EVERYONE: I have a new web address and the page is finaly complete, please feel free to visit it. I can't get the address to show up here, so check it out in my profile!

I think I should apologise to all those people who have read the first part of this story and where waiting very patiently for this update. It took me next to forever and I'm sorry about that, but it wasn't intended to take anywhere near this long to update. Again I'm sorry.

Kimra

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Lingering Destiny

By Kimra

Part 2

"What is she doing here?" The black haired girl demanded as Usagi made her way up the last step. Fleetingly she glanced back at the assent she had just made and was not at all surprised it had been such a difficult trek considering the speed the 'Makoto' girl had run them at.

Makoto, who was standing before the raven haired girl looked back for a second puzzled and a bright grin took the puzzlements place. "This is Rabbit, she's a friend of mine!" The tall brunet declared with such enthusiasm it was impossible to tell they had only just met and barely exchanged eight words.

Usagi tried to ignore the oddity, rather endeared to anyone who would call her a friend with such honesty at such a short acquaintance and admiring of anyone who could stand before the enraged looking black haired beauty without cowering.

"This is a meeting! You don't bring friends to meetings!" The black haired girl continued harshly.

For a moment Usagi felt her uselessness. She was in the way, it was obvious, and she was doing nothing but getting this seemingly nice girl into trouble. But her tall friend proved to be immune to the angry girls temper.

"Oh can it, Rei. She's not in anyone's way!" Makoto snapped, a tint of anger in her voice and her posture straightening over the shorter girls. As if unaffected by the looming girl the black haired girl, Rei (Usagi had to assume) tossed her hair and settled back against the temple veranda.

"Right." Rei stated as if she had won the argument and the next moment the four girls where in much quieter conversation, each looking annoyed with what ever it was they where talking about.

Usagi felt useless, like an extra limb that had been brought along and forgotten. She wasn't sure what this stop off was about but it seemed she had done little more then cause this girl, Makoto, trouble. Feeling out of place, knowing she was unwelcome Usagi wondered away from the discussing group and a little deeper into the grounds, always keeping Makoto and her company in view.

As Usagi walked through the peaceful grounds, she watched the fussing group of girls from the corner of her eye. There was Makoto, the tallest of the four who seemed as unimpressed by the meeting now as she had been when she had mentioned in, she had a ponytail of brown hair and a physique that suggested regular exercise. There was a mousy girl with blue-black hair who seemed unwilling to put more then three word sentences into what ever heated discussion was happening. A chirpy looking girl with a mane of golden hair and a disgustingly big red ribbon holding it back who seemed although a little annoyed altogether uninterested in what was being discussed. And finally the black haired girl who was dressed, surprisingly in the temple robes, and looked as dominating as she had sounded.

They where mismatched. Usagi could see it even from a distance. None of them really wanted to be there and none of them got along with each other. And it seemed the more time they spent together the more the resentment and disagreements between them escalated. Even Usagi, who rarely saw the character flaws until it was too late could see they didn't get along.

After some time of waiting, rather bored with the length of the girls arguments Usagi decided that even for food she wasn't going to look at the same bunch of tree's any longer. So, ignoring her stomachs orders to stay in sight she made her way into the temple and begun to explore the old wooden building.

It was surprisingly tranquil away from the sounds of the girls arguments. An unexplainable calm weaved into even the air above this sacred ground and some of Usagi's guards began to lower. She could hear water flowing, the soft sounds of undisturbed animals in the surrounding foliage, and the sigh of wind chimes in the soothing breeze. Absently she followed unmarked paths through the grounds, letting the peace soak into her.

She could vaguely recall her mother, her real mother, bringing her to a place like this. A place that felt safe and quite and untainted. Morbidly she allowed herself to dwell on the past for a few moments before catching herself and pushing it all back away from her. There was no point, she had learnt over time, letting yourself think on things that couldn't be changed.

Distracted Usagi wondered into one of the temple buildings and stopped herself short in surprise. A giant flame rose from a single platform, the black haired girl from the meeting, Rei, was kneeling towards it, eyes fixed somewhere within it's centre.

Usagi realised if one of the four was here that the meeting had probably ended and was going to leave to find Makoto when she was distracted by the black haired girl's soft murmuring.

Curious, a trait she had never been able to override in all her years, Usagi crept closer to the kneeling figure, listening intently. She wondered what sort of things a priestess would say to a fire, vaguely recalled hearing things about seers and spirits but hadn't paid enough attention to be able to recall what had been said. It didn't matter however, because even as close as she was Usagi could not hear what the girl was murmuring into the flames.

Just as she decided she should leave Usagi was arrested by a pair of vivid violet eyes. She froze and realised with surprise that the black haired girl was looking at her.

"You shouldn't interrupt when someone's reading the fire." It was surprising how different the girls voice sounded now to when she had been shouting at Makoto. Now she seemed almost pacified.

"I'm very sorry. I didn't mean to interrupt." Usagi stuttered, feeling small under such a piercing gaze. "I was being quite." She defended weakly as if she where under attack, but there was something disturbingly intense about the eyes fixed on her and as she stared back she felt as if she had engaged in an argument.

"You don't need to make a noise to interrupt, just your presence is enough for that." The girl declared in a superior voice.

"Well excuse me!" Usagi snapped, feeling not at all sorry for her actions suddenly. She had been quiet after all, and the girl was obviously just trying to be difficult.

The priestess rolled her eyes, demolishing any of the mystic air she had around her and putting her in a category not unequal to a teenagers.

The priestess went to say something, her expression condescending, but she stopped short. Her frown shifted into a blank expression for a moment and she positively stared at Usagi. "You're Makoto's friend right?" Was the abrupt question.

There was an edge to the girl's voice Usagi didn't like and was certainly unsure of so she chose not to answer.

The priestess went to say something, looking less pleased but what ever words she had been going to voice faded into nothing as she stared at Usagi again, a frown pulling on her brow. "You're Makoto's friend right?" Was repeated with an almost strangled voice.

Usagi wasn't sure if she liked the change in conversation or air around them, and certainly wasn't sure if Makoto would like being called her friend so she decided against answering, instead staring back at the girl meeting the silent challenge.

Time drew out between them, each measuring the other. Usagi would not blink, she had been in enough battles to know how to lose but the priestess seemed equally unmoving.

"I'm Rei." Was stated clearly and a hand was shoved towards her. For a second Usagi was confused, she blinked at the offered hand and then back at the girl. She wasn't sure who had just won, all she knew was she had missed the end of the fight somehow when looking at the hand.

"People call me Rabbit." Usagi replied but didn't reach for the hand uncertain of physical contact.

"I don't bite you know." Rei drawled, sounding impatient, her hand still stretched between them.

Again Usagi looked at the offered hand and again at the girl attached to it. She considered refuting that she doubted the girl didn't bite after seeing her interactions with Makoto but chose not to test the precarious peace that seemed to have come up abruptly around them.

Usagi went to reach out to the hand tentatively, then realised with shame that her hand was smothered in dirt. She retracted quickly, ignored the annoyed sound the clean priestess made and scrubbed her hand briskly against her pant leg. She didn't bother inspecting the job she had managed as she quickly gripped the girls hand for a polite hand shake. She could tell her single attempt hadn't been very useful, her pants where in little better condition then her skin, but Rei didn't flinch at the contact and seemed to almost smile.

Then Makoto walked in, and what was good nature in Rei's exterior seemed to shift into defensiveness.

"Ah, there you are Rabbit!" Makoto declared, sounding relieved. "I thought you'd run off or something."

Usagi turned to view her newly found friend and smiled a little nervously. She wondered why she was nervous and realised sitting in the presence of these two very strong female she suddenly felt more useless the normal. The feeling however was pushed aside as quickly as it came and she her smile became as genuine as she could make it.

"Makoto. This temple is very beautiful, I had to explore." Usagi offered in way of explanation.

"You think so?" Rei asked in a bright voice, and Usagi turned back to face her. "My grandfather run's the temple." It was a boost, and Usagi knew it, but strangely she didn't resent it, because she would have boosted about something like that too.

"Yeah. Pyro's always up here, sweeping and tending to the grounds. She hasn't got much of a life." Makoto growled and the animosity between the two became very obvious to Usagi who sat in the centre of their confrontation. She felt the need to discharge it, but couldn't think straight and she didn't feel comfortable enough to interfere in what seemed to be a long standing dislike.

Rei glared up at Makoto for a long time before turning back to the fire. "Well it was nice to meet you Rabbit." She said almost pleasantly. "If you don't mind Makoto, I have work to do. You know that- oh wait, no you don't." There was a sneer in the girls voice and Usagi saw Makoto's fist begin to curl. Realising here, at least, she could intervene without effort Usagi jumped to her feet.

"It was good to meet you and see your Grandfather's temple Rei, I hope I will get to again some time." She said it with a quick bow towards the ignoring priestess then as quickly as she could walked towards Makoto, who took the message without resistance and left the room without violence.

*****

Usagi stared out across the street feeling lethargic and a little sleepy. She had woken up some time in the night, confused about where she was before she remembered her afternoon. It had been uncomfortable at first, walking into a strangers domain, but Makoto had been childishly friendly and Usagi hadn't been allowed to think for very long that she should go.

Usagi gave a little laugh. Her new friend had proceeded to push food in her direction, as if life's answers could be found if only you had enough food and Usagi had been more then happy to oblige by trying everything that came her way. It was novel, the experience of being full. And although she hadn't eaten much she was sure any more and she would have been sick.

As full as she had been she'd fallen asleep on accident and only woken much latter to find Makoto had cleaned, put everything away and gone to bed leaving her on the couch. Usagi had considered very strongly finding a way out of the house, not to protect herself but in fear of staying longer then wanted but a sense of security that had long ago forsaken her had kept her in place, as if she belonged, and she had drifted once more into sleep.

But waking was inevitable and waking during her hours was expected. It was nearly two am and she was alert. There was a thin mist in the air and the moon was low on the horizon, ready to set. Usagi couldn't see it from this balcony but she knew, as she always did, exactly where it was. She breathed the damp air in, relaxing the tight muscles about her chest. There had been blankets on her when she had woken this time and she knew she was allowed to stay for the night.

Tomorrow night, however, would prove troublesome. She needed sanctuary and she wasn't sure where to look for it. There was only so many parts of every city and she had tried and lost most of them. It was perhaps getting to the time when she would have to move onto the next city, but something kept her here as it always had and even as she told herself she would have to leave she was trying to think of a way to stay.

Her musings where interrupted by the sound of beeping, a loud high pitch alarm clock style beeping that made Usagi jump. For a second she wasn't sure where the noise was coming from and was ready to duck away before she realised it was from inside. Cautious Usagi silently made her way back into the apartment, closing the veranda door behind her.

Something fell, and broke. Makoto cursed. "I'm coming I'm coming!" Was shouted in an annoyed voice.

Startled Usagi dived back onto the couch and hid beneath the blanket.

Something else broke and Makoto's curses where louder. Then the beeping stopped, there where grumbled words followed by complete silence.

Feeling like she shouldn't be hearing this, or witnessing it for some perverse reason Usagi buried her head deeper into the soft blanket that had been draped over her while sleeping. She heard footsteps, light and fast, the veranda door slid open, the feet kept going and then… nothing. There was silence through the apartment and no noise beyond. Usagi guessed the girl gone for a quick breather outside but when she dared to glance found no trace of her.

Puzzled Usagi gave her head a shake, trying to correct what ever had gone haywire during the days events then snuggled back into her comfortable bed and once more fell asleep.

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