill it but you got hurt… I'm so sorry…"
"It's okay…" Kakyuu told him. "You didn't do it intentionally."
"I feel like I failed you." Seiya murmured.
"For all the times I have failed you, I think that it would be okay if you had." Kakyuu closed her eyes, a memory coming to her.
"Princess, what is wrong?" Seiya asked her, head tilted to the side in concern. Kakyuu wanted the pain in her heart to go away. "Those advisors sure have been hard on you lately…"
"That's not it…" Kakyuu trailed off. Seiya put a comforting hand over hers. Kakyuu felt tears welling up in her eyes. How she wished that she were not the princess, how she wished that she could live by what her heart wanted and not what her position demanded!
"Come on, you can tell me." Seiya's voice was so trusting. She trusted Kakyuu…and Kakyuu could stand it no longer.
"I am to be married." Kakyuu turned around, looking at Seiya with tears in her eyes. "I'm…" Kakyuu tried to find that right words to make Seiya's hurt face disappear. Seiya would have looked no different if Kakyuu had struck her. "I'm sorry." Kakyuu whispered before turning and running out of the room.
"Why do you always talk like that?" Seiya asked her. "You always seem stuck in the past…like there's something that you can't seem to forget."
"I can't forget! I wish to everything that…" Kakyuu closed her eyes. "I wish I could have…"
"What happened? Why won't you tell me?" Seiya questioned her. "I don't care what it is, I just don't want to see you so sad all the time."
"I don't think I can say it." Kakyuu confessed. "I wasn't strong enough to tell you before either."
"Then try to tell me now." Seiya pleaded with her. "Please, Kakyuu."
"If you ask me, I will tell you for I could never deny you anything." Kakyuu said. Seiya's eyes were trained on her now. There was no going back.
"Please tell me." Seiya murmured softly. He was shaking slightly. Kakyuu took a deep breath.
"In our past life time, I don't remember how much you remember of the politics of Kinmokusei. They said that I had to married, as I was ruler. For years I treated it like something that would happen to someone else. I lost my heart to someone else. I love that person so dearly but I was always so afraid to say anything! I was such a coward." Kakyuu's words were full of remorse.
"Then what happened?" Seiya prompted her.
"The time came when I was too be married. I wanted to die. My advisors married me off to some man…funny, the one thing I don't remember is his name…" Kakyuu laughed bitterly. "He was kind to me, he knew that I loved someone else even though he never did figure out who it was. Then Galaxia came. She killed him and I…I was glad he was dead! I was actually…" Kakyuu felt tears come down her cheeks.
"Kakyuu…" Seiya trailed off, his eyes widening in surprise.
"I ran away. I could not face anyone. I thought that when all was resolved that maybe, just maybe I would be able to tell the person I loved the truth. Then it happened. They fell in love with someone else." Kakyuu's eyes were so full of pain. "The rest of our lives, I never said anything, too afraid that I would never be as that other woman was. I would never take the place in the heart that I wanted."
"Who…?" Seiya trailed off before taking a deep breath. "Who were you so in love with?" Kakyuu smiled a little, through her tears.
"I still love them…I am such a coward…why can I not say it now when I know I should?" Kakyuu put her hand on top of Seiya's pulling it towards her and laying it on her chest, right where her heart was. "Seiya…can you ever forgive me?" Seiya gasped in surprise.
"I wish I were good enough for her…" Seiya looked up into those stars once more after Yaten had left. "She'll never see me like that…I'm a fool…"
"I'm not asking…" Kakyuu trailed off, closing her eyes before opening them again. "I'm not asking that you say anything in return."
"What kind of man would I be if I didn't say anything?" Seiya asked her. "I never thought in all this time…"
"Never thought what?" Kakyuu was holding tightly on his hand, as if afraid that he would disappear.
"Kakyuu, you never did realize did you? I think that of the two of us, you were the stronger one." Seiya smiled down at her. "The day when I first met you, when you were being crowned and us Starlights, nine years old, ready to begin training. I looked up at you and thought that maybe…just maybe you would one day look at me the way I looked at you."
"S-Seiya…" Kakyuu trailed off with wide eyes.
"But I knew how the social order worked. I knew that we couldn't be together because of the classes. I hoped that somehow you wouldn't have to get married. It hurt so badly at the wedding…I tried not to start crying but I couldn't help it. You looked as if your heart had just died. I wished I would have said something to you! Then when you went to Earth…I had to find you. But then I met Usagi and I thought that she was like you. She was so kind to me and I got caught up in the person who seemed to be the answer. Surely you wouldn't ever be able to love me but I thought that if she could, maybe I wouldn't feel like such a terrible person." Seiya told his story. "But I wasn't the one she wanted at all…and I don't think she was the one I wanted…"
"Seiya…you don't know…" Kakyuu felt enough strength to sit up and throw her arms around him. She started to sob into his shoulder. "I never thought…"
"I never thought it possible either…" Seiya held her tightly against him. He buried his face in her red silky locks of hair.
"Don't let go…" Kakyuu whispered. "Don't let go…" Seiya closed his eyes, savoring her words.
"I won't." Seiya promised her. He rocked her gently till at last Kakyuu seemed to fall back asleep. Seiya moved her to the bed, with his arms wrapped around her, laying down on the soft blankets; he wondered if really did deserve this.
I couldn't make her happy.
I could only cause her pain.
So what says I can make her happy now? What if I just cause her more pain?
Am I worth that? I don't think so…Maybe I could make her happy…
Maybe I shouldn't try…it might bring her pain…
* * *
Well after successfully listening to one song and one song only during the fight and the love scene I'd say it's safe to say that I quoted the right song at the beginning of this chapter. I, I looked into your eyes and saw, oh that does not exist. I looked into your eyes and saw, oh I wish were you… These headphones hurt my ears however. I'm going to take them off and torture everyone in the house by making them listen to my "crappy" music. Sheesh, there is a world outside of gothic music, but try telling that to my dad! Oh well. What will happen in the next chapter? Will it be spooky? I like things that are spooky.
Second Chances Akugis!
Take One!
Yaten: I have a new plan!
Taiki: What kind of plan?
Yaten: I call it Operation: Hotaru Tomoe Is A Weirdo Who Likes To Keep Snails In Her Pencil Box!
Taiki: Oh boy here we go…
Yaten: The jig is up!
Seiya: I can't believe it!
Kakyuu: I'm so disillusioned!
(For all those Utena fans out there! Please don't sue me Nanami!)
Take Two!
Kakyuu: If you ask me, I will tell you for I could never deny you anything.
Seiya: Please tell me.
Kakyuu: I…I…
Seiya: Come on…
Kakyuu: I don't like watching Bananas in Pajamas with you!
Seiya: NOOOOOOOOO!!!!
Take Three!
Hotaru: How did anyone find out?
Haruka: Well…
(Flashback to earlier that day.)
Michiru: Haruka! Not in the car!
Haruka: No one will know! (Boys open up the car door.)
Random Boy: O.O
Take Four!
(Everyone looks after Ami leaving curiously.)
Seiya: Nice ass.
(Kakyuu hits him over the head with a frying pan)