Revised Version
Act 10 (part 1) "A promise made at sundown! The dangers of a winter wonderland!"
(Tokyo Narita International Airport)
Four people stood before the boarding gate area. The blonde was tightly clutching the hand of the tall, raven-haired man. Beside them were two teenagers, one a girl with pink pigtails and the other a boy with pale snow-like hair.
"Well, this is as far as we can go," said Mamoru as he put down his bag. Usagi's grip on her beloved's hand tightened. Mamoru lifted up his hand to reach for his boarding pass, breaking contact with Usagi's hand in the process. He gave the saddened blonde a look of apology and received a small, understanding smile in return.
Chibi Usa looked down at the floor and said with a touch of angry accusation "It's not fair. Why can't your colleagues try to figure the problem out on their own? They must be very smart to have gotten into Harvard, right?"
Mamoru patted Chibi Usa's head in a fatherly fashion and said soothingly, "I'm the chief manager for this research project Chibi Usa-chan. Those guys are already doing a lot of work by themselves just so that I can stay here in Japan, so you shouldn't say that." Mamoru bent down slightly so that he was eye to eye with the young woman, smiling as he said, "Don't be upset, if Usagi didn't fret at the news I'm sure you won't either." Chibi Usa made a face but nodded her assent.
Mamoru lifted away his hand and reached inside his jacket. "To compensate for this trip Usagi and I got an early Christmas gift for you." From his pocket Mamoru took out a small jewelry case, wrapped with a simple rose-pink ribbon.
Darting a glance at Mamoru then Usagi, Chibi Usa carefully took the case into her hands, undid the ribbon and snapped open the box. She gasped as she beheld the exquisite pendent and necklace the deceptively simple case held.
"Do you like it?" Mamoru beam in satisfaction, then added, "Usagi picked it out you know."
Chibi Usa nodded and smiled at Usagi. "Thanks Usagi, Mamo-chan…" Chibi Usa could feel tears welling up in her eyes so she quickly gave her future parents a hug before they spilt over her cheeks.
After a long moment the princess stepped away from the loving embrace of her future parents and taking the chain from the box, clasped it around her neck. A radiant smile illuminated the young princess' face as she touched the pink crystal star with her slender finger.
Mamoru sighed and looked up at the clock "I'll have to go now. My flight's going to take off soon." Turning to Helios (who had been standing a polite distance from the royal family to grant them some privacy) Mamoru walked away from the girls and looked at the young man with sincere concern.
"Are you going to be alright by yourself Helios? It'll be a while before I return."
Helios nodded and a ghost of a smile appeared on the young man's lips. "I will be quite alright by myself Mamoru-san."
Mamoru nodded to himself. He then leaned in closer and lowered his voice, "I know that I shouldn't ask this of you, but," Mamoru sighed deeply, "please watch over Chibi Usa for me while I am gone. With Usagi and the others around I know she will be safe. However, I have a feeling she isn't telling us everything that's on her mind." At this Helios stiffened but it went unnoticed by Mamoru who continued, "Will you do that for me, not as a service to your prince but as a favor to a friend?"
Helios hesitated at first but in the end gave an affirmative nod. "I will."
Helios had in fact been worried about Chibi Usa for a long time now, and recent events had only heightened his concern for the girl. He wanted to try getting her to talk about those dreams, but when he himself started having flashbacks and nightmares about the Dead Moon Circus…it was simply too hypocritical and the thought never materialized into words.
Mamoru sighed again, but this time it was of relief. He turned to the group when Usagi walked up to him and clasped his hand.
"Be safe, and come back soon okay?" She whispered, trying unsuccessfully to cover up her sorrow.
Mamoru didn't answer. Instead, he took ahold of Usagi's arms and held her tightly to him. Unable to hold back the tears any longer, Usagi wrapped her arms around Mamoru's waist and sobbed softly. Mamoru gently caressed Usagi's hair and spoke soothingly to her, "It won't be long this time Usa-ko, I promise; I'll be back soon."
Usagi nodded into Mamoru's chest, her face buried in his jacket. With a final sniff, she backed away from his arms and wiped her wet cheeks on her sleeve. "By Christmas, as promised. I'll wait for you," she ended with a weak smile.
Mamoru touched her cheek before he lowered his face towards the blonde. Knowing what was coming, Usagi closed her eyes as Mamoru kissed her, a quick but tender kiss before the couple parted, knowing the next time they see each other would be in two weeks' time.
"I love you," Mamoru whispered in Usagi's ear.
Usagi nodded and grinned back, "I know honey. Come back safely."
Mamoru picked up his bag and began to walk away. At the airport security check point he turned back and waved a final goodbye before stepping through the gate.
For a long minute neither Usagi, Helios, nor Chibi Usa spoke until Usagi finally broke the silence.
"Well, we'd better go Chibi Usa. Mom asked us to pick up some grocery on our way back remember?" Usagi said, trying to return to her usual lively tone.
"I know," Chibi Usa replied then turned to look at Helios. "Helios, do you need a ride home? We can ask the taxi to drop you off on our way back."
Helios shook his head. "I can get back to the apartment, don't worry." He smiled faintly before bidding the two girls goodbye and turned to leave.
Chibi Usa watched him as he left. As he disappeared into the crowd, Chibi Usa couldn't help but get the impression that Helios didn't want to be near her. Maybe I'm just thinking too much. Maybe he's just being courteous. Chibi Usa explained to herself. Giving up the argument with herself, the confused princess turned to leave as well.
"Usagi did you get the carrots already?" asked Chibi Usa as she walked towards the shopping cart, a bag of apples in her hand. The girls were now in a supermarket, picking up the necessary groceries that Ikuko had listed for them.
Usagi nodded. "I think that's everything," she said as she checked the grocery list in her hand. "Let's see…soy sauce, potatoes, carrots, apples, chicken breast, and cucumbers…"
Chibi Usa looked at her watch. "We'd better hurry up. It's almost time for dinner and we need to get the stuff home for Ikuko-mama. She said she will be making curry tonight too."
Hearing this, Usagi hurriedly wheeled the shopping cart to the register. After having paid for the items the two headed toward the door when they came across a small crowd gathered around an exuberant man dressed in a funny suit with a microphone in his hand.
"All right everyone! In a few minutes we will begin the raffle for the grand prize of a paid round-trip to Hokkaido for six, to celebrate the 10 year anniversary of our store's grand opening! All you need to do is tear off the bottom part of your store receipt where your receipt number is printed, drop it in the box, and wait for me to call out the corresponding number on the top of your stub! To all our faithful customers; you don't want to miss this great opportunity to go on the vacation of a life time!" As Chibi Usa listened, she saw a giant box with a handle beside the man, attended to by two young women dressed in cheerleader-like outfits. On the wall behind the box was a large advertisement celebrating the market's opening anniversary and featured the picture of a cozy looking hot spring for the raffle prize.
Usagi began walking towards the crowd when Chibi Usa stopped her. "What are you doing Usagi? We're going to be late and I still have homework to do after dinner!"
Usagi waved her hand nonchalantly at the teen. "Give me a minute. I just wanna enter the raffle."
Chibi Usa raised a sullen eyebrow, "Usagi, last time you won something you got an armful of soap. What makes you think you'll win this time?"
"Oh shush! I just want to try my luck!" Usagi turned away, ripped the top off her receipt and promptly dropped it in the churning box.
The announcer looked at his watch and spoke boisterous into his microphone, "All right then everyone, it's now six o'clock. Let the raffle begin!" So saying he closed the lid on the box and one of the event hostesses began rolling the handle, mixing all the receipt stubs inside. After a few turns she stopped and the other girl picked out a random stub and handed it to the announcer. The announcer, ever the showman, said exuberantly, "Okay everyone, it's the moment of truth! And the winning number is…"
Usagi stared at her receipt hard, so much so that Chibi Usa could swear she was burning a hole in it. After the man had finished calling out the numbers, Chibi Usa apathetically walked up to the unmoving blonde.
"So?" she asked but received no response from Usagi. This got Chibi Usa a little worried. Don't tell me she's freaking out because she didn't win. She shook Usagi on the shoulder, trying to get her attention "Hey, Usagi are you okay?"
Finally Usagi slowly turned towards her, her eyes wide with amazement.
"…I think I just won…"
"Why are you looking so down Chibi Usa-chan?" Hotaru asked as she placed her schoolbooks on her table.
Chibi Usa sighed, her torso stretched out across the desk wearily. It was the beginning of another day at Juuban Middle School. Students were coming into the school from all directions, all wearing snug winter clothing to keep out the cold. Some were taking a few minutes to horseplay in the snow while others would rather be inside to be relieved of their burdensome garbs.
Hotaru looked inquisitively at her friend as Chibi Usa straightened up and said, "Usagi won a round trip to Hokkaido yesterday."
"But that's a good thing isn't it?"
Chibi Usa nodded. "Yeah, but the thing is it's a trip for six people. With Usagi, Ikuko-mama, Kenji-papa, Shingo and I that still only makes five. The sponsor said we have to turn in the name of all six people going on the trip by tomorrow or else we'll just have to give up the trip."
Looking at Hotaru, Chibi Usa began hesitantly, "Usagi has agreed to let me pick the last person going on the trip but…well, I want you to come too…" Chibi Usa fell silent and didn't go on. However, she darted a glance at the table behind her before becoming falling silent again.
Hotaru smiled knowingly, so she bent down and patted her friend supportively on the shoulder. "You don't know if you should ask me or Hikaru-kun, is that right?" Hotaru said, remembering to use Helios' pseudonym when in public. The pink-haired teen nodded bashfully.
"Well, I think it's better if you ask Hikaru-kun to go. Now that Mamoru-san has left, he must be lonely living all by himself. Besides," Hotaru lowered her voice, a twinkle in her violet colored eyes, "It's a great opportunity to tell him about your feelings for him."
Chibi Usa, blushing apple-red now, was about to respond when Hotaru suddenly straightened up and greeted the subject of their conversation, "Oh, good morning Hikaru-kun."
Altering her gaze from her friend to the boy standing in the isle, Chibi Usa held her breath, hoping Helios hadn't overheard them. However, Helios only smiled in his usual manner and returned the greeting to the two girls.
As Helios sat down and unpacked his book bag, Hotaru nudged Chibi Usa with her elbow and motioned with her eyes for her to speak with him. Chibi Usa swallowed and stood up apprehensively from her seat to face Helios.
"Um…" She began. Helios looked up, patiently waiting for her to go on. "I was wondering, well… you see, Usagi won this trip for six to Hokkaido but there's still one empty spot left and-and I was wondering if…um, you would like to come along…"
Helios' lips parted as if he was about to speak but then he turned his eyes down and looked away at his desk, like he was bogged down by a sudden thought. Seeing this, Chibi Usa's heart sank like a stone. As she watched Helios, his expression sparked a memory of a dream from years before.
Four years ago in a dream, a dream where the sky flowed with the colors of the Northern Lights, and the land was a fantastical blend of shallow lakes, tall crystal trees and majestic forests, stood a child and a winged horse.
"Pegasus, I haven't told anyone about you or this place," said the child "But why won't you tell me more about yourself?" a pleading voice escaped from the girl in her mint green pajamas as she stood gazing at the snow white Pegasus on the quiet shores of a clear, wading lake.
"I'm sorry…but why, why do you want to know?" Pegasus had replied in a solemn yet curious tone.
"Because I want to be your friend!" The girl who was Chibi Usa stated earnestly.
Pegasus paused for a moment before he reluctantly answered, "I'm sorry, but I can't…"
It seemed Helios was reverting back to his old self again, keeping his distance from her, even though now he knew she would never give his secrets away. How distant he used to be, Chibi Usa reflected, the way in which he kept himself separated and untouchable from those of the outside world. But why? Why is he doing this? Could it…could it be because of me…or maybe like what Black Lady said that he…
At that moment Chibi Usa startled out of her thoughts when she felt Hotaru's grip on her arm. Don't give up hope. Go on, she seemed to say through her eyes.
Chibi Usa gave a small nod and took a step closer to Helios' desk when quite unexpectedly, Helios suddenly lifted up his face and said, "Yes…yes I would."
Taken aback, Chibi Usa didn't know what to say. Unknown to her, while she was within the realm of her own reveries, Helios' mind had been thinking hard as well.
Why are you hesitating? You want to spend time with her don't you? a voice said inside Helios' mind.
Yes, I do! Helios replied desperately
Then why do you hesitate…? The voice inside him countered.
The nightmare of days past flashed inside Helios' mind. It seemed being together with his maiden had refreshed memories better forgotten. It made him feel powerless, like a fallen leaf in the wild rapids of a river, unable to hold on or to save himself from being overpowered by the great forces of the raging waters. Powerless: the great irony of the Priest of Elysian. The protector of one of the greatest powers in the galaxy, and yet wielding it meant certain death.
Enough! Shaking his head inwardly, Helios chided himself. How foolish you are to be frightened by nightmares! You are a priest of Elysian, Helios; you cannot be indecisive about things!
The rest happened without any further thought as the words simply flowed from his lips as naturally as breathing air. Helios surprised himself at his reply and saw that his answer had surprised Chibi Usa as well.
"That is-of course-if it's not too much trouble for you and your family…" Helios quickly added, but unbeknownst to him, the color of his cheeks was quickly beginning to match Chibi Usa's own blush.
Chibi Usa shook her head emphatically, "Not at all! I'm sure my family would love to have you come along…" at this point Chibi Usa only blushed harder.
Hotaru grinned uncharacteristically, a sheepish expression that only a matchmaker could produce. "Well I guess that settles it then," turning to her best friend, she giggled "Looks like you'll be going to Hokkaido after all."
"Michiru-mama, I'm home!" Hotaru shouted as she entered her house. The sound of a melodic violin stopped, like a stream of trickling water that had been turned off as footsteps echoed from upstairs.
"Hello dear, how was school?" Michiru asked with genuine interest as she walked down the stair to join her adopted daughter.
Hotaru grinned mischievously which both surprised and mystified the violinist. "You won't believe this, but Chibi Usa-chan's going to Hokkaido during winter break!"
Michiru raised an eyebrow. "By herself?"
Hotaru shook her head as she placed her school bag down on the floor. "No, with her family and Usagi-san of course. Helios-kun is also coming along."
Hearing the name of the Elysian priest, Michiru took a sharp breath but it was soft enough that Hotaru didn't notice.
"Who's coming along?" a feminine yet strong voice asked as the house door closed with a soft click. Michiru and Hotaru both lifted their eyes to see Haruka standing in the doorway, rattling her car keys as she took off her shoes.
"Oh, it was…"
But before Michiru could finish, Hotaru interrupted her, "Guess what Haruka-papa, Chibi Usa-chan and Helios-kun are going to Hokkaido! They won the trip to Hokkaido when Usgai-san won a raffle at the supermarket. They had an extra spot so Chibi Usa-chan asked Helios-kun to come instead."
Haruka's eyes narrowed and her lips thinned. Michiru walked over to her partner's side, then touched Hotaru on the shoulder and said softly, "Hotaru-chan, go up stair and get some rest. It's been a tiring day for you," she ended with a motherly smile. The sudden request put Hotaru on edge. She could sense something was wrong but didn't know what.
Could it be something I said? Hotaru nodded and hesitantly walked up toward her room.
Just before she was about to turn the corner at the top of the stairs, Haruka unexpectedly called out to her, "Hey Hotaru-chan, would you like to go to Hokkaido as well? Maybe we can even run into Chibi Usa there, then you could keep her company."
Taken completely by surprise, both Michiru and Hotaru gasped quite audibly. "Really?!" Hotaru squealed through a joyful grin, the corners of her mouth rose so high they almost touched her eyes, the worry she had felt earlier dispelled by the sudden good news.
Haruka smiled, "I don't have any more races this season and Michiru won't have her next concert until February. I think it'll be a good way to spend part of the winter in a nice comfy hot spring."
Haruka turned to look at Michiru, but Michiru knew this trip wasn't simply an arbitrary vacation. "I'll call our travel agent and have 'em book us a flight to Hokkaido. What day will Chibi Usa be leaving?" Haruka asked Hotaru.
"This Friday"
"All right then, we'll catch the next flight. Don't tell Chibi Usa though; it'll be a surprise. And you'd better start picking out some warm cloths for the trip Hotaru; I don't want you catching a cold or phenomena okay?" Haruka said half seriously.
Hotaru nodded energetically and ran up the remaining stairs to her room. Once she saw that Hotaru was out of sight, Michiru grabbed Haruka's arm. "Are you seriously going to follow that boy?" she asked in an incredulous whisper.
Haruka didn't answer at first. She moved away and sat down on the couch. Michiru followed her and sat down beside the sandy-haired blonde. After a long moment, Haruka finally answered, "Michiru, I know you're not very happy with the way I've been treating him, but I go by my instincts."
Michiru nodded to herself. Haruka's instincts are usually right, especially on matter such as this. The violinist looked up when she felt a familiar hand clasping her own. Turning her gaze she saw Haruka's navy blue eyes starring into her own aqua colored eyes.
"I know there's something strange about that boy," Haruka's hand tightened slightly. "If you don't want to get involved with this I understand. But I just have this gut feeling that something's going to happen. Chibi Usa is the future queen and I don't want any harm to come to that child. I just-"
Michiru placed a quieting finger over Haruka's lips and nodded silently, acknowledging what she must do. "Haruka, I am your partner, and whatever it is that you do I will be at your side because I trust you. But if we are to follow him I only ask that we not let Chibi Usa and the others know. I don't think the little princess will appreciate us spying on her and her friend, not matter how much we love her she's still just a teenager," Michiru said with a knowing smile before she removed the finger from Haruka's lips.
Instead of letting Michiru's hand return to her side, Haruka took her hand and kissed it tenderly. "Thanks Michiru. I know I can always count on you."
On the day the Tsukinos were bound to leave for the trip, Helios came and met Chibi Usa's family. The Tsukinos received the boy graciously and Ikuko seemed especially fond of the boy and treated him like a member of the family.
The ride to the airport was calm and uneventful. By the time the plane took off from the airport the sun was setting and its red and golden lights were flooding all reaches of the earth in a shower of sunshine.
Helios looked out the oval-shaped window of the plane as it traveled above the clouds. None of the sun's rays were lost or dimmed by the white fluffy objects and it made the plane seem like it was flying through a sea of gold. The sunlight cast a magical touch as it spilled over the face of the pale-haired priest. It gave Helios' normally white hair a faint touch of golden yellow and made his amber colored eyes glow like the sun itself. Helios enjoyed the tranquil silence on the plane. The jet wasn't full and only a few seats in his section had passengers in it. In Tokyo, silence was rare and precious. And right now it reminded him of a time and place that seemed long removed, so long ago that his home of Elysian itself felt like a distant dream.
"It's beautiful."
Hearing Chibi Usa's voice, Helios turned to the pink-haired girl seated next to him. "What is?" he asked, puzzled.
Chibi Usa pointed at the window with a slight nod of her chin "The sunset," she smiled "I love the rich colors that the sun reveals at the end of each day."
Helios looked out at the sun and answered solemnly, "But don't you find it sad, that the only reason we can see this is because the sun will soon be swallowed up by the dark night?"
Chibi Usa shook her head, looking as innocent as a flower "I know that the sun will come up again tomorrow morning. It never fails to do so."
Helios chuckled, causing Chibi Usa to look inquisitively at him. "Was it something I said?"
Helios looked at Chibi Usa, and as Chibi Usa met his eyes she saw that even without the sunlight shinning in his face those eyes stood out like two flaming stars in a clear night sky.
"You're always so optimistic Chibi Usa…" Helios suddenly fell silent and said quietly, "Some times I really wish I could be like that…" he smiled ruefully.
To his surprise the young moon princess shook her head "No, I don't think I'm so optimistic. For a long time now, I've been thinking maybe there's a good reason why I lost my powers and-and that I won't get it back. Maybe it's an indication that…I simply wasn't meant to be a senshi…" at this point Chibi Usa's smile faded, her eyes down cast.
Helios did not know what to say to her as they sat unmoving in their seats. Then, the light outside grew even brighter. Helios noticed the change and looked out the window to see that the field of clouds below them had disappeared and they were sailing over open sea. The sunlight was reflecting off the water's surface, creating a blinding patch of gold, glistening on the waves.
Helios touched Chibi Usa's shoulder, motioning for her to lean in. An awed tone was in his usually tempered voice as he uttered, "Look..."
At this Chibi Usa looked out the window and gasped at the majestic sight before her. "I had never seen something so beautiful…" she whispered.
Helios smiled wistfully. "I have."
Chibi Usa turned to him, wide eyed, "You have?"
The boy priest nodded. "In Elysian, during each sunset the light of the retreating sun would shine into the crystal trees and there would be flakes of rainbow colored light shone onto the grassy fields. What's more, in the places where there are lakes and the waters are shallow, one could walk amongst the reflected rays; it's like walking in a field of flickering gold." Helios ended his description with an even bigger smile, evidently pleased with his memory of Elysian, his home.
Chibi Usa closed her eyes and imagined the places as Helios described them. She opened her eyes with a newly discovered wonder and said so, "I wish I could see that, it must be a gorgeous sight to behold."
"You wish to see it?" Helios asked
Chibi Usa nodded eagerly.
"But that sight can only been seen during sunsets in Elysian, and the only time humans can enter Elysian is in their dreams during the night," Helios explained sadly.
"Oh…" Chibi Usa sighed, crestfallen
Seeing Chibi Usa's disappointment, Helios turned towards her and said softly, "However, if I am ever to return to Elysian, I promise to take you to see the sunset there."
Chibi Usa's eyes gazed at the white-haired boy in amazement. "Really?"
Helios nodded and smiled. Holding out his little finger, he waiting patiently for the princess' reply.
"It's a promise then!" Chibi Usa shouted, a flush smile returned to the young woman's face as she energetically held out her own little finger to seal the promise.
Just then, Usagi walked towards them from the isle. "Hey, how are you guys doing?"
Chibi Usa's hand shot back to her side. "Nothing, Usagi," she spouted, "we're not little kids, you don't have to check up on us all the time you know." Chibi Usa couldn't help but feel a tad crossed at her "guardian" for intruding at that precise moment.
"Okay then. I'm just here to remind you we'll be landing soon so buckle up okay?" Usagi smiled and walked away, which surprised Chibi Usa since her future mother was notorious when it came to starting petty arguments, especially if Chibi Usa had spoke like she just did.
Unbeknownst to Chibi Usa, Usagi was thinking as she made her way back to her seat. Her thoughts wandering back to what Minako had told her earlier about the suspected feelings Chibi Usa had for Helios, the moonlight heroine contemplation seriously to herself, She's too young to have a boyfriend, but I have to say, I do need to gave that kid a break. She's been through a lot ever since she came back to the 21st century. However, Usagi grinned evilly to herself, that's not gonna stop me from keeping an eye on her… and a good detective must have great patience to get to the bottom of things! At this Usagi did her best detective pose in the middle of the isle, which made quite a few heads turn as she walked back to her seat.
In a vast room filled with flowering flowers, Rame tenderly caressed the stem of a particularly unique flower. The plant had no leaves but there were small, blackish-blue flowers jostling for space beside the half dozen unusually large carnivorous traps. Rame's eyes-though they were still the same color as before-had such a look in them, that they could make even the most ferocious animal cower in fear at the sight of them. In those olive green eyes, a dark flame burned, making them seem like the ghostly candles seen in stagnant marshes. But these sickly lights were not only dark, but also wicked and hateful.
"They will get it this time…those senshis will know my wrath…" Rame cooed "After weeks of hard work it's finally ready. Now all I need is the magical ingredient." So saying, Rame held up the potted plant in her arm and cuddled it a mother holding her infant. The woman caressed one of the mouths, which bobbed and produced a strange sound that seemed to indicate that it was pleased by Rame's gesture.
Rame turned her free hand and her wedge of the Black Crystal appeared, pulsating slightly, disturbing the otherwise stagnant air of the space she resided in. The woman kissed the plant tenderly and set it on her lap.
"Now my dearest, go, go search out the human with the greatest amount of energy and when those damned senshis show up…" Rame's lips curled into a crocked smirk as she thought of the malediction she was about to cast "Kill them all!!"
Holding the crystal in her hand, Rame held the crystal toward the mouth of the plant, which opened in a gasping slither. It swallowed the crystal in one bite and almost immediately the plant began to shake, causing the little pot to shatter as its former occupant augmented rapidly. Rame placed the growing plant on the ground and watched gleefully as her creation swelled and stretched.
Leaves suddenly appeared and shot towards the fathom-less ceiling, growing like weeds in an unkempt lawn. Flowers burst forth while tendrils crawled out from the plant's base. Some of the tendrils were thick and flat at the end with what looked like a red pinhead at the tip. However the most grotesque of all were the fist size carnivorous jaw, which had begun to multiple at a startling rate. Each divided from one to two, two to four and four to eight, on and on until innumerable numbers of spiny, crushing mouths were hanging from thick branch like necks. A shrill scream echoed from each snarling jaw, snapping and biting at the air around it until all that could be heard was the horrible symphony of the monster.
Slowly the plant began to quiet down. One of the mouths lowered itself toward Rame and rubbed against her face with affection. Rame reacted by caressing the monstrosity like she was petting an obedient dog.
"Yes my beloved pet…destroy those senshi and give me the revenge I've been seeking for so long!"
"Here we are! This is it!" Kenji announced as the last passenger stepped out from the taxis. The family was now standing in front of a traditional Japanese house with clean wooden doors and black, snow covered roofs tiles. Everyone heaved a sigh of relieve. No more cramped, pressurized cabin, and airline food for them, at least not for a while at least. Chibi Usa was fascinated by the snowy surrounding. She had never seen a scene so white and pure, even in Crystal Tokyo. However, the sun had already disappeared off the horizon and the sky was a mix of pink and blue.
"Hey, a little help here?" gasped Usagi as she tried to hull a rather largish baggage out of the taxi's trunk. Helios, who had been standing nearby, stepped over and helped her lift the bag out.
After Usagi had thanked him for his help, Helios, along with the Tsukino family, proceeded to enter the inn when a soft crunching sound from behind him caught the boy's attention. Helios stopped, scanned the snow for movements but only saw a soft bump in the midst of the other wise flat snow bank. Thinking it was a lump of snow that had fallen from a nearby tree, Helios dismissed the sound, turned and walked away, unaware that a set of red eyes was silently watching him.
As the family walked into the resort, Chibi Usa saw that the place looked very much like a place out of a Japanese historical movie, except for the computers stationed behind the front desk and the phone on the counter.
After they had checked in, Ikuko turned to the four "children". "You guys must all be tired after the flight. Everyone, go ahead and take your thing to your room. Then you can go take a quick soak in the hot springs, it'll help with your appetites later on. Kenji and I will be go and arrange dinner for us. Shingo, Usagi, can you two take Luna and Diana with you and give them some food and water? I bet the two poor things must be worn out by that trip. "
"Okay Mom," Usagi said with an unusual amount of enthusiasm and cheerfulness as she and her brother picked up the luggage along with Luna and Diana's cages.
Chibi Usa followed them, and was about to ask Usagi something when Ikuko called out. "Oh, and kids, remember when you're going into the hot spring check the sign on the door or else you might end up walking into the wrong hot spring!"
"The wrong hot spring…" Chibi Usa muttered as a mental picture surface.
Instantly, Chibi Usa's blush-O-meter shot through the roof. She shook her head hard a couple of times, trying not to imagine the possibility of walking in on Helios while he's…well…
When she felt a cool hand touching her forehead, the blushing teen looked up and saw Helios staring at her, looking concerned. "Chibi Usa are you all right? Your face is awfully red."
Chibi Usa instantly shot away from him and tried to laughed convincingly but failed horribly with the enormous sweat drops hanging over her head "It-it was nothing. Just tired from the trip I guess!" Inwardly she's mentally kicking herself for even thinking anything of that nature. Helios looked like he was about to say something but Chibi Usa suddenly lost all courage and beat a hasty retreat. "Well, I guess I'll see you at dinner then!" Chibi Usa beat a hasty retreat and left a very puzzled Helios standing in the hallway.
Once inside her room, Chibi Usa dropped her bags onto the floor, bend down and took a deep breath of air. A loud sigh could be heard as she listlessly slipped down onto the tatami straw floor.
Boy, maybe I should've invited Hotaru instead…that was so embarrassing! Chibi Usa thought to herself when a knock came to the door. Opening the sliding door, the surprised princess staggered back when a wooden bucket flew towards her. Luckily, she reacted quickly and caught the bucket before it hit her face. Taking a closer inspection at the wooden object, Chibi Usa saw a neatly folded blue yukata, towels, and a pair of wooden geta. Looking up, Chibi Usa saw Usagi, already in her own yukata, grinning back at her.
"Come on, the hot spring's empty right now, we'd better go or else we wouldn't be able to have it all to our selves. I'll wait for you there, 'kay?"
"Just let me change and I'll be there in a second." So saying, Chibi Usa closed the door and began to change out of her traveling cloths. As she undid her jacket, Chibi Usa noticed that Usagi had been usually attentive to her since they boarded the airplane. I wonder what she's up to now…hmm…
As this took place, a certain white-haired boy was contemplating his own words. Helios was unpacking his clothes when he saw snow falling from the corner of his eye. Putting the things he had in his hand down on the mat, Helios watched as the white stuff fluff down to the ground, only to disappear once they've reached their destination. He walked to the door leading into the garden. The distinctly Japanese garden was like a life-size bonsai, with twisting pines and rocks jutting out of a neatly groomed sea of sand. But now the yellow-earthy colored sands, the hunter-green pines, and the gray stone lanterns were all covered in a light layer of snow. The last rays of day dwelled in a faint layer upon the tops of trees as the back of the large garden became slowly swollen with the night's shadows.
"A promise…but how can I be sure I can keep that promise, Maiden?" Helios softly asked himself as he watched snow drift through the air.
Holding up his little finger, Helios thought back to the rather abrupt covenant he had made with the young princess. But as he thought about it, the vow seemed less and less possible. How can he be sure that he'll be able to take her to Elysian when he's not even sure that he'll be able to return to the dream world again? Maybe it's better to call off the promise ahead of time and spare the girl deeper disappointments.
Helios shook his head. I can't do that to her…I can't… Helios remembered how she had smiled so brightly when she heard he would take her to Elysian. He doesn't want to see that smile, that beautiful dream, dissolve into nothingness like the snow that falls before him.
Just as he was thinking this, a cold gust blew in from the open door, sending a shiver down the boy's spine. Helios quickly closed the door but the cool air had permeated around the room and made the place seem gray and lonesome. Helios sighed and decided that if he did not wish to freeze into a block of ice, going to the hot spring was his only option. As he closed the door, a funny thought entered into Helios' head.
I wonder…what did Ikuko-san meant when she cautioned against "walking into the wrong hot spring"? As far as Helios remembered, everything and anything he knew about hot springs were from some scattered dreams he had seen of people wishing they were relaxing in what looked like a rocky pit filled with warm steamy water. Despite knowing about them but having never actually seen one of these places for himself, Helios had been slightly curious about this wondrous thing called a "hot spring" since the trip was proposed to him. He had wanted to ask Chibi Usa or Usagi about it, but had forgotten all about it until now.
A soft shuffling sound announced that a person had entered Helios' room. The white-haired boy quickly turned to see Shingo, dressed in his yukata, holding a wooden bucket under his arm, looking every bit like his older sister.
"Hey there Hikaru, how come you haven't changed yet?" Shingo asked when he saw the untouched kimono lying in its container on the floor.
Helios smiled in an abashed manner. "I was just thinking about going, but I wasn't sure what to do."
For a minute there Shingo stared at Helios like he was had just said he didn't know what rice was. "Umm…" Shingo paused and asked, "You weren't born in Japan were you?"
"Yes…I suppose you could say that…" Helios answered apprehensively.
Hearing this, Shingo laughed. He set his things on the floor and said with a wide grin. "It's all right, don't worry about it. I'll help you if you don't know how it works." Speaking so, Shingo picked up the yukata that belonged to the younger boy and held out it out to him "First of all, you'll need to take off your cloth and change into this, but you'll need to take it off before you step into the hot spring."
Helios looked at the plain bluish gray kimono and started to turn pink around his cheeks.
Seeing this, Shingo chuckled in amusement. "Relax, no one's going to peep. Just be careful when you're going into the hot spring. Don't want to cause any misunderstanding. I need to go find Mom and Dad, but I think you should be able to manage." With that, Shingo handed Helios the robe and proceeded to exit the room when Helios called him back.
"Uh, Shingo-san…" Helios paused when Shingo turned around "What did Ikuko-san mean when she warned against walking into the wrong hot spring?"
Helios watched as Shingo stifled an even bigger bout of laughter than before. After he had managed to suppress the guffaw, Shingo sighed and shook his head in dismay before he answered, "Well, you see, there are two hot springs, one for men and one for women. That's why she reminded you to be careful when you go into a hot spring."
With this explanation the notion finally dawned on Helios as his face quickly turned several shades redder than before. Silently nodding his thanks, Helios bid Shingo farewell and turned back to the patio door. Pushing open the door with more force than he intended, Helios' face now welcomed the cooling breeze brushing against his hot cheeks. Feeling extremely ignorant and stupid, Helios tipped his head and sighed. As he felt like an utter fool, another idea involuntarily popped into his mind.
Since there's two separate springs, that means that Chibi Usa-chan will also have to…Suddenly realizing what he was thinking, Helios jerked up and turned his face away from the snow, as if trying to hid his abashment from the tiny flakes. I can't think about that! Even though she did once…At this point Helios brought his hand to his lips. Remembering the time several years past, when a young Chibi Usa had undressed in front of him (even though at that time she did not know he was actually a boy) brought uncontrollable confusion to his usual calm mind.
Helios turned sharply back into the center of the room. Too many things were passing through his mind all at the same time, especially thoughts on what Shingo had just said. Helios leaned against a wall and closed his eyes, trying to slow his now quickened breathing and clear his severely distracted mind. Coming on this trip had brought more problems than relief. Things that he had never thought about were now dominating his mind. Helios shook his head. He felt foolish, and what's more, he felt open, vulnerable. With a final deep breath, the frustrated and confused boy priest decided to cast away his worries and concentrate on relaxing for once as he firmly closed the patio door.
Chibi Usa breathed a sigh as she pushed back the flap enclosing the entrance of the women's hot spring area. The day had been long but so far everything was in place and there was nothing else to do but come join Usagi.
As she felt the warm vapors of the water tickle her skin, Chibi Usa began taking off her yukata. As she methodically removed her clothes, she noticed the tiny pink star hanging around her neck. Chibi Usa stopped and brought her hands to her chest, taking a hold of the pendent.
This wasn't the first time Mamoru and Usagi had gotten her a present, but never something like this. As Chibi Usa fingered the pale white moon, she thought of the present she had hidden inside her trunk. It was a gift for someone, someone very special to her.
But, will he accept it? Chibi Usa asked herself. She didn't even have a picture for the frame right now, so the present isn't even whole yet. Chibi Usa frowned. She didn't think falling in love would be so hard. Even finding a present was as hard as climbing Everest.
"You'll never be together…"
Chibi Usa shook her head, pushing back Black Lady's words; words that the princess thought, might prove to be true. But how could she fail when Usagi and Mamoru (who had overcome more obstacles in their relationship than the average couple would face in a thousand years) are her future parents and are living proofs that there was such a thing as happily-ever-after?
As Chibi Usa tried to swallow her self-induced encouragement, a little voice in the back of her mind told the princess that maybe her parents' miracle romance may not be passed down to her.
"Chibi Usa! Is that you?" Usagi's voice cried out from the mist.
"Coming!" Chibi Usa quickly washed herself, picked up her towel and wrapped it around herself before she headed off towards the water.
Hearing Chibi Usa's footsteps, Usagi eased herself back into her position in the spring and waited for her daughter to join her. A few minutes later, a light splashing sound of water announced the arrival of another being in the spring. Usagi, her hairs wrapped in a towel to keep it dry, looked curious at Chibi Usa as she waded into sight. Chibi Usa ignored the look from Usagi as she set her back to the edge of the spring.
"So, what's up?" Usagi asked, noticing the mixed expressions on Chibi Usa's face.
"Nothing…" she answered, turning her eyes away as she fiddled with her necklace.
Usagi raised an eyebrow and waded towards the younger girl. She nudged her with her elbow, "Come on, tell me what's wrong. I am your future mother right? A daughter can always talk to her mom," Usagi smiled encouraging.
Chibi Usa didn't respond so Usagi decided to take the initiative and asked sheepishly, "Is it about Helios?"
Hearing this, the worry and doubt from just a few minutes ago vanished as Chibi Usa's eyes shot open in astonishment. "Wh-what?!" she stammered.
Usagi grinned inwardly to herself, Minako's hunch was right after all!
"Is it a crush?" She nudged even closer until she was rubbing shoulders with the teen. "Come one, you don't have to hide it from me."
Chibi Usa drew away and replied defensively, her face blushing indignantly, "No! It's none of your business Usagi!"
At this Usagi pouted. "Hey, don't be rude! Show some respect; I am older than you!" She looked sternly at the girl, her lips pulled to one side.
"So? You're five times less mature than the average seven year old!"
"Are you calling me stupid or something?"
"Well I'm glad that you finally realized that!"
At this point Usagi had forgotten all about her inquisition. She reached down into the water and splashed Chibi Usa with a hand full of the warm liquid. "Who are you calling idiot now shrimp!"
"Oh really?" Chibi Usa countered by pushing the water in front of her towards the blonde, creating a giant splash that caused Usagi's towel to fall off her head. "Can a shrimp do this?" The pink-haired girl laughed wholeheartedly at the sight of Usagi's confused mop of blond hair.
"I'm not done yet!" Usagi screamed as she gladly returned the favor
Soon the water fight had evolved into a laughing fit as the two girls splashed water at each other, their hairs getting soaked through and through in the process.
Beside the women's hot spring the laughs and giggles disturbed the peaceful mind of a white-haired boy. Helios had reluctantly entered the hot spring at first, as it didn't seem quite so inviting with its thick clouds of steam blanketing the area. But after he's been in for a while, his perception of this traditional Japanese relaxation method had changed greatly. As he took in the steamy but comforting air of the spring, he found his muscles relaxing and his mind clearing, something that hasn't happened in a long while. But the laughter and splashing sounds of water from the other spring brought the young priest out of his trance. Helios looked out across the spring at the bamboo fence that divided the two areas. Almost immediately, he recognized one of the giggling voices as that of Chibi Usa's. Helios smiled to himself. It was good hearing her laugh again, especially in a time like this with a new foe on hand.
"Boy, it sounds like those two are having fun." Helios turned to see Shingo wading towards him, a small, folded towel atop his head. In his moment of thought, Helios had failed to notice the older boy enter the water.
Helios nodded, the smile still beaming on his face. "It seems so"
Shingo agreed with a nod, but a worried look entered his brown eyes. "You know, it's strange, but it seems that Chibi Usa hasn't been laughing as much as she used to. Hearing her laugh just then actually surprised me," said the brown haired teen, a look of brotherly concern on his face.
Helios said nothing as his smile faded. He knew what Shingo said was true. He'd noticed it a long time ago, ever since he came to this dimension. But to hear someone confirm this only succeeded in reinforcing the obvious.
"Hey Hikaru," Shingo suddenly addressed Helios, who jerked as his alias was mentioned. "You're the pink one's friend; do you know what's been bothering her? She's never been down for this long; it's worrying everyone."
Helios shook his head automatically. Even if he knew, the answer was too complicated for Shingo to understand. But the truth of the problem was, no one knew what's been bothering Chibi Usa. Helios had reasoned it was probably not the nightmares she had had before and she seemed to be getting used to the fact that she can't transform, though it was clear that she resented this cruel fact with all her heart. Then what was it, what was causing the smiles and the laughter to drain away? What could it be?
Seeing the grave look on Helios' face, Shingo decided to lighten the mood as he said facetiously, "I think Chibi Usa should get a boyfriend to protect her, like that Tuxedo Kamen guy." Shingo laughed at his own joke, not noticing the change of expression on his companion's face. "You've heard of him right? He's always there to help out Sailor Moon and the rest of the sailor senshi. Not only is they guy handsome, he's cool and strong too-" but before Shingo could finish Helios suddenly stood up and began to leave.
"Eh? You're leaving already?" Shingo asked, surprised by his companion's unexpected action.
Pausing momentarily, Helios answered tonelessly, "I still need to organize my belongings. Goodnight." And so Helios walked out of the pool, leaving a bewildered Shingo to stare with wide, confused eyes.
Scratching his head, Shingo pondered to himself, Was it something I said?
During dinner that night, everyone was talking about what they've done that day. But as the meal progressed, Chibi Usa noticed that Helios barely said a word the whole time. His head inclined and his eyebrows pulled close together, it was as if he was thinking some dark thoughts all that time.
As the family finished and left the dinning room, Chibi Usa glanced at Helios as he walked toward the other end of the hall, away from everyone else. She hated seeing him withdrawn like that. It reminded her of the days when he would hide behind his disguise as Pegasus and keep secrets from her. Suddenly, Chibi Usa felt angry towards Helios for acting this way. She, who had lost all her senshi powers, was able to live a normal live. Yet they had only been here for half a day and he was acting solemn and tacit again. How utterly ungrateful and silly he is.
At this Chibi Usa suddenly stopped herself. She was beginning to sound too much like a particular person whom she'd rather forget. This was not her way of thinking: this way Black Lady's way of rationalizing.
Chibi Usa closed the door to her room. She slid down to the ground until she felt the cool matted floor beneath her hand and feet. Diana was sleeping quietly a little distance away, her fuzzy little body curled comfortably into a ball. Chibi Usa watched as Diana's body raise and fell with each breath. She was glad that Diana was asleep because if she had seen the look on her face then Diana would've ran to call for help.
It abhorred Chibi Usa to think that she thought of Helios in the mentality of Black Lady, her alter ego. Chibi Usa swallowed hard. She wasn't like that, no, she was Chibi Usa, Princess Usagi Small Lady Serenity of Crystal Tokyo, not the underling to Wise Man of the planet Nemesis. There was no way she was going back to being Black Lady again, never.
But what if she was? What if she had the kind of power Black Lady once possessed? Then, wouldn't she be powerful again, wouldn't she be a true mirror of her caliber?
A knock on the door disturbed the silence of the room as Shingo's voice asked, "Chibi Usa, may I come in?"
Chibi Usa blinked several times before she realized that it was her future uncle at the door. "Oh, come in!" she said hurriedly, hiding her shocked look.
Shingo's head appeared between the door and the wooden door frame, "Were you resting? Don't want to interfere with your beauty sleep."
Chibi Usa smiled and shook her head. When she looked at Shingo again, she saw an unfamiliar embarrassed expression on the older teen's face.
"Listen, uh, I think I might have said something that offended your friend while we were in the hot spring today. I mean, he didn't shout at me or anything, but he just walked out, said he needed to organize his things. But I could tell that he was angry about something. Maybe you should go talk to him..." At this moment Shingo was blushing softly around the cheeks.
"Where is he?"
"Outside I think. I saw him walking towards the inn's front gate after dinner."
The princess demurred and looked down at her hands. She wasn't sure she wanted to face Helios right at that moment. It had only been a few minutes ago when she had thought badly of him in private and now guilt was beginning to surface quickly in her mind. Clinching her hands together tightly, Chibi Usa decided she couldn't just sit here like this. Yes, she was feeling extremely ashamed for her thoughts but she needed to know the reason behind Helios' sudden change in demeanor, and that thought alone was enough to overcome her rush of timidity.
"All right, I'll go talk to him," Chibi Usa picked herself up and grabbed her coat as she headed out the room.
"Um, Chibi Usa…one last thing…" Chibi Usa turned around to see Shingo blushing even harder than before, but hiding it unsuccessfully in the well-lit hallway. The pink-haired teen paused, waiting for him to finish. Shingo looked sheepishly at her and said, "Um…You know how I said that I think I might've said something that offended him…well, I don't know what it was that I said…so do you think you can ask him? So that I can apologize…" the last part came out in a bare whisper as Shingo lowered his head.
The young woman almost giggled as she heard this. Shingo usually liked to portray himself as a strong and manly, but she knows that he's just the opposite underneath. If someone he knew got mad at him for something he had said, he wouldn't be able to sleep well for days. Chibi Usa nodded affirmatively, "Sure, but what did you say to him in the first place?" Knowing Helios, he wasn't one to hold a grudge. But then again, Chibi Usa thought with lament, she didn't know everything about him.
"Nothing," Shingo answered vaguely, "I was just joking around about stuff..."
"Really…" Chibi Usa raised an eyebrow suspiciously. If Shingo had put down Helios or said a boorish joke that insulted him, then she for one would not let him get any sleep any time soon. Glancing at her watch, Chibi Usa saw that it was almost nine and she'd better go quickly.
"Well, I'll go see him. But remember, you must promise me that you'll apologize like you said when we come back okay?" Chibi Usa said in a parent-like manner.
Shingo sighed, "Yeah, yeah, now even you're acting like Mom; and I thought Usagi was bad enough as it is. I am older than you ya know."
Chibi Usa grinned. The Tsukino siblings really are related; both use the same rationale and all in the same day. "Shingo, Usagi's older than both of us, but that doesn't mean she's always right," Chibi Usa wisely countered.
The older boy threw his hands up in the air, signaling his defeat as he turned to leave. But after he had taken a few steps, he turned around and said in a much more serious tone, "Chibi Usa, whatever it was that I said tell Hikaru that I didn't mean it and that he shouldn't take my words too seriously. The truth is I think he's a great guy, honestly I do," Shingo looked earnestly at Chibi Usa until she nodded and flashed a understanding smile.
"I know you don't mean it Shingo. I for one forgive you."
Shingo smiled back and proceeded to walk away while Chibi Usa watched him leave for a while longer before buttoning her jacket and getting on her way.
As Chibi Usa made her way down the hall, she passed by Usagi's room. Hearing footsteps, Usagi's head popped out from behind the door and asked inquisitively "Hey, where are you going? It's dark outside."
Chibi Usa waved her hand. "Nothing Usagi, I'll be all right. You'd better go get some rest." Usagi raised an eyebrow and watched as the two pink bobbing ponytails disappeared down the hall.
She's acting suspicious again… Usagi silently thought to herself. "What could she be doing at this time of the day? Better follow her." Usagi checked to make sure Luna was asleep, and sure enough, the black cat was resting peacefully on the soft futon. Usagi quietly slid open the door, looked around and proceeded to tail her future daughter.
After opening the resort's doors, Chibi Usa's warm face came into contact with the cold and lonesome air. As the snow continued to fall, the young woman walked around but she couldn't see Helios anywhere as the night thickened. Deciding he probably wasn't around the immediate area, Chibi Usa decided to walk a little farther off towards the woods.
Usagi glanced around the corner of the door, checking to see if Chibi Usa knew she was being followed. Seeing that the girl was unaware of her presence, the blonde was about to step into the snowy lane when Ikuko's voice stopped her in mid-step.
"And where do you think you're going at this time of the day, young lady?"
Usagi laughed weakly before she slowly turned to face her mother. "Oh, just-uh-want to admire the snow outside, that's all."
Ikuko raised a suspicious eyebrow and crossed her arms. "Honey, its dark already. How could you possibly see anything in this light?" Taking ahold of Usagi's arm, the blue-haired mother said commandingly, "I don't want you catching a cold in this temperature. It's time you come in and get some rest."
"But Mom!" Usagi stuttered. Her target was disappearing behind the trees and she couldn't exactly tell Ikuko that she was following Chibi Usa, not if she wanted to get yelled at or get grounded. Holding a sour look, Usagi thought to herself as she trudged back inside. Darn it, stupid luck. Nothing better happen while I'm not there…
As Chibi Usa strolled into the light wooded area in the front of the resort, the pink-haired princess saw that the snow had formed a puffy white layer on the branches of each evergreen pine. The pines stood strong and proud despite the weight of the snow as the dark, starry sky stretched from horizon to horizon. The moonlight was strong and bright, enabling the young woman to navigate unobstructed through the forest. A squeak from above a tree alerted the girl as she looked up and saw a fuzzy little squirrel looking back at her. It twitched its bushy tail as it kept its dark round eyes on the human girl down below its branch.
Chibi Usa smiled warmly at the little creature who squeaked and disappeared into its den inside the tree trunk. Surprised by the animal's frightened reaction, Chibi Usa's eyes opened wide in a hurt look. She lowered her head and decided to continue on her way.
Looking ahead a little, Chibi Usa saw a human silhouette break the outline of trees and snow. A lone boy stood there, his white hair, white jacket and cream colored pants created the illusion that he was melting into the snowy ground around him. However, two shinning orbs of orange-golden eyes stood out from the cold white and black of the background as they watched the twinkling heavens.
"Helios," Chibi Usa said as quietly as she possibly could, afraid that her voice might cause Helios to turn and run as well. Instead, Helios' eyes blinked and flashed a startled look towards the source of the voice.
"Oh, hi Chibi Usa-chan…" Helios said slowly, his eyes dashing away from the girl to avoid her gaze.
Chibi Usa bite her lip and walked to Helios' right and tried to start a conversation with a meek smile, "What were you looking at?"
Returning to his gaze, Helios smiled slightly. "Stars. It's hard to see them in Tokyo, but here they're so bright that the sky is absolutely ablaze with them"
"You're right." Chibi Usa nodded, "Even in the 30th century, the stars are not as bright as they are here."
Helios paused and looked apprehensively at the girl beside him before he said in a soft whisper, "Do you miss your home?"
Surprised by the question, Chibi Usa jerked and blinked before she reluctantly nodded. "Even though I have many friends here, I do miss Mama and Papa a lot. Mamo-chan and Usagi try their best to make me feel at home, but the 21st century is so drastically different from the future 30th century that some times I think coming back is like living in a strange dream."
Hearing this, Helios' eyes dropped and the light within his eyes dimmed. Life is a dream… Helios spoke silently to himself, But not all dreams are wonderful…
Silence slowly befell the two as they stood side by side watching the stars. Every now and then, a streak of pale gold would streak cross the sky. There was no sound, save for the rhythmic breathing of the two spectators and the soft rustle of the wind as it brushed past evergreen pine needles. The light of a waning gibbous moon greeted the couple from behind thin, wispy clouds.
Chibi Usa watched and soon found her eyes turning to Helios. The boy's fair skin looked pale and ivory in the bright moonlight. Chibi Usa's heart sighed. She had always thought that Helios was fair in appearance, but now as she took time to study him, she found that he was also incredibly handsome. His snow-white locks matched the snow in perfect elegance, so much so that from a far, one might mistake him for a snow spirit. His cheekbones were defined, not sharp, but rather soft and balanced. With a perfect face and slightly rosy lips, no wonder the girls at school would form a fan club just for him. However it was those eyes that Chibi Usa found herself deeply attracted to. His irises were a combination of the colors of a Golden Poppy flower and the sparkle of the purest gold. But as Chibi Usa watched she felt a sense of lose and sadness radiating from those eyes, feelings that do not belong in a being such as the guardian of Elysian.
I wonder… Chibi Usa asked herself, What could inflect such sorrow in someone so kind and beautiful? The question drilled at her in the silence of the night. Unlike herself, Helios' onset had begun only a little while ago, shortly before Makoto's birthday. But there was nothing that could've induced his sudden behavior, or at least none that Chibi Usa knew of. The girl sighed softly. In a way, Helios was a bit like herself; neither of them was very open on certain personal issues. Chibi Usa understood the importance of keeping one's secrets to one self, but it's a hard truth to swallow when the person keeping the secret was someone you care about.
At this point, the teen felt like she had hit a mental wall. She didn't know what else to think, and thus decided to break the silence by bring up Shingo's request.
"Helios, about what Shingo said today…?!"
As she turned her eyes away the princess saw a patch of snow behind Helios' feet shift suddenly. Hearing the girl's sharp gasp, Helios snapped out of his trance and quickly turned to where Chibi Usa's eyes were locked upon. A patch of snow had been obviously bumped and ruffled from below, yet it did not seem like the work of a burrowing animal. Helios narrowed his eyes when he suddenly remembered something. This was just like the bump he saw outside the inn in the afternoon but hadn't paid much thought to until now. The two teens held their breath when the faint sound of moving snow near their feet came rustling into their ears. Suddenly several more bumps appeared beneath the snow, neatly forming a circle around the two.
"Helios, look!" Chibi Usa screamed when she saw dots of red peeping out from beneath the bumps, each clustered together like a bundle of miniature tomatoes on a thick green vine. It's not until one notice the ghastly black pupil inside the ruby like spheres that it became obvious that these were in fact eyes.
Without thinking any further, Helios grabbed Chibi Usa's hand and ran. They jumped over the ring of eyes and headed down towards the woods where the trees were thicker and the woods denser. As the sound of fear induced steps traveled over the virgin snow, Helios shot his head back long enough to see that the eyes were slithering behind them in the snow, forming raised trails as they trailed them.
"Helios, what-what are those things?!" Chibi Usa gasped between breaths as she struggled to keep up.
Helios didn't answer. At that moment he only cared about getting away from whatever was chasing them. He turned sharply around a bare tree and darted past an ancient conifer, scaring the roosting birds from their nightly perch. The forest swayed and waved like a hallucination before the eyes of the two teenagers as they continued to flee deeper and deeper into the towering forest. Then suddenly, the forest before them disappeared and gave way to a flat white field.
Helios, his breath short and hard, stopped and looked around. The field was oval-shaped, about the size of a soccer field with the trees standing around it like an expectant crowd. Chibi Usa kept her eyes on the forest behind them. She tugged at Helios' sleeve and said in a broken whisper, "I don't see them…they disappeared…"
The priest paused as he kept his keen eyes focused on the forest for a moment longer before he nodded affirmatively. "That's strange, why did they stop chasing us all of a sudden? And where did they go?"
Chibi Usa, who had been impervious to their surrounding, finally noticed where they stood. "What do we do now? We-we can't go back, those things might still be back there, waiting for us! And," Chibi Usa's red eyes flashed a look of panic, "-and I think we're lost!"
Helios took a deep breath and surveyed the scene more closely. As Helios turned to the opposite brim of the field the eerie shadow of a house could be made out atop a short slope. "There," Helios pointed "There's a residence up that there. Maybe there's someone who could help us."
Chibi Usa gulped and frowned. From where she stood, the house looked like it was something straight out of a horror movie. The pink-haired teen wrapped her arms around her body as a gust of cold wind whipped past her. She looked up and saw that the moon was still hovering overhead but thicker clouds were moving in and knew at this rate the moonlight would disappear soon. The temperature was freezing, as it had been ever since the sun set hours ago. The house may look spooky but maybe it really was just a normal house and there would be people who could help them; hopefully. Chibi Usa sighed as she concluded that the pros out weighed the cons.
At least it's better than getting chased by strange creatures with multiple eyeballs in the wilderness, the princess thought to herself.
"Let's hurry. I don't know where those things went but we shouldn't remain in the open like this; they might spot us again after we've lost them in the woods." Helios said and began walking across the snow-covered field. Chibi Usa followed close behind, her arms still crossed against her chest.
As the two started to walk across the snowy surface, the ground beneath them groaned when suddenly a loud cracking sound echoed into the air.
Hearing this, Chibi Usa instantly knew that the "field" they were walking across was not a field at all. Instead, it was a frozen lake. But before she could step away, the ground beneath her gave way and a cold icy abyss surrounded her. Water began pouring into her mouth and her nose as she struggled for air, creating a choking sound in her throat as she gasped.
"CHIBI USA!"
As soon as Helios heard the crack, he turned. But it was too late; Chibi Usa had already fallen through the thin ice and was now struggling wildly in the bone chilling water. The boy kneeled and thrust his right hand forward, not caring if he might fall through the fragile ice as well. When the struggling girl managed to take ahold of his hand, Helios clasped his hand tightly around hers. He then reached and grabbed the back collar of Chibi Usa's waterlogged sweater. With all his might, he began pulling her towards the icy shores of the sinkhole.
"Hang on, I've got you!" Helios screamed as Chibi Usa's numbed fingers grabbed blindly for the edge of the ice. Finally, her finger tips came in contact with the ice sheet as the shaken young princess pushed her body out of the water with all her might. Her arms, both of which were quickly loosing their sensation as the freezing water drenched the last layer of clothing surrounding her skin, felt like lead poles as they supported her.
With a loud wet sloosh, Chibi Usa's frightened and nearly frozen body slumped down against the ice. Helios quickly pulled her up as the ice beneath them crackled and threatened to give way as well. With an arm around Chibi Usa's waist and her left arm over his shoulder, Helios helped the shuddering princess to the far shore.
Chibi Usa's breath was shallow and her breaths turned into puffs of fog as soon as they reached the cold air. She was shivering violently, like a person suffering a fit of seizure. Her teeth chattered against each other as her body struggled to create heat by contracting her muscles.
"Helios-it's-it's so cold!" Chibi Usa curled up in a fetal position, pulling her body in as tightly as she could. Helios quickly began unzipping his jacket, but his fingers were numbed as well and had trouble grasping the zipper. Finally, the zipper came apart and the boy draped the article tightly around the shivering girl, cowering on the ground.
Helios looked up and saw that luckily, they were now on the same shore as the house. He had to get Chibi Usa out of the cold because as the temperature continued to drop, hypothermia could set in.
"Come on, Chibi Usa, come on!" Helios urged as he half dragged, half supported the girl who slowly struggled to her feet. Little by little, the two of them walked up the snowy slope and toward the house.
Once they were at the door, Helios knocked hard with his fist and shouted desperately, "Help! Is someone there? Please, open the door!" But as silence greeted him, Helios knocked hard at the door, trying to get the occupant's attention. Instead, the hinges creaked loudly and the wooden door fell to the ground with a dull thud.
Helios looked in and saw a darkened courtyard, filled only with thick snow and shadows. Now it became clear to him why no one had answered. The house was abandoned.
A/N I feel evil, ending on a cliffhanger (ducks from thrown objects). Any ways, this is only the first part of a three-part chapter. I've been thinking about this particular chapter of the story for a long time now and it feels good to finally start on something that's been zigzagging around my head for so long. By the way, for those who don't know yukata are Japanese bath robes and geta are wooden sandals. Both are commonly worn at hot springs in Japan.