//Chapter 6//At Least I'm Safe Inside My Mind...//
Somewhere in the middle of Tokyo, a young woman with bright golden hair sat sprawled across a couch in the middle of her apartment.
"Haru!" The woman looked up to see her older sister, Michie, glaring down at her. She smiled.
"Haaaaaai?" she asked springing up to be at eye-level with her sister. Her red-haired sister did not look happy.
"You have some explaining to do!"
"Do I?" answered the younger woman with a smirk. Michie looked like she was about to explode with anger.
"Just what's the big idea trying to steal my guy?!!" she demanded in a voice that caused the apartment to shake. Haru smiled.
"Tsk tsk. You wouldn't want Masa-kun to see you like that, would you?" she teased. Michie's grimace slowly became a sneer twisted with evil intentions. Haru blinked. What in the world had gotten into her halfway insane sister this time?
"Dear little sister, would you be so kind as to look behind you?" Michie asked in a scary tone of voice. Haru blinked again, then looked behind her. Nothing. Nothing but an open window, that is. Wait. Haru slowly turned back to her older sister, very nervously. Michie still had a twisted grin on her face, as she reached out, trying to grab her little sister. Haru jumped back.
"Oh come on, Michie. You'd never throw your own sister out the window," she said, laughing nervously. That's just the thing. Haru knew how horrible Michie was when she was angry. Michie lunged at Haru, and the chase began. All through the apartment.
Yurika was coming home with groceries when she heard the racket. She opened the door very cautiously, and slowly stepped inside. Haru poked her head around a corner, spied her green-haired sister, then raced over to her.
"Yurika! Michie's being a nuclear hazard again!" Yurika narrowed her eyes.
"Haru..."
"Hey! I didn't do anything!" Yurika rolled her eyes. Just then, Michie came streaking around the corner, her red eyes flaming with fury.
"There you are, little sister..." she growled. Yurika sighed, frustrated.
"Will you two stop?!" Haru and Michie looked at their sister with wide eyes. Did she just yell at them? "Listen you two, we have more important things to do!" she said firmly. There was silence for a moment. Haru put on a cautious smile.
"Kay."
*~*~*~*
Masami and Chibiusa were walking home from school together. Chibiusa was very psyched about having a sleep over. (aren't we all? ^-^)
"This is going to be so much fun! I can introduce you to everyone, and show you around, and everything!" the pink haired girl squealed.
"You know, Usa-chan, I've already been to your "house"," Masami added.
"Well I didn't really introduce you properly last time."
"You didn't introduce me at all."
"Exactly!" Masami just sighed and shook her head. The two continued walking down the street, engaging in similar pointless conversations. (^-^;;;) Suddenly, they heard a male voice calling out. The two turned around to see Hide running up to them.
"Hey Hide, what's up?" Masami greeted the brown haired boy with a smile. Hide turned to her and began to speak.
"Hikaru-san's looking for you," he said. (Hikaru's really popular, people. So everybody at school knows who he is.)
"Hikaru? Did he say why?" Hide shook his head.
"No, but he sounded upset."
"Well that's just Hikaru. He panics a lot," Masami replied.
"Well he said that somebody named Nanami wants to see you too." Chibiusa blinked.
"Isn't Nanami your friend, Masami?" she asked. Masami nodded.
"I'll see if I can contact them later. It's probably nothing."
"Okay." It was a lie. Masami knew very well that it was at least semi- serious, if it got Nanami upset too. And the first thing that came to mind was more horrible than Masami wanted to imagine.
*~*~*~*
"And this is the library. My parents use to lock me in here when I refused to study." Chibiusa turned around to her friend. "And that concludes our tour. Thank you for coming, I hope you had fun." Masami laughed at the joke. She looked around. Mika was supposed to show up later, and until then, Chibiusa had been showing Masami around the palace.
"Usa-chan, how many people live here, anyway?" Chibiusa scratched her head.
"Well, I'm not quite sure, myself." It was true. A lot of people lived in the Crystal Palace besides the royal family. The inner senshi lived there as well as knights, guards, chefs, librarians, and many others. Just then, a boy appeared in the doorway. He had shoulder-length brown hair, and was wearing traditional Japanese garb. Chibiusa recognized him as one of the messengers.
"Miss?" he said, approaching the two girls.
"Yes?" Chibiusa asked curiously.
"I have a message for your friend," the boy stated, holding out a letter to Masami, all the while, not making eye contact. Masami slowly took the envelope, eyeing the messenger carefully. Once Masami had retrieved the letter, the messenger left the two girls. Chibiusa peeked over Masami's shoulder at the letter.
"What is it Masami?" she inquired. Masami turned the envelope over in her hands. There was only one thing that entered her mind.
"Kuso..." she muttered, slipping the envelop into her pocket without opening it.
"What's wrong? Why didn't you read it?" Chibiusa asked in confusion.
"It's no big deal, I'll read it later," Masami replied nonchalantly.
"Okay..."
*~*~*~*
"Did you get through to them?"
"No, they're not answering the phone."
"I can't believe what they've done. And without telling us!"
"Calm down. I'll try Nanami's number again."
"You guys."
"Nani?"
"What is it?"
"I sent Masami a letter. I think she'll probably get it."
"Sent her a letter? How?"
"We don't even know where they are!" Yaten groaned, banging his fists into the table. Seiya sighed and looked out the apartment window to the Crystal Palace across the city.
"I have a hunch."
*~*~*~*
"Your time has come! Die!" shouted Chibiusa, launching another attack at Masami.
"I think not!" Masami yelled, skillfully dodging her friend's attack, then launching one of her own. Mika jumped up.
"Die! Evil brains!" she shouted. Chibiusa and Masami looked up from their pillow fight, and were directly encountered by two pillows. Masami removed the pillow from her face, and regarded Mika curiously.
"Evil brains?" Mika shrugged. Chibiusa, who was all hyped up on sugar, jumped onto Masami's back, laughing and squealing.
"Piggyback! Piggyback!" Masami looked like she was about to die.
"Usa-chan...you're...killing...me..."
*~*~*~*
The queen sat in her bedchamber, looking out the window at the setting sun. She didn't get up as Rei entered the room.
"Are you all right, Queen?" she asked. Serenity turned around.
"You know, you guys don't have to call me 'Queen'," she mumbled. Rei continued looking at her friend with concern.
"Well then, Serenity, are you okay?" Serenity sighed and looked out the window again.
"Do you think they're ever coming back?" she asked sadly.
"Who?" Rei asked confused. Serenity slowly turned her head around to face her friend.
"Starlights..." Rei's eyes widened.
"What brings this up?"
"I don't know... They promised they'd come back. But..." Serenity's eyes began to well up with tears. Rei walked over to her friend and put an arm around her shoulder.
"They will come back. Someday they will." Serenity's lip trembled as she nodded slowly. She tried to hold it back, but it was no use. She burst into tears. "I miss him Rei, I miss him..."
*~*~*~*
1:15am
Chibiusa's eyelids opened slowly, and she looked about the room. Mika was zonked, and snoring quite loudly. That's probably what woke her up. She looked around the room again. Masami wasn't there. Chibiusa slowly got out of bed, and crept into the hall. She couldn't imagine where the girl could be at 1:00 in the morning. She tiptoed around a corner, and there she was. Looking out of one of the giant crystal windows, draped in shadows, was Masami. But why was she just standing there? After a while, the raven- haired girl dropped her head into her folded arms, and her shoulders began to shake. Chibiusa was taken by surprise. She hadn't seen Masami cry before. Masami didn't even seem like the kind of person would just break down and cry. Chibiusa tiptoed over to her friend, and shook her shoulder softly. Masami's head snapped up, and she turned around to face Chibiusa. Chibiusa in turn, smiled at her friend, hoping to stop the girl's tears.
"Are you okay?" she asked quietly, remembering that Mika was still in la la land. Masami turned away and wiped her eyes.
"Yeah, I'm fine," she murmured. Chibiusa pouted. 'I'll bet you are,' she thought to herself.
"Are you sure?" she asked instead. Masami nodded, and continued to look out the window. Chibiusa was confused. Just five seconds ago, she had seen Masami begin to sob, and now, she was okay. Masami glanced over at Chibiusa. "Nani?" she asked.
"Nothing. It's just that I'm not used to seeing you with your hair down," she replied. Chibiusa blinked.
"Well I'm not used to seeing you without your glasses on." Masami smiled.
"I guess not." Chibiusa couldn't help but feel as if she had known Masami before. It was strange, but it was as if she had something that no one else did. And there was no one else in the world she'd rather be with.
*~*~*~*
Sweet? Confusing? Yes...
Somewhere in the middle of Tokyo, a young woman with bright golden hair sat sprawled across a couch in the middle of her apartment.
"Haru!" The woman looked up to see her older sister, Michie, glaring down at her. She smiled.
"Haaaaaai?" she asked springing up to be at eye-level with her sister. Her red-haired sister did not look happy.
"You have some explaining to do!"
"Do I?" answered the younger woman with a smirk. Michie looked like she was about to explode with anger.
"Just what's the big idea trying to steal my guy?!!" she demanded in a voice that caused the apartment to shake. Haru smiled.
"Tsk tsk. You wouldn't want Masa-kun to see you like that, would you?" she teased. Michie's grimace slowly became a sneer twisted with evil intentions. Haru blinked. What in the world had gotten into her halfway insane sister this time?
"Dear little sister, would you be so kind as to look behind you?" Michie asked in a scary tone of voice. Haru blinked again, then looked behind her. Nothing. Nothing but an open window, that is. Wait. Haru slowly turned back to her older sister, very nervously. Michie still had a twisted grin on her face, as she reached out, trying to grab her little sister. Haru jumped back.
"Oh come on, Michie. You'd never throw your own sister out the window," she said, laughing nervously. That's just the thing. Haru knew how horrible Michie was when she was angry. Michie lunged at Haru, and the chase began. All through the apartment.
Yurika was coming home with groceries when she heard the racket. She opened the door very cautiously, and slowly stepped inside. Haru poked her head around a corner, spied her green-haired sister, then raced over to her.
"Yurika! Michie's being a nuclear hazard again!" Yurika narrowed her eyes.
"Haru..."
"Hey! I didn't do anything!" Yurika rolled her eyes. Just then, Michie came streaking around the corner, her red eyes flaming with fury.
"There you are, little sister..." she growled. Yurika sighed, frustrated.
"Will you two stop?!" Haru and Michie looked at their sister with wide eyes. Did she just yell at them? "Listen you two, we have more important things to do!" she said firmly. There was silence for a moment. Haru put on a cautious smile.
"Kay."
*~*~*~*
Masami and Chibiusa were walking home from school together. Chibiusa was very psyched about having a sleep over. (aren't we all? ^-^)
"This is going to be so much fun! I can introduce you to everyone, and show you around, and everything!" the pink haired girl squealed.
"You know, Usa-chan, I've already been to your "house"," Masami added.
"Well I didn't really introduce you properly last time."
"You didn't introduce me at all."
"Exactly!" Masami just sighed and shook her head. The two continued walking down the street, engaging in similar pointless conversations. (^-^;;;) Suddenly, they heard a male voice calling out. The two turned around to see Hide running up to them.
"Hey Hide, what's up?" Masami greeted the brown haired boy with a smile. Hide turned to her and began to speak.
"Hikaru-san's looking for you," he said. (Hikaru's really popular, people. So everybody at school knows who he is.)
"Hikaru? Did he say why?" Hide shook his head.
"No, but he sounded upset."
"Well that's just Hikaru. He panics a lot," Masami replied.
"Well he said that somebody named Nanami wants to see you too." Chibiusa blinked.
"Isn't Nanami your friend, Masami?" she asked. Masami nodded.
"I'll see if I can contact them later. It's probably nothing."
"Okay." It was a lie. Masami knew very well that it was at least semi- serious, if it got Nanami upset too. And the first thing that came to mind was more horrible than Masami wanted to imagine.
*~*~*~*
"And this is the library. My parents use to lock me in here when I refused to study." Chibiusa turned around to her friend. "And that concludes our tour. Thank you for coming, I hope you had fun." Masami laughed at the joke. She looked around. Mika was supposed to show up later, and until then, Chibiusa had been showing Masami around the palace.
"Usa-chan, how many people live here, anyway?" Chibiusa scratched her head.
"Well, I'm not quite sure, myself." It was true. A lot of people lived in the Crystal Palace besides the royal family. The inner senshi lived there as well as knights, guards, chefs, librarians, and many others. Just then, a boy appeared in the doorway. He had shoulder-length brown hair, and was wearing traditional Japanese garb. Chibiusa recognized him as one of the messengers.
"Miss?" he said, approaching the two girls.
"Yes?" Chibiusa asked curiously.
"I have a message for your friend," the boy stated, holding out a letter to Masami, all the while, not making eye contact. Masami slowly took the envelope, eyeing the messenger carefully. Once Masami had retrieved the letter, the messenger left the two girls. Chibiusa peeked over Masami's shoulder at the letter.
"What is it Masami?" she inquired. Masami turned the envelope over in her hands. There was only one thing that entered her mind.
"Kuso..." she muttered, slipping the envelop into her pocket without opening it.
"What's wrong? Why didn't you read it?" Chibiusa asked in confusion.
"It's no big deal, I'll read it later," Masami replied nonchalantly.
"Okay..."
*~*~*~*
"Did you get through to them?"
"No, they're not answering the phone."
"I can't believe what they've done. And without telling us!"
"Calm down. I'll try Nanami's number again."
"You guys."
"Nani?"
"What is it?"
"I sent Masami a letter. I think she'll probably get it."
"Sent her a letter? How?"
"We don't even know where they are!" Yaten groaned, banging his fists into the table. Seiya sighed and looked out the apartment window to the Crystal Palace across the city.
"I have a hunch."
*~*~*~*
"Your time has come! Die!" shouted Chibiusa, launching another attack at Masami.
"I think not!" Masami yelled, skillfully dodging her friend's attack, then launching one of her own. Mika jumped up.
"Die! Evil brains!" she shouted. Chibiusa and Masami looked up from their pillow fight, and were directly encountered by two pillows. Masami removed the pillow from her face, and regarded Mika curiously.
"Evil brains?" Mika shrugged. Chibiusa, who was all hyped up on sugar, jumped onto Masami's back, laughing and squealing.
"Piggyback! Piggyback!" Masami looked like she was about to die.
"Usa-chan...you're...killing...me..."
*~*~*~*
The queen sat in her bedchamber, looking out the window at the setting sun. She didn't get up as Rei entered the room.
"Are you all right, Queen?" she asked. Serenity turned around.
"You know, you guys don't have to call me 'Queen'," she mumbled. Rei continued looking at her friend with concern.
"Well then, Serenity, are you okay?" Serenity sighed and looked out the window again.
"Do you think they're ever coming back?" she asked sadly.
"Who?" Rei asked confused. Serenity slowly turned her head around to face her friend.
"Starlights..." Rei's eyes widened.
"What brings this up?"
"I don't know... They promised they'd come back. But..." Serenity's eyes began to well up with tears. Rei walked over to her friend and put an arm around her shoulder.
"They will come back. Someday they will." Serenity's lip trembled as she nodded slowly. She tried to hold it back, but it was no use. She burst into tears. "I miss him Rei, I miss him..."
*~*~*~*
1:15am
Chibiusa's eyelids opened slowly, and she looked about the room. Mika was zonked, and snoring quite loudly. That's probably what woke her up. She looked around the room again. Masami wasn't there. Chibiusa slowly got out of bed, and crept into the hall. She couldn't imagine where the girl could be at 1:00 in the morning. She tiptoed around a corner, and there she was. Looking out of one of the giant crystal windows, draped in shadows, was Masami. But why was she just standing there? After a while, the raven- haired girl dropped her head into her folded arms, and her shoulders began to shake. Chibiusa was taken by surprise. She hadn't seen Masami cry before. Masami didn't even seem like the kind of person would just break down and cry. Chibiusa tiptoed over to her friend, and shook her shoulder softly. Masami's head snapped up, and she turned around to face Chibiusa. Chibiusa in turn, smiled at her friend, hoping to stop the girl's tears.
"Are you okay?" she asked quietly, remembering that Mika was still in la la land. Masami turned away and wiped her eyes.
"Yeah, I'm fine," she murmured. Chibiusa pouted. 'I'll bet you are,' she thought to herself.
"Are you sure?" she asked instead. Masami nodded, and continued to look out the window. Chibiusa was confused. Just five seconds ago, she had seen Masami begin to sob, and now, she was okay. Masami glanced over at Chibiusa. "Nani?" she asked.
"Nothing. It's just that I'm not used to seeing you with your hair down," she replied. Chibiusa blinked.
"Well I'm not used to seeing you without your glasses on." Masami smiled.
"I guess not." Chibiusa couldn't help but feel as if she had known Masami before. It was strange, but it was as if she had something that no one else did. And there was no one else in the world she'd rather be with.
*~*~*~*
Sweet? Confusing? Yes...