A Trick of the Mind?
Chapter 1 - The Search
Disclaimer: Unfortunately, I do not own anything except for the plot.
Hino Rei's face went white. She'd drawn the 'Death' card, which never meant happy picnics in the park with close friends and family. The fires never steered the young reader wrong, and when this card was drawn, everything was pushed out of her mind.
"Rei! Rei, are you in here?"
Rei's concentration was broken by the calls from her friend, Kino Makoto. "Yes, Makoto, I'm here."
She stood up and walked out of her reading room and into the tearoom next to it. Wiping some ashes from the fire off of her blue dress, she smiled at Makoto. "How can I help you?"
"I was wondering if you know why Usagi is so down in the dumps? I mean, it's been three days since she got out of bed and ate a decent meal." Makoto's face was worn and there were scratches on her arms and a few bruises here and there. "I tried to pull her out of bed but she kicked and screamed and clawed the crap out of me."
Rei sighed. "Oh, honey, you didn't hear?"
"Hear what?"
"Hear that Mamo-chan broke up with Usagi three days ago. He won't answer her calls, every flower she sends him he sends back. it's really doing a number on the poor girl."
"Oh my gosh. so it's true then? Ami told me but I refused to believe it. they always seemed so happy together. Do. do you know why they broke up?"
Rei sighed and starting wiping a few bits of soot out of her hair. "I'm not exactly sure, but I think it's because Mamoru found out Motoki and Usagi had slept together. He came to her balcony at like 4 AM and Motoki answered the door. After he left, Usagi starting beating up on Motoki, but funnily enough, didn't come back with one single bruise except one large one on his chest where I think Usagi probably rammed him with her head."
Makoto stifled a giggle, but it didn't last long. After about two seconds she burst out, but was able to calm herself again in about a minute. She was happy for Mamoru because he finally got out of Usagi's grip - she remembered him always complaining that he wasn't happy with Usagi and only stayed with her for destiny's sake - but was also said for Usagi that she didn't have Mamoru anymore. Usagi said one time that if Mamoru ever left her, her life would be meaningless and she'd have no point in going on living it.
"I feel bad for Usagi and all, but she really deserved it. I remember that about a month ago, Minako took her to The Rusty Bucket and Usagi came back all trashed with a bunch of used condoms in her car. Half of them probably belonged to Minako, but still. and then just last week I caught her in a diner with some guy, and they were kissing up a storm. Now. this?"
Rei nodded. "Usagi's my friend and all, but she is such has become such a slut since her twenty-first birthday and I agree with Mamoru for dumping her. For 'destiny's sake'? More like ChibiUsa's sake. He loves that little girl to death but. that's more than I can say about her mother."
The two continued talking for a while until Minako showed up and they "went their separate ways". Minako, however, stayed at the shrine with Rei, unaware that Rei was apparently annoyed with her for some reason. I wish she'd go away! she thought desperately, trying to concentrate on her readings.
"Hey, Rei, did you hear about what happened to Usagi? Mamoru dumped her and now he's going out with someone else. Haruka and Michiru know but they won't tell me who it is. I'm trying to get it out of Hotaru and ChibiUsa but they're bent on secrecy too. I was wonder if maybe you knew?"
Rei sat bolt upright. "What did you say?"
"Do you know?"
"No, before that."
"Haruka, Michiru, Hotaru, and ChibiUsa won't tell me who it is?"
"Before that."
"Mamoru's going out with someone else?"
"Stop! That's it. when did he start going out with someone else?"
"The day after he dumped Usagi. It's really weird, too, and it's almost like this break-up was planned or something, y'know?"
Rei got up and ran out of the shrine. The bus had gone and wouldn't be back for another hour, but she needed to know this instant, so she set out on foot. Two and a half miles. but it's worth it, she thought quickly. It took her a half-hour to reach her destination, and she hoped and prayed that Haruka and Michiru had not stepped out for a moment.
To her satisfaction, they were sitting in their kitchen drinking coffee when she rapped her knuckles on the door. Haruka answered the door, and was very startled when Rei just pushed herself inside the door, without so much as a hello, into the kitchen where Michiru sat just as startled as her lover. "Rei! What a. surprise!" Haruka said, shutting the door, and strolling over to sit next to Michiru. "Can I ask why you're here?"
"No, but can I ask you who Mamoru's going out with?"
Michiru smiled in a dreamy sort of way. "I'm sorry, but we've sworn to secrecy. Can I offer you a cup of coffee, dear? Or perhaps tea?"
"But I need to know!!" pouted Rei.
Haruka muttered under her breath to Michiru, "Or maybe a juice box?"
Michiru stifled a giggle and sent a stern look towards Haruka who got up and walked out of the room. "Sorry, Rei, but we can't tell you. She has never had a boyfriend in her entire life before and wishes that people don't know, so as not to tarnish the relationship. Please, Rei, have a cup of coffee with me and we'll talk."
Rei softened her expression and nodded. She sat down on a stool across from Michiru and took the mug offered to her. They began a conversation, but still on the topic of Usagi and Mamoru of course. She was still kind of annoyed at the fact that Michiru nor Haruka would tell her who this mysterious girl Mamoru was going out with was, but she settled on the fact that it was probably best not to know anyway.
~*~*~*~
Setsuna's POV
I smiled wide as Mamoru caressed my hair. He whispered in my ear and kissed my cheek daintily as I painted the lake we were positioned in front of on the lawn. I couldn't remember the last time I'd been this happy. "Mamoru," I said, turning to look into his blue eyes, him staring back into the crimson color of mine. "I don't think I've ever been this happy before. Stay with me always?"
"Of course." Wrapping his arms around me, Mamoru pulled me into a warm lock. His arms were around my waist and my head was lead back against his shoulder. And we sat there, smiling, watching the sun go down and the lake turn orange, then pink, then purple. When the first star came out, I gathered up my painting and he walked me to my apartment.
"Good night." I said, giving him a big kiss. I waited for him to be at the elevator before I fully shut the door. Something inside me just didn't want me to give up the sight of him, but it was late, and he needed to get home as well. Hopefully ChibiUsa wouldn't be with Hotaru watching television, and Hotaru would be asleep by now.
When I walked into Hotaru's room, I found her sitting in her corner on her purple beanbag chair, reading a story. "Hey, honey," I said, walking over and kneeling down next to her. "What're you reading?"
She looked up at me. Her cheeks were tearstained, her eyes red and puffy. She'd obviously been crying. "Where were you?" she burst out, wrapping her arms around me. "I waited and waited and I even turned down an offer to go to the arcade with ChibiUsa and Usagi! Where were you?"
"I was out, Hotaru. I told Michiru to watch you. didn't she come over?"
"She got sick and had to stay in the hospital. Haruka-san stayed with her all day."
"Did Ami or Makoto come over? You could have called them, Hotaru. You know very well that they love you just as much as I do and don't want you to be sitting in a corner crying all day, right?"
She nodded, tears streaming down her cheek faster than ever. "But I didn't want Ami or Makoto or anyone else! I wanted you!" She really emphasized the word 'you', and I suddenly felt something plunging to the ground in my stomach. Here I was, out having a good time with Mamoru, and all the while Hotaru was sitting alone in the apartment, crying in her reading corner.
~*~*~*~
"Hotaru didn't stop crying until 12 AM last night." Setsuna said groggily to Michiru. "What did you have anyway? You look fine now." Her eyes narrowed at Michiru who was now laughing under her breath uneasily.
"Okay, okay. Haruka hit someone again and we spent the day at the police station filling out forms again." Michiru turned to look at Haruka who was next to her. "The boy didn't get hurt, only his bike. I mean big whoop, right? So we just have to pay a fine of 40 yen."
The three were in a diner. It was very quaint and cozy, until Hino Rei and Kino Makoto came in. They looked determined, and Michiru and Haruka could only guess one reason they looked this way. "Setsuna, I think it best if we go." Haruka said under her breath.
"But why? Oh look! There's Rei and Makoto! REI! MAKOTO!" Setsuna called, waving at them.
Haruka bit her lip. "Because they want to know who's dating Mamoru!" She emphasized the last bit of her sentence.
Setsuna apparently didn't hear her. Rei and Makoto came over, but before anyone got a chance to exchange greetings, they said in unison, "It's you!" pointing to Setsuna like she was some kind of convict guilty of murder.
"Beg your pardon?" she said politely. "I'm what?"
Makoto smiled. "We narrowed it down. It has to be you."
Rei put up her victory sign. "You are Mamo-chan's new girlfriend!"
Setsuna's face turned red. "Well, I guess you've caught me red handed. But, could you do me a favor and keep this to yourselves?"
"Of course! We'd do anything for a good friend such as you. Well, Rei, I guess the search is over." Makoto said triumphantly.
"Guess so." Rei replied.
Chapter 1 - The Search
Disclaimer: Unfortunately, I do not own anything except for the plot.
Hino Rei's face went white. She'd drawn the 'Death' card, which never meant happy picnics in the park with close friends and family. The fires never steered the young reader wrong, and when this card was drawn, everything was pushed out of her mind.
"Rei! Rei, are you in here?"
Rei's concentration was broken by the calls from her friend, Kino Makoto. "Yes, Makoto, I'm here."
She stood up and walked out of her reading room and into the tearoom next to it. Wiping some ashes from the fire off of her blue dress, she smiled at Makoto. "How can I help you?"
"I was wondering if you know why Usagi is so down in the dumps? I mean, it's been three days since she got out of bed and ate a decent meal." Makoto's face was worn and there were scratches on her arms and a few bruises here and there. "I tried to pull her out of bed but she kicked and screamed and clawed the crap out of me."
Rei sighed. "Oh, honey, you didn't hear?"
"Hear what?"
"Hear that Mamo-chan broke up with Usagi three days ago. He won't answer her calls, every flower she sends him he sends back. it's really doing a number on the poor girl."
"Oh my gosh. so it's true then? Ami told me but I refused to believe it. they always seemed so happy together. Do. do you know why they broke up?"
Rei sighed and starting wiping a few bits of soot out of her hair. "I'm not exactly sure, but I think it's because Mamoru found out Motoki and Usagi had slept together. He came to her balcony at like 4 AM and Motoki answered the door. After he left, Usagi starting beating up on Motoki, but funnily enough, didn't come back with one single bruise except one large one on his chest where I think Usagi probably rammed him with her head."
Makoto stifled a giggle, but it didn't last long. After about two seconds she burst out, but was able to calm herself again in about a minute. She was happy for Mamoru because he finally got out of Usagi's grip - she remembered him always complaining that he wasn't happy with Usagi and only stayed with her for destiny's sake - but was also said for Usagi that she didn't have Mamoru anymore. Usagi said one time that if Mamoru ever left her, her life would be meaningless and she'd have no point in going on living it.
"I feel bad for Usagi and all, but she really deserved it. I remember that about a month ago, Minako took her to The Rusty Bucket and Usagi came back all trashed with a bunch of used condoms in her car. Half of them probably belonged to Minako, but still. and then just last week I caught her in a diner with some guy, and they were kissing up a storm. Now. this?"
Rei nodded. "Usagi's my friend and all, but she is such has become such a slut since her twenty-first birthday and I agree with Mamoru for dumping her. For 'destiny's sake'? More like ChibiUsa's sake. He loves that little girl to death but. that's more than I can say about her mother."
The two continued talking for a while until Minako showed up and they "went their separate ways". Minako, however, stayed at the shrine with Rei, unaware that Rei was apparently annoyed with her for some reason. I wish she'd go away! she thought desperately, trying to concentrate on her readings.
"Hey, Rei, did you hear about what happened to Usagi? Mamoru dumped her and now he's going out with someone else. Haruka and Michiru know but they won't tell me who it is. I'm trying to get it out of Hotaru and ChibiUsa but they're bent on secrecy too. I was wonder if maybe you knew?"
Rei sat bolt upright. "What did you say?"
"Do you know?"
"No, before that."
"Haruka, Michiru, Hotaru, and ChibiUsa won't tell me who it is?"
"Before that."
"Mamoru's going out with someone else?"
"Stop! That's it. when did he start going out with someone else?"
"The day after he dumped Usagi. It's really weird, too, and it's almost like this break-up was planned or something, y'know?"
Rei got up and ran out of the shrine. The bus had gone and wouldn't be back for another hour, but she needed to know this instant, so she set out on foot. Two and a half miles. but it's worth it, she thought quickly. It took her a half-hour to reach her destination, and she hoped and prayed that Haruka and Michiru had not stepped out for a moment.
To her satisfaction, they were sitting in their kitchen drinking coffee when she rapped her knuckles on the door. Haruka answered the door, and was very startled when Rei just pushed herself inside the door, without so much as a hello, into the kitchen where Michiru sat just as startled as her lover. "Rei! What a. surprise!" Haruka said, shutting the door, and strolling over to sit next to Michiru. "Can I ask why you're here?"
"No, but can I ask you who Mamoru's going out with?"
Michiru smiled in a dreamy sort of way. "I'm sorry, but we've sworn to secrecy. Can I offer you a cup of coffee, dear? Or perhaps tea?"
"But I need to know!!" pouted Rei.
Haruka muttered under her breath to Michiru, "Or maybe a juice box?"
Michiru stifled a giggle and sent a stern look towards Haruka who got up and walked out of the room. "Sorry, Rei, but we can't tell you. She has never had a boyfriend in her entire life before and wishes that people don't know, so as not to tarnish the relationship. Please, Rei, have a cup of coffee with me and we'll talk."
Rei softened her expression and nodded. She sat down on a stool across from Michiru and took the mug offered to her. They began a conversation, but still on the topic of Usagi and Mamoru of course. She was still kind of annoyed at the fact that Michiru nor Haruka would tell her who this mysterious girl Mamoru was going out with was, but she settled on the fact that it was probably best not to know anyway.
~*~*~*~
Setsuna's POV
I smiled wide as Mamoru caressed my hair. He whispered in my ear and kissed my cheek daintily as I painted the lake we were positioned in front of on the lawn. I couldn't remember the last time I'd been this happy. "Mamoru," I said, turning to look into his blue eyes, him staring back into the crimson color of mine. "I don't think I've ever been this happy before. Stay with me always?"
"Of course." Wrapping his arms around me, Mamoru pulled me into a warm lock. His arms were around my waist and my head was lead back against his shoulder. And we sat there, smiling, watching the sun go down and the lake turn orange, then pink, then purple. When the first star came out, I gathered up my painting and he walked me to my apartment.
"Good night." I said, giving him a big kiss. I waited for him to be at the elevator before I fully shut the door. Something inside me just didn't want me to give up the sight of him, but it was late, and he needed to get home as well. Hopefully ChibiUsa wouldn't be with Hotaru watching television, and Hotaru would be asleep by now.
When I walked into Hotaru's room, I found her sitting in her corner on her purple beanbag chair, reading a story. "Hey, honey," I said, walking over and kneeling down next to her. "What're you reading?"
She looked up at me. Her cheeks were tearstained, her eyes red and puffy. She'd obviously been crying. "Where were you?" she burst out, wrapping her arms around me. "I waited and waited and I even turned down an offer to go to the arcade with ChibiUsa and Usagi! Where were you?"
"I was out, Hotaru. I told Michiru to watch you. didn't she come over?"
"She got sick and had to stay in the hospital. Haruka-san stayed with her all day."
"Did Ami or Makoto come over? You could have called them, Hotaru. You know very well that they love you just as much as I do and don't want you to be sitting in a corner crying all day, right?"
She nodded, tears streaming down her cheek faster than ever. "But I didn't want Ami or Makoto or anyone else! I wanted you!" She really emphasized the word 'you', and I suddenly felt something plunging to the ground in my stomach. Here I was, out having a good time with Mamoru, and all the while Hotaru was sitting alone in the apartment, crying in her reading corner.
~*~*~*~
"Hotaru didn't stop crying until 12 AM last night." Setsuna said groggily to Michiru. "What did you have anyway? You look fine now." Her eyes narrowed at Michiru who was now laughing under her breath uneasily.
"Okay, okay. Haruka hit someone again and we spent the day at the police station filling out forms again." Michiru turned to look at Haruka who was next to her. "The boy didn't get hurt, only his bike. I mean big whoop, right? So we just have to pay a fine of 40 yen."
The three were in a diner. It was very quaint and cozy, until Hino Rei and Kino Makoto came in. They looked determined, and Michiru and Haruka could only guess one reason they looked this way. "Setsuna, I think it best if we go." Haruka said under her breath.
"But why? Oh look! There's Rei and Makoto! REI! MAKOTO!" Setsuna called, waving at them.
Haruka bit her lip. "Because they want to know who's dating Mamoru!" She emphasized the last bit of her sentence.
Setsuna apparently didn't hear her. Rei and Makoto came over, but before anyone got a chance to exchange greetings, they said in unison, "It's you!" pointing to Setsuna like she was some kind of convict guilty of murder.
"Beg your pardon?" she said politely. "I'm what?"
Makoto smiled. "We narrowed it down. It has to be you."
Rei put up her victory sign. "You are Mamo-chan's new girlfriend!"
Setsuna's face turned red. "Well, I guess you've caught me red handed. But, could you do me a favor and keep this to yourselves?"
"Of course! We'd do anything for a good friend such as you. Well, Rei, I guess the search is over." Makoto said triumphantly.
"Guess so." Rei replied.