Chapter 9: Complications
Celeste turned the locks of the door of her hotel room. She was still fighting jet-lag, her body still trying to set its clock to the local time. Dropping her purse by the night stand, she walked to the small table.
She turned on her computer, listening to the beeps and whirls of the machine. While waiting for all the programs to load, she prepared for bed. The flannel pajamas felt heavenly soft. Turning off the bathroom light, she headed back to the computer.
While Setsuna had offered a room in the house she shared with the other Outer Senshi, Celeste had declined. She was not ready yet for the constant companionship that situation would offer. She still needed this personal time to sort out her memories and the current problems of Galena, Gypsum, and Scorpios.
She quickly logged on and went to her mailbox. Scanning through the list of messages, she was disappointed to find no message from Jonathan. Absently, Celeste read through the jokes of the day. Sighing, she realized that she really wasn't paying attention to anything she was reading. She logged off and shut the computer down, snapping the lid closed.
Celeste tried to rid herself of the disappointment. She couldn't expect Jonathan to wait around for a message from her, she told herself. He has his own life.
She walked through the small room, turning off lights. He does have his own life, she told herself. He had other friends beside her.
The thought hit her hard. She had to quit hiding from people, she realized. Life would hurt her either way, but, with friends, she would have people to help her through the rough spots.
She pulled down the covers and got into bed. Pulling herself into an almost fetal position, Celeste pulled the covers over her shoulder. 'Maybe he'll write back tomorrow,' she thought. Then she drifted off to sleep.
* * * * *
They had been walking forever, walking so long that her legs were numb and no longer protested their abuse. Charon continued steadily before, no visible sign that he was exhausted. Yet, he had to be, she thought. No one could keep this up for ever.
It was so cold. The wind seemed to slice through her, her uniform offering little protection. Charon fared little better. His white dress shirt and his black pants offered a little more protection from the wind. Not much more, but enough to make her envious.
Charon paused, looking back over his shoulder. He waited for her to catch up. When she finally reached him, he cradled her to him with one arm, pulling her protesting, weary body with him.
"I'm so tired," she whispered, her voice faint. In the constant presence of the wind, it was barely audible.
"I know, Tennyo-chan," he replied, pulling her even closer. "It can't be much further. If we don't find it soon, we will rest for a moment."
She weakly nodded her head against his shoulder. She could barely remember why they were outside of the system, in one of the coldest parts of space. However, the importance of this mission flickered in her mind, pushing her forward.
"That's it, Tennyo-chan," Charon said, noticing the slight increase in her pace. "Remember our mission. Remember that and be strong."
Again, she only nodded. It took so much effort to put one foot in front of the other, even with Charon's help. 'But we have to succeed,' she told herself. 'We have to succeed.'
* * * * *
Jonathan looked up from his pile of textbooks, dismayed to find that it was already seven o'clock. It seemed that only a few minutes ago he had come home from class and started studying for his exams. The evening had pasted too quickly.
He realized with a start that he had not checked his e-mail. Walking across his bedroom, he turned on his computer. While the machine came to life, he went into the kitchen and fixed a sandwich and a drink.
'I hope she has written me back,' he thought as he returned to his bedroom. Forcing himself not to analyze this eagerness to hear from Celeste, Jonathan logged on and quickly surfed to his mailbox.
His smile broadened as he read her name as one of the senders. Ignoring the other messages, which included one from a professor, he open Celeste's message.
"Jonathan, hi. I got your card and it was hilarious. So far I haven't encounter any women in kimonos, but I will be on the lookout. I am pretty jet-lagged but I am functional. Setsuna and I are going to spend the day together, visiting some of her friends. We'll see how it goes. I will tell you more later, when I can. --Celeste"
He reread the message a couple of times, debating on what to write in his reply. 'I don't think Celeste would appreciate 'Hi, I am miserable without you. Please come home.' I don't think that she is ready to hear that, least of all from me.'
Jonathan drummed his fingers on his desk, debating on how to reply. He was interrupted by his doorbell. Muttering under his breath, he left the room and headed for the door.
Through the peephole, he saw two women dressed entirely in black. 'Great, salespeople,' he thought, rolling his eyes as he unlocked the door. 'I hope they go away without a fuss.'
He opened the door. "Look, ladies, whatever you are selling, I am not interested. Sorry.
Good night."
The younger one stuck her foot in the door, blocking Jonathan's attempt at closing it. "Sir," her voice sugary sweet, "we won't take much of your time."
"We will be gone before you know it," her companion replied.
Their eagerness disturbed him slightly, but Jonathan dismissed the feeling. Sighing, he opened the door wider. "Okay, what do you want?"
The younger one with purple hair laughed softly, her eyes devouring Jonathan. "You."
Before he could even yell or close his door, she grabbed his hair. Black light surrounded her hand, making Jonathan dizzy and weak. As he collapsed mutely unto the carpet, he heard the woman tell her companion, "Scorpios should stop worrying about us."
The other ignored the comment, brushing white hair from her eyes. "Get his feet, Galena, and let's get him out of here."
Realizing that Jonathan was still conscious, Gypsum placed her hand on his forehead. The additional black energy plunged her into dreamless darkness. She stared at him until she was satisfied that he would be out long enough.
"Come on, Galena," she ordered, grabbing Jonathan by his limp arms. "Scorpios is waiting and we haven't got all night."
Celeste turned the locks of the door of her hotel room. She was still fighting jet-lag, her body still trying to set its clock to the local time. Dropping her purse by the night stand, she walked to the small table.
She turned on her computer, listening to the beeps and whirls of the machine. While waiting for all the programs to load, she prepared for bed. The flannel pajamas felt heavenly soft. Turning off the bathroom light, she headed back to the computer.
While Setsuna had offered a room in the house she shared with the other Outer Senshi, Celeste had declined. She was not ready yet for the constant companionship that situation would offer. She still needed this personal time to sort out her memories and the current problems of Galena, Gypsum, and Scorpios.
She quickly logged on and went to her mailbox. Scanning through the list of messages, she was disappointed to find no message from Jonathan. Absently, Celeste read through the jokes of the day. Sighing, she realized that she really wasn't paying attention to anything she was reading. She logged off and shut the computer down, snapping the lid closed.
Celeste tried to rid herself of the disappointment. She couldn't expect Jonathan to wait around for a message from her, she told herself. He has his own life.
She walked through the small room, turning off lights. He does have his own life, she told herself. He had other friends beside her.
The thought hit her hard. She had to quit hiding from people, she realized. Life would hurt her either way, but, with friends, she would have people to help her through the rough spots.
She pulled down the covers and got into bed. Pulling herself into an almost fetal position, Celeste pulled the covers over her shoulder. 'Maybe he'll write back tomorrow,' she thought. Then she drifted off to sleep.
* * * * *
They had been walking forever, walking so long that her legs were numb and no longer protested their abuse. Charon continued steadily before, no visible sign that he was exhausted. Yet, he had to be, she thought. No one could keep this up for ever.
It was so cold. The wind seemed to slice through her, her uniform offering little protection. Charon fared little better. His white dress shirt and his black pants offered a little more protection from the wind. Not much more, but enough to make her envious.
Charon paused, looking back over his shoulder. He waited for her to catch up. When she finally reached him, he cradled her to him with one arm, pulling her protesting, weary body with him.
"I'm so tired," she whispered, her voice faint. In the constant presence of the wind, it was barely audible.
"I know, Tennyo-chan," he replied, pulling her even closer. "It can't be much further. If we don't find it soon, we will rest for a moment."
She weakly nodded her head against his shoulder. She could barely remember why they were outside of the system, in one of the coldest parts of space. However, the importance of this mission flickered in her mind, pushing her forward.
"That's it, Tennyo-chan," Charon said, noticing the slight increase in her pace. "Remember our mission. Remember that and be strong."
Again, she only nodded. It took so much effort to put one foot in front of the other, even with Charon's help. 'But we have to succeed,' she told herself. 'We have to succeed.'
* * * * *
Jonathan looked up from his pile of textbooks, dismayed to find that it was already seven o'clock. It seemed that only a few minutes ago he had come home from class and started studying for his exams. The evening had pasted too quickly.
He realized with a start that he had not checked his e-mail. Walking across his bedroom, he turned on his computer. While the machine came to life, he went into the kitchen and fixed a sandwich and a drink.
'I hope she has written me back,' he thought as he returned to his bedroom. Forcing himself not to analyze this eagerness to hear from Celeste, Jonathan logged on and quickly surfed to his mailbox.
His smile broadened as he read her name as one of the senders. Ignoring the other messages, which included one from a professor, he open Celeste's message.
"Jonathan, hi. I got your card and it was hilarious. So far I haven't encounter any women in kimonos, but I will be on the lookout. I am pretty jet-lagged but I am functional. Setsuna and I are going to spend the day together, visiting some of her friends. We'll see how it goes. I will tell you more later, when I can. --Celeste"
He reread the message a couple of times, debating on what to write in his reply. 'I don't think Celeste would appreciate 'Hi, I am miserable without you. Please come home.' I don't think that she is ready to hear that, least of all from me.'
Jonathan drummed his fingers on his desk, debating on how to reply. He was interrupted by his doorbell. Muttering under his breath, he left the room and headed for the door.
Through the peephole, he saw two women dressed entirely in black. 'Great, salespeople,' he thought, rolling his eyes as he unlocked the door. 'I hope they go away without a fuss.'
He opened the door. "Look, ladies, whatever you are selling, I am not interested. Sorry.
Good night."
The younger one stuck her foot in the door, blocking Jonathan's attempt at closing it. "Sir," her voice sugary sweet, "we won't take much of your time."
"We will be gone before you know it," her companion replied.
Their eagerness disturbed him slightly, but Jonathan dismissed the feeling. Sighing, he opened the door wider. "Okay, what do you want?"
The younger one with purple hair laughed softly, her eyes devouring Jonathan. "You."
Before he could even yell or close his door, she grabbed his hair. Black light surrounded her hand, making Jonathan dizzy and weak. As he collapsed mutely unto the carpet, he heard the woman tell her companion, "Scorpios should stop worrying about us."
The other ignored the comment, brushing white hair from her eyes. "Get his feet, Galena, and let's get him out of here."
Realizing that Jonathan was still conscious, Gypsum placed her hand on his forehead. The additional black energy plunged her into dreamless darkness. She stared at him until she was satisfied that he would be out long enough.
"Come on, Galena," she ordered, grabbing Jonathan by his limp arms. "Scorpios is waiting and we haven't got all night."
