Sailor Moon NeoStars: The Outers Meet Their Match
Chapter 2 – "What can I do to make you trust me?"
Author's Notes: Well, here it is – the second chapter of my 1st attempt at an "Outers" story. What do you think? Are Haruka and Michiru being portrayed correctly? In case, you haven't noticed, this is a Song Fic. Mishi and Hoshi's pasts are based on two of my favorite songs. Of course, there is always the possibility I may weave a third song into this somewhere. LOL If you are familiar with the songs I based this on, don't tell – and don't suppose you know how this is going to go. This story is BASED on the song(s), but may or may not follow them exactly.
Roughly half an hour later, Hoshi and Mishi came down the stairs from the second floor hand in hand. It hadn't taken them long to unpack as neither of them owned a whole bunch of "personal" items. From the stairwell, a sweet melody could be heard. Mishi looked up at her older sister – eyes questioning. "Go on." Hoshi told her assuringly. "I'm just going to raid the refrigerator and head back upstairs." Thinking this over for a moment, Mishi hugged her favorite brown teddy bear tightly and nodded her agreement. Armed with the knowledge she'd be able to find her sister if she needed her, Mishi walked off hoping to find the origin of the beautiful music.
She walks to school with the lunch she packed. Nobody knows what she's holding back. Wearing the same dress she wore yesterday. She has the bruises with the linen and lace.
The winding corridors of the outers' mansion were long and confusing if you weren't accustomed to them. Hugging her teddy tightly, Mishi made her way down the high hallways taking in everything with her gentle gray-blue eyes as she went along. The mansion hadn't changed all that much in a thousand years. It was still a big, big place to call home, but ever so gradually Mishi was becoming more and more accustomed to her new surroundings. Neither Haruka-san nor Michiru-san had tried to attack her – yet . . .
The teacher wonders, but she doesn't ask. It's hard to see the pain behind the mask. Bearing the burden of a secret storm, sometimes she wishes she was never born. Through the wind and the rain, she stands hard as a stone in a world that she can rise above. But her dreams give her wings, and she flies to a place where she's loved. Concrete Angel.
The further she went down this particular hallway the louder and closer the music came until she reached a set of wide double doors. Stopping in the open doorway, Mishi peaked inside. It was a large opal-shaped room with a beautiful cherry-finished hard wood floor, a grand piano, and a sparse amount of sitting for the optional listener. On a fancy two-seater couch, Haruka leaned back with her eyes closed while Michiru practiced the first movement of "Spring" from "The Four Seasons" by memory on her violin in the center of the room. Slipping silently into the room, Mishi took a seat on the piano bench behind Michiru.
Her parents never took the young girl to church, never spoke of his name – never read her his word. Two non-believers walking lost in this world took their baby with them. What a sad little girl!
Grabbing a banana and a glass of grape juice from the kitchen, Hoshi made her way back through the house towards the stairwell leading up to the second floor. On the way, she passed by the door, which led into the 1st floor living room and couldn't help but to stop. Sighing, she let her mind wander back to her previous outburst and the man whom she'd seen standing before her. "Dead for over two years, and still you insist on making my life a living hell." Hoshi grumbled aloud to the wind. "Why don't you just go to hell, and quite trying to take me with you?" Annoyed at both her parents for torturing her and at herself for not being strong enough to fight it, Hoshi cursed her lips storming up the stairs towards her and Mishi's electively shared bedroom.
Her daddy drank all day and Mommy did drugs – never wanted to play or give kisses and hugs. She'd watch the TV and sit there on the couch while her mom fell asleep and her daddy went out. And the drinking and the fighting just got worse every night. Behind their couch, she'd be hiding. Oh, what a sad little life!
Slamming the bedroom door roughly in a fashion frighteningly similar to the way her father slammed doors just before he and her mother started going at it, Hoshi unceremoniously plopped herself down on the huge queen-sized bed. It wasn't exactly a bedroom made for a couple of elementary-aged young girls, but then, Haruka and Michiru hadn't exactly been expecting to share their home with two emotionally disturbed elementary-aged young girls.
The queen-sized bed centered on the far wall, covered with racecar print pillows and comforter that Hoshi found "awesome" in their own right, was set off on either side by small nightstands with two drawers each. There was a bench seat at the end of the bed, dresser, full-sized mirror, decent sized closet, and a custom-built TV stand with extra shelves for whatever one might feel compelled to set there. Grabbing the remote controller from off the right side nightstand, Hoshi laid lazily on her stomach flipping channels until she found a suitable cartoon show she hadn't seen at some point in the last week or so. After all, it wasn't as if she had anything better to do.
As Michiru finished her performance of "Spring" and moved to put away her instrument, Haruka opened her eyes sitting up. She couldn't help but raise an eyebrow when she noticed Mishi sitting quietly on the piano bench at the opposite side of the room. When had she come in? Honestly, what did it take to cause a child to quit talking all together? As Haruka studied the child from afar, Mishi's cautious gaze fell from Michiru to Haruka. For a second, their eyes met – before Mishi quickly looked back down at the floor.
"Strange." The real question was, what on EARTH had compelled their future selves to take in two emotionally disturbed children? Her partner HAD been a very good mother to baby Hotaru before she had grown up. Did Michiru really want children that badly? The idea of having kids had never really occurred to her. After all, children were one thing Haruka simply couldn't give her – and she'd give her partner anything if she really wanted it.
And what of the fiery one? "I'll bet I have her behind the wheel of a motorcycle before her 13th birthday." Haruka thought with a smirk. This was certainly going to be an experience. "Stopping so soon?" She questioned Michiru, who normally practiced for hours.
"Hai. The children should be finished unpacking by now." Michiru answered locking up her violin case, beginning to walk in Haruka's direction. "Ruka-chan, I know Mishi is the one I saw before. There's just something about her. I don't know what it is exactly, but - -"
Haruka grinned. "Well, here's a golden opportunity. Why don't you try asking her?" Shooting Haruka a bewildered look, Michiru followed her partner's gaze – turning around – to where the piano sat. And once again, there she was.
"Oh, Mishi. When did you come in?" Michiru questioned both surprised and delighted at seeing the girl again. She didn't know how. She didn't know why. What she did know was this: Mishi was her daughter – plain and simple – no matter WHO had carried her.
Looking down shyly at the floor, Mishi shrugged. Making her way in that direction, Michiru took a seat on the bench next to Mishi. Mishi tensed looking even harder at the floor. Michiru frowned. What could she do to get through to this girl? "You finished unpacking already?" Another nod. –Sigh– You do you reach a child that won't talk? What could she do? Was her future self experiencing this much frustration? Was that why she'd sent the girl to the past? What could she possibly offer that her future self couldn't? "What can I do to make you trust me?"
After a moment of silence, Mishi looked up meeting Michiru's gaze with a mask of calm indifference that was unfortunately an all to common sight within those soft silver-blue eyes. Trust wasn't something that came natural to her. It was her burden – her secret storm – a secret she kept locked deep inside. But, Michiru knew better. She'd seen the pain and fear in the child's eyes that day at Mamoru's apartment. (If you don't know what I'm referring to, read "Sailor Moon NeoStars: What The Future Holds.")
It's hard to see the pain behind the mask. Bearing the burden of a secret storm, sometimes she wishes she was never born. . .
Cursing her lips, Haruka got up from the couch. She could hear the desperation in her partner's voice. She wanted this – really wanted this. She wanted to help these girls. They were part of the family now. If this truly what Michiru wanted for the future, she'd do anything in her power to help. "Michi-chan." Haruka spoke fondly placing her hands on her partner's shoulder's. "They've hardly been here half-an-hour. You're a total stranger, ne? Why don't we go out - - find some adventure?"
"Hmm. Hai, you're right. What do you think, Mishi?" Immediately, Mishi's eyes went wide. Michiru was confused. "Nani? What's wrong now?" Mishi pointed up at the ceiling. "Upstairs? Who's upstairs? Your sister?" Mishi nodded emphatically. She wasn't about to go ANYWHERE if Hoshi wasn't going to be there to protect her. "Oh, I see. Hai, Hoshi can come to. Why don't you go upstairs and get her?" Another nod. Getting up, Mishi scooted out the door heading in the direction of the nearest stairwell.
Through the wind and the rain, she stands hard as a stone in a world that she can rise above. But her dreams give her wings, and she flies to a place where she's loved. Concrete Angel.