S o m e w h e r e F a r A w a y
Depends On How You Look At It
digitalreality Paige
The sky held a soft blue hue above the breathtaking sceneric Crystal Tokyo. If birds lived on the moon, now would have been when they would sing their harmonic wake-up call while soaring in the rays of the morning sun. It was indeed tranquil and calm as the inhabitants of the Moon Kingdom greeted the day . . . Yeah, right! Not with five children under the age of ten!
Eight-year-old Emiko Fusco tossed and turned on the bottom-bunk of the bed, knocking over the bedside lamp in the process. It did not break, but it was indeed a chaotic scene. Groaning loudly, she gave a last turn onto her side with a pillow firmly covering her head, but she made no attempt to retrieve the fallen lighting structure.
"No, no, no! Emmy-ko!" Da sun wants to say 'Hewwo' and Miya wants to play!" insisted little blonde Miya, as she made her way onto the bed.
With an elaborate sigh of defeat, Emiko stopped her petty protests and sat up in bed. Rubbing her sleepy, green eyes, she stuck out her tongue, "Finnnne, Miya-chan!" Emiko's messy, brown, bead-head hair had mostly fallen out of its ponytail, and stuck up in numerous unusual directions.
This appeared to amuse the two-year-old, who grinned, showing off a missing front tooth, (Hana decided Miya was a worthy opponent for kick-ball last week at orientation.) "You'sa monster!"
Emiko held her arms out to the small child, fingers like claws, "Rawr!" With that she tickled Miya mercilessly, sending them both into a fit of giggles.
A little blue head appeared, upside down, leaning over from the higher bunk. She chucked a pillow at the two from above and playfully remarked, "Quiet down you two! I'm trying to sleep!" She gave a sweet smile to show she meant no harm.
"It doesn't look like it!" Emiko taunted, throwing the pillow back. It was then that she finally reached and put the lamp back at its place.
Miya's bright blue eyes lit up when she spotted another familiar face, "Ki-ra!" She held her arms up toward Akira, waiting to be held.
The nine-year-old cautiously climbed down from above and took Miya into her arms, "You're so cute."
Miya let out a squeal of delight as she poked Akira on the tip of her nose with her stubby baby fingers.
At that moment the door chose to open, and Minako stepped in, "Oh, there you are Miya! Should've guessed." She smiled at the two girls as she took back her daughter, "By the way, the outer children will be arriving shortly; You may want to get prepared." Minako winked and walked out, Miya waving 'Bah-Bye' from her shoulders.
Akira sat down at the foot of Emiko's bed and smiled at her friend, "Y'know, your hair is a fright."
The other girl couldn't help but laugh, as she slipped a clean white blouse on, "Yeah, that's what Miya told me . . . You seem to need a bit of a touch up yourself!"
The azure-eyed child gave a curt little nod and stood to change as well. Both wore schoolgirl skirts representing their planet in color, and a button-up white dress shirt.
Emiko pulled her hair back with three strokes of a hairbrush and waited for Akira, who combed her hair back to tie with a bow at the base of her neck, and carefully and precisely braided two loose strands.
"C'mon, we'll miss their arrival!" The princess of Jupiter grabbed the princess of Mercury's hand and they ran out, blue and green skirts billowing out behind them.
"Mommmmm! Do I have to go?" Huffed Hana, refusing to set a foot inside the gates of the palace.
"What do you think?" Her father yanked her braided pigtails affectionately.
"You're not mom!" She stated, "And I'm positive you guys want me to stay home; You'd miss me sooo much!"
"If I didn't know any better, I'd say you're scared. 'Hmmmm, Kobi?" Haruka chuckled as her husband nodded in agreement.
The spunky child protested, "Am not!"
"Prove it." Haruka picked up her daughter around the middle and carried the seven-year-old into the kingdom as Kobi showed the guards their identification.
"They're not making me wear a skirt!"
Hotaru jabbed Riku in the side with her finger, who in return glared at her sister-like friend.
"What's wrong with you?" Hotaru pestered again.
Riku shook her head and opened her mouth to speak.
"Noth-ing," mimicked the older girl in unison with the other. A smile broke out on Riku's face even though she tried to force it from coming.
The two girls sat side-by-side on a luxurious lounge in a small chamber of the Moon Palace. Directly in front of them sat graceful Michiru with her daughter who is ten years of age. She sat silently, which was quite odd for Kyoko, staring at her feet. Her eyes held a sneaky expression and she had a sly smile on her face, but just looking at her from any other prospective would give you the impression of a girl truly sorry for whatever wrong she caused.
"What's going on in that trouble-making mind of yours?" Hotaru asked her next victim. Boredom caused her to pick on whomever available . . . or perhaps she just liked to pick on them.
"Yes, Kyoko, do you not know the rules? You cannot smile or think up plans when you're already in trouble for previously done mischief." Michiru informed.
Kyoko stuck her tongue out at her mother and friend before requesting, "May I please get up now?" in a sweet, sorrowful, innocent tone. She placed her hands neatly in her lap and looked up into her mother's eyes with a puppy-dog expression.
Her mother gave in and nodded. Kyoko bolted from her seat, only to plop down between Hotaru and Riku. The later of the two pulled her legs up to her chest, on the settee, and rapped her arms around her thighs. Riku rested her forehead on her knees with her eyes closed, and let her silky long black hair cascade over her shoulders and legs.
"Where's your momma?" Kyoko queried, not knowing she would intrude on a topic Hotaru was uncomfortable with.
Hotaru took the question lightly, "Oh, I live with Setsuna-mama. She's Riku's mother. Mine is no longer living."
"Oh . . . " was all Kyoko said, feeling bad about the question. All was quiet for a moment as she eyed the top of Riku's head curiously, as if she knew something mysterious and important was being thought inside it.
"So, where is Setsuna?" Michiru pondered in a manner that made even the simplest of sentences seem elegant.
"She couldn't make it," Hotaru explained. Michiru nodded to show she understood.
When the threat of the Dark Moon vanished temporarily, most of the Senshis went their separate ways onto their respective planetary kingdoms. Communication was limited, and they saw each other maybe once tri-monthly. However, with rising awareness, the Sailor Senshis quickly discovered the enemy never disappeared, and that their children needed to be taught to defend the innocent Earth like their parents once did many yesterdays ago.
Riku saw this even before her mother, and set out to train herself for her future position. "This new school system," she thought bitterly, "may just hold me back." But she did look on the bright side, "it may be good for some of the naive others."
Riku turned her head to face the door, opening her dark jade eyes. Merely a moment later it creaked open and a little blonde head peaked in.
"Oh! Here's the room, mama." The head squealed, swinging the door fully open to reveal her wardrobe: The traditional shirt and skirt that were required. The only problem was that, under the skirt, the hazel-eyed girl wore slightly baggy pants.
"What are you wearing?" Kyoko called out as Hana climbed into Hotaru's lap.
"Clothes." She gave her friend an odd look, "What does it look like to you?"
As the other children played and joked around, Riku continued to watch the door left ajar. It didn't take too long for Haruka's figure to briefly come forth, and the expression on her face looked troubled. Michiru caught the message immediately, and Riku saw her stand from the corner of her eye. She turned her attention back to Haruka, but she couldn't see her at all. If Riku hadn't seen her at the previous precise second she appeared, she would have never seen her.
As Michiru passed Riku, she turned to look at the girl. Luckily Riku had closed her eyes a moment before, and the elegant Neptune Queen continued out into the corridor.
"I'll just be a minute; I'm going to the ladies' room." Was Michiru's excuse as the door sealed shut behind her.
"Are you excited about our new training?" Hotaru asked with a smile. It was obvious none of the other children even noticed Michiru's departure.
Riku uncurled from her position and stood, taking long strides to the entry and exit way. The other three stopped their chitchat instantly, observing with curious eyes.
"Where y'going, Riku-san?" Kyoko questioned, puzzled.
Riku did not respond, but instead reached for the doorknob. She turned it to the right with all her strength. Receiving no results, she twisted in the other direction.
Nothing happened.
They were locked in.