Disclaimer: I still don't own Sailor Moon....not that I haven't tried....
And I don't own Kira (Sailor Star Striker) and Aoi (Sailor Star Keeper), either. I borrowed those two characters from Cassandra Sisenta, who was kind enough to let me use them for this story because I love them so much. ^_^ Arigato again Cassandra-san! If you happen to like Kira-san and Aoi-san and want to read more with them, they feature in a few of Cassandra's fics (seeing as how she invented them and all) but are major characters in Stars Align To Destiny, which is on my favorites list if you wanted to check it out. ^_~
Anyway, the other three 'new' Starlights that appear in "Walk A Mile" are my own
characters that I created for this story. (Hikaru aka Sailor Star Hunter, Josei aka Sailor Star
Dancer and Amai aka Sailor Star Dreamer.) If you happen to like THEM and want to read about
them some more, I'm planning on doing a story featuring them in the near future. Also, if you
(by some strange twist of fate) decide you want to use them in a fic of your own, please just e-mail me and it should be fine. Thanks!
"Ne, Hikaru, how are you feeling?"
The aqua-haired girl grinned. "Never better!"
Usagi eyed the sling that Hikaru's arm was currently in with a slightly disbelieving expression; Seiya simply shrugged, taking the other girl's word for it. They had arrived back at the Palace about the same time that the doctor was finishing with Hikaru, and had waited until everyone- or mostly everyone- else left before popping in for a visit. They didn't intend to stay long, really, as they had other things they both needed- or so they claimed- to do. They just wanted to make sure she was alright.
"Keep what the doctor said in mind," Kira's voice said sternly from the corner where she was seated. "If you need anything, ask someone to get it for you. You have to rest for at last a day or two, just for your arm to start to heal."
Seiya glanced back over her shoulder at Kira, scowling. She was still riled up from their previous- ahem- conversation.
Not that Usagi was all that surprised.
Hikaru stuck her tongue out at the redhead. "Yes, MOTHER."
Aoi, from where she was standing, a few feet away from her partner, chuckled.
Given Hikaru's independent frame-of-mind and her impulsive- not to mention reckless and rebellious- nature, it had been decided (in a quick conference after the doctor was through with her, and not including Hikaru herself who was very put out by that fact) that someone should keep an eye on her, at least for the first day of her recovery.
Kira and Aoi were the ones who'd volunteered for the first shift.
"I'm serious." Kira leveled her gaze on Hikaru.
"Hikaru," Aoi sighed tolerantly, "if you don't rest your arm can't heal, ne?"
"I know, I know....you guys worry WAY too much." Hikaru cast her eyes skyward and then looked toward Usagi and Seiya; "pray you never get hurt and have to have THESE two as your nursemaids."
Both of the Outer Starlights seemed to blink at that.
Seiya snickered. "Kira? A nursemaid? I can picture it...."
"Seiya-" Usagi began warningly, watching from the corner of his eye as the red-haired senshi tensed and frowned, a dangerous glint in her silver eyes. "Um, isn't there somewhere that you need to be-?"
Another giggle, "-in one of those pastel outfits nurses on Earth wear, with the little hat, too...."
"Seriously, Seiya-"
But she wasn't paying attention. Far from it; she simply continued to giggle....
In her corner, Kira looked ready to kick her.
"Hey-" Hikaru interrupted in an attempt to halt the massacre that was BOUND to happen if Seiya's teasing and laughter was permitted to continue. "You know," she glanced around. Aoi cast her a grateful look as she continued; "I REALLY don't need to be babysat. Don't you two have things that you could be doing?"
"Sure, Hikaru, and leave you alone to mess up your elbow even more?"
"We know you too well for that, my friend."
"No, no!" Innocent aquamarine eyes. "I SWEAR I'll just stay in bed." Hikaru held her hands up, "senshi's honor. Are you kidding? Besides, I'm TIRED." She paused for effect and made sure to throw in a yawn. "The doctor gave me these little pills for pain-" a vague gesture toward the night stand. Sure enough, there was a pill bottle there. "-and they're really wiping me out."
"Hikaru-"
"Come on, like you guys want to hang out in my room all day while I sleep?"
"She's got a point." Usagi reluctantly agreed.
"Great!" Hikaru grinned and proceeded to snuggle down into the thick blankets of her bed, "ja!"
It was a dismissal if any of them had ever heard one, yet no one made a move to leave the room right away. Kira stared almost-blankly at the mound of blankets that her current charge was buried under. It was clear that the redhead hadn't been expecting Hikaru to simply tell them to leave....
"Come on Kira," Aoi tugged at her friend's arm; "she's right. We should let her sleep in peace."
"Huh? But Aoi, I don't think-"
"Do you really want to stay?" The blonde asked, "come on! We'll go to the Uchu and get a sundae." She smiled brightly, "I'll even buy." And when Kira still refused to budge, she glanced at Seiya and Usagi; "or maybe I'll treat Usagi-san and Seiya, instead?"
Kira was on her feet in the blink of an eye.
"There now." Aoi patted Kira's shoulder and then steered her out the door and down the hall; "it's not every day that I say I'll pay, so you should be happy. Besides," a giggle, "you didn't REALLY want to be a nursemaid, did you...?"
Her voice- and Kira's muttered reply- trailed off as they got farther away. Finally, Usagi turned to Seiya with a sigh. "We should go, too." A pause and he crossed his arms, repeating what he had said earlier; "didn't you have somewhere to be?"
"....hai." The black-haired girl nodded, "I should go and see Kakyuu-hime....I need to talk to her and explain about Hikaru."
"Good idea."
"Duh. All my ideas are good ones, Odango."
"Um, Seiya? Kira TOLD you to talk to Kakyuu-"
"What's that supposed to mean?!"
"Guys!" Hikaru's muffled voice called from under her covers. A second later and the aqua-haired senshi was sitting up in irritation, "can you take it outside? I mean, jeez! I'm TRYING to get some shuteye here. At least Aoi-san and Kira-san were willing to LEAVE before they started talking again."
"Um...."
Usagi had to laugh. "Gomen, Hikaru. C'mon, Seiya-"
Before he could finish, though, Seiya had grabbed his arm and dragged him out, shutting the door behind them. Surprised, the blond raised an eyebrow, and Seiya simply shrugged. "What? We WERE just kinda' standing there."
"You're weird."
"Says he who up until an hour ago wore his hair like takoyaki and noodles, ne ODANGO?"
"Shut up."
Seiya grinned. "Anyhow, I'm heading off to have that talk with Kayuu-hime. You can look around the palace, if you want. Hey! Find someone to show you to your room, since we didn't have the chance to show you before."
"Who am I supposed to find?"
"I dunno'." Seiya shrugged, already heading off. "Ask Taiki. Or kidnap Yaten for a minute; I'm sure Minako'd appreciate getting away from her for a little while, anyway. Not that he doesn't deserve it, mind you."
Usagi completely agreed. He'd been witness to Minako's 'attacks' on Yaten when they were on Earth, and turnabout was fair play. Or, as Minako would say; 'to play fair you have to turn around!' (And then the senshi of Venus would throw in a wink as if nothing were wrong, even while everyone in the vicinity was gaping blankly.)
Whatever.
"Oi, Seiya, wait for-"
But the Star Senshi had already vanished into the depths of the Palace.
A suffering sigh. I guess she DID have to speak with Kakyuu-hime, though.
But how was he supposed to find someone to show him his room if he didn't even know where HE was, never mind where everyone ELSE was. He hadn't exactly had a chance to explore the Palace and get his bearings before being dragged off to shop for suitable clothes....
....Usagi looked around. Hikaru's quarters- which he was still standing in front of- seemed to be at the intersection of three hallways. The hall which Kira and Aoi had taken went left, presumably leading to an exit of some kind, and the one that Seiya had vanished down went right. To the Throne Room, or some other place where Kakyuu might be? Alright, that made sense.
What about the third one?
He had NO idea, but given the direction it must have lead farther into the Palace.
Damn Seiya for leaving me here. I'm going to be wandering around this place for YEARS before I find anyone-
"You don't know where to go, do you?"
"Ack!" Usagi jumped and spun. "Hikaru!"
The girl chuckled and leaned against the doorframe on her uninjured side. "Gomen. I didn't mean to scare you like that." Her eyes flicked left, then right, and finally forward and down the third hallway. "You're lost, aren't you? Come on, I'll show you where the guest quarters are."
"Shouldn't you be in bed? I thought you were going to sleep."
Hikaru shook her head with a wink. "Nope. I just wanted them gone."
"Um...?"
"You think I wanted Kira and Aoi hovering over me all afternoon?"
"Ah."
"And at that point, Seiya was in the room, too, so...."
Usagi had to grin. "Point taken."
"So," the Star Senshi pushed off from the doorframe, careful not to bump her sling-encased arm, and started down the middle hall. After a few steps she paused and turned to address him again. "If you follow me I'll take you to the wing of the Palace where the guest quarters are. Seiya SHOULD have taken you herself, but she probably wanted to see how long it'd take you to stumble upon it yourself."
Dryly. "Probably."
Amused. "But that's Seiya for you, ne?"
"Hai...." the blond rubbed his temple. And sometimes she gives me a headache....
"Well?"
"Hm?"
Hikaru rolled her eyes and turned around to start walking again, ponytail waving in her wake.
"Oh!" Usagi exclaimed, understanding. "My room! Yeah, I remember now...."
"Now that I've met you," Hikaru commented from ahead, "I understand why Yaten said Seiya's 'Odango' nickname suits you."
"What was that?" Catching up, Usagi eyed the girl suspiciously. "Why?"
"Your hair, for one, though it's better now." A glance at Usagi's now-ponytail. "But Yaten was also saying that 'Odango' suited your personality to a T. No offense, but it describes your thought process perfectly."
"My thought process is 'dumpling'?"
Hikaru laughed. "It's hard to explain."
"Knowing Yaten, I think I get the idea."
Another laugh. "I think I like you, Tsukino Usagi."
"It's hard not to like someone as beautiful as me."
"You mean 'handsome', ne?"
"You like me, huh?" Usagi chose to ignore Hikaru's comment and quickly moved on. He was tired of hearing about the- differences- between himself on Earth and on Kinmoku. "Well, I think I can handle you as well, Kou Hikaru."
"Thanks a bundle."
"You're as bad as Minako."
"Uh-?"
"Never mind." He shook his head. Thanks a bundle? Nice....she's got Minako's sense of sayings. And she's a cross between Minako, Seiya and Yaten as far as I can see. Whoa. THAT'S a scary concept.... sighing, he looked toward Hikaru again. The girl seemed to have a permanent grin on her face. "Hey, Hikaru, can I ask you a couple of things?"
"What? Like twenty questions?"
"Nah. More like three."
"Oh, hai. Shoot."
"I was....at the Uchu earlier with Seiya and the waitress said something I wondered about."
"What was it?"
"Something to the effect of 'I've never known a guy who could resist you yet' and 'it'll only be a matter of time'." Usagi frowned; "the thing is, I'm just not sure what she was talking about...."
"Oi!" Hikaru began to laugh; "she was talking about Seiya's somewhat infamous love life."
"Um, pardon?"
"She's got a reputation for being something of a player. She's always got some guy chasing after her, and she's left a huge trail of broken hearts in her wake; I don't think she MEANS to do it, but it just kind of happens."
"Sounds like Seiya on Earth, too, with all the fangirls...."
"Oh?" Another laugh; "next question, please?"
Usagi considered. "How did you and the others get to be Starlights?"
"You mean Josei and Amai, ne?" Hikaru's grin turned into a slight frown for a split second before returning in all it's glory. "They pick Starlights based on attributes, I guess. Um....like Yaten was chosen to be Star Healer for her empathy and Taiki was chosen to be Star Maker for her intelligence. Aoi was picked to be Star Keeper for her ability to bring people together. Then Seiya was chosen as Star Fighter for her leadership skills, and Kira for her combat skills."
"I see."
"When they were choosing three new Starlights, after Kakyuu-hime and the Inners returned from Earth, Amai was picked as Star Dreamer for her connection to all things mystical- she just seems to have a link to the senshi magic. Josei was chosen as Star Dancer for her compassion and kindness, and I...." she paused, "....to tell you the truth, they never really told me WHY I was chosen as Star Hunter, but I suspect it has something to do with my devotion to Kinmoku and Kakyuu-hime. Although...." a chuckle; "Seiya's tried to tell me that they just needed a clown among the ranks of the Star Senshi, and Kakyuu-hime has mentioned my ability to make people laugh...."
"Huh." The blond shrugged, "maybe. People can't take things too seriously, after all, or everything they're fighting for gets out of perspective."
Hikaru blinked at him. "Very profound, coming from someone who people call 'dumpling head'."
"Hikaru?"
"Hai?"
"Shut up, please."
The aqua-haired girl laughed. "Gomen, gomen."
"Suuure you are."
"Seriously. Gomen ne." She stopped walking and gestured down the hallway they had come to. "This is the main hall of the guest wing. I think Taiki went at and posted name-tags on the doors so you'd just look for your name, I guess."
"Arigato. Third question?"
"Hai, but I thought you were looking for your room?"
"I am, but I still want to ask some things."
"Okay, go."
"Um, this is going to sound stupid....but how come all you Starlights have the same last name?"
Hikaru giggled. "The name 'Kou' is added after we're chosen to be Starlights. It just identifies us, I suppose." A shrug. "But then, it sounds like we're all related now and I'm not sure how I feel about being related to Seiya."
"Think about how Kira feels."
"Oi...."
Usagi chuckled, pacing down the hall to find his room. "Mizuno Ami....Hino Rei...." he trailed a finger down the nameplates as he went. "....Kino Makoto....ah!" Stopping, he tapped the tag. "Tsukino Usagi! Well, Hikaru, this is where we part ways, ne?"
"I suppose." The aqua-haired girl gave a short wave with her good arm and headed back down the hall. "You know, I'm not going to be around when you need to get OUT of here....you're still going to be wandering lost...."
"I know...." the Moon Child said mournfully. "I know!"
"Sad, Usagi-san...."
"Baka."
"Ja!"
"Sayonara!" Waving brightly to his new friend, Usagi opened the door and stepped into the room designated as his. He was confronted by pink....a sigh. Kakyuu-hime had given him a VERY pink-themed room, based on the knowledge that it was his favorite color. But it didn't seem very appropriate now that he was a guy....
"Took you long enough to get here."
"Huh?" Usagi stared blankly at Seiya. The girl was seated on a chair near the desk. "Um, Seiya? What are you doing here? Shouldn't you be with Kakyuu? I thought you were-"
A shrug. "I talked with her and then came here. And had to wait, which means that you took a long, LONG time!"
"I wouldn't have taken so long if YOU had've shown me the way."
"I was busy!"
"Yeah, yeah."
Seiya chuckled and stood, shoving the chair back. "You know," she said, an odd glint in her eyes; "we haven't been really ALONE since you got here...."
"Uh-"
"....and you know I like to spend time with you, Odango." Reaching Usagi, Seiya smiled. "No, Odango, do you think Haruka-tomboy would be upset if you had a fling while you were here? You are a guy, after all, so it doesn't really count...."
Doesn't really COUNT?! Usagi looked at Seiya nervously. "Um, Seiya I-"
"Now, now," the black-haired Star Senshi tapped a finger against his lips. "I never got a chance to so this when we were on Earth-" leaning forward, Seiya brushed her lips against his. "Tell me 'no' if you want, Odango. Say the word...."
But much as he was shocked by Seiya's actions, he couldn't seem to dredge up the power to push her away. Heart pounding and completely silent, he allowed the girl to kiss him again....being with Seiya was something Usagi had never dreamed possible....as the future Queen there was Crystal Tokyo to think about....
....but as a guy there was no way to be QUEEN, right?
"Odango...." Seiya murmured.
Usagi's eyes closed and the black-haired girl ran her hands up to link them behind his head.
This is....wrong....isn't it?
"Ne, Usagi-chan!"
"Ack!" Usagi jerked away from Seiya at the sound of Minako's excited voice and spun to face his friend. "M-Minako! I, uh-"
The senshi of Venus stood in the doorway-
WHY didn't I shut the door?
-gaping at them. His jaw was practically hitting the ground....and Yaten- who was still attached to his arm- was doing basically the same thing. Their mouths worked but nothing was coming out.
"Hey!" Seiya said, "what's going on?"
"I....we were...." Minako stammered; "um....Yaten and I....we goaded Makoto and Aoi into a bake-off....and....came to tell you....but it looks like you're....busy...."
"What the HELL are you doing?!" Yaten demanded, cutting off Minako's babble and releasing his arm to throw her hands into the air.
A shrug and a half-grin from Seiya as Usagi attempted not to turn cherry-red. "I'll never tell." She informed a seething Yaten, then stepped past her fellow senshi and into the hall beyond. "Come on! A bake-off between Makoto-san and Aoi-chan? That's something I HAVE to be around for!"
She was taking things way too lightly for Usagi's tastes.....
_________
Me: *sigh* This chapter turned out kind of long, ne? *blinkness* I didn't mean it to, it just kind of did. I dunno'. Anyhow, when Hikaru was explaining what attributes each of the senshi were chosen for, I used the basics that Cassandra Sisenta decided on in her fic. Why? 'Cause they sounded plausible and I couldn't think of anything better. Gomen if it upsets anyone! Ja.