Chapter 1
Meanwhile, at Mamoru Chiba's apartment, Mamoru unlocked the front door and let his sister in whilst he picked up her small suitcase, full of every item of clothing and every precious belonging she had ever owned. Natisha was awestruck with how large the apartment seemed.
"Usagi and I share that bedroom there and Rini bunks with us in her cradle. Your room is over there and it has a bed, a dresser and a cupboard. You have your own bathroom as well, but it is also shared by visitors as it is the main bathroom in the house." Mamoru explained, pointing out the rooms as he spoke.
Natisha was just about to reply when a beautiful, blonde-haired, Japanese woman with a tiny baby stepped out of the kitchen. The baby was in one arm and her other hand was holding a chocolate-chip cookie. Mamoru grinned and began to make introductions.
"This, Natisha, is my wife, Usagi. And this…" he said, plucking the baby from his wife's arms, "…is Rini. She is only three weeks old."
Natisha smiled at Usagi and then looked at the baby. She was so tiny!
"Can I hold her?" Natisha asked.
Usagi and Mamoru both nodded and Natisha gently held the tiny baby and kissed her soft head.
"You're so cute!" she crooned softly.
Usagi and Mamoru grinned at each other and Usagi then walked over to the couch and sat down. Mamoru and Natisha both followed her and sat down on either side of her.
"So, where are you from?" Usagi asked
"I'm originally from Tokyo and I was living in Nagasaki for three years, since I was two, until my adoptive parents could no longer take care of me. I was adopted by another family in Nagano, which is where I have been living for the past twelve years until I found out that Mamoru was still alive and not dead as the doctors told me fifteen years ago."
Usagi nodded and looked sad. She pitied the girl who had been through so much. She had lived all over southern Japan - on Kyushu and Honshu- and had even been maltreated by her second adoptive family. Rini then began to cry and Usagi whispered so her husband could not hear,
"Do you want some food? Shall I crush a cookie through the blender?"
"Usagi…" Mamoru warned.
Usagi looked at her husband, knowing that Rini was not ready for solid food and wouldn't be for awhile yet but, she still wanted Rini to take after her in her love for cookies like she had about two years before- when they had met an older version of their future daughter. Natisha giggled at the thought of a baby as small as this, eating crushed cookies and watched as Usagi took the baby gently out of her arms and carried her towards the kitchen to feed her.
"So, since Rini is being fed, shall I take you out to see Tokyo?" Mamoru asked
"Okay!" Natisha replied happily.
They yelled their goodbyes to Usagi as they exited the apartment and took the elevator down to the basement car park where Mamoru's car sat, waiting to be driven.
"You have such a cool car, Mamoru-san." Natisha breathed as she saw the beautiful red sports car glistening in the rays of sunshine.
Mamoru grinned.
"Thanks!" he replied.
They both hopped inside and Mamoru drove out into the busy street and down to the main city.
About 10 minutes later, they were parking underneath a shopping mall right in the middle of the city to buy Natisha some new clothes. Mamoru had been disgusted by how little she owned and insisted that they immediately go shopping whilst they had been driving.
As they rode the escalator up to the first floor, Natisha was awestruck by the number of shops which were all in one place!
'They never had this in Nagano!' Natisha thought in awe.
Mamoru took her to different stores and then led her to the food court for lunch. After lunch, there was more shopping and they bumped into Usagi's friends, Ami, Rei, Minako and Makoto.
"Hi girls!" Mamoru said
"Mamo-chan!" They all squealed in delight.
The four newcomers proceeded to drill Mamoru with questions about Usagi and baby Rini and Natisha stood to the side until Makoto asked,
"And who is this, Mamoru?"
Mamoru grinned. "Girls, this is my sister, Na…"
"You have a sister?" Minako exclaimed in shock as they all stared at Natisha.
"Well, yes. She's been living all over Japan since the accident fifteen years ago."
"How old is she?" Makoto asked
"Seventeen." Natisha replied.
"Welcome back to Tokyo then." Rei said, getting strange vibes from the girl. 'She holds a lot of power. Is she friend or foe?' Rei thought.
Ami, the only one who hadn't said a word then asked, "Do you need any technological equipment for your medical course yet, Mamoru-san? My mother has stated that she needs to be giving some away and has let me have first pick for my medical course next semester, although I do not need it just yet."
The others laughed and Natisha looked at them strangely, thinking that it wasn't very nice of them to laugh at thier friend. Mamoruthen replied, "No, sorry, I won't be needing any. The course gives us the right equipment to look at and practice with anyway."
Ami grinned and said, "Well, I'll just let my mother know that I will keep some and she can give the rest away then!"
Natisha grinned at the blue-haired genius' enthusiasm and Minako said, "Sheesh Mamoru, since when did you need to go clothes shopping? Did you need some more ugly blazers?"
"For your information, Minako, my blazer was not ugly! It was nice! And no, these aren't for me! They're for Natisha! My sister!" Mamoru said indignantly.
Everyone laughed again, even though Rei felt a sudden hostility towards Natisha, and the girls said goodbye before making their way towards the food court for a quick pit stop.
As Mamoru and Natisha left, a newcomer to the store, Apollo, watched the young, black-haired girl as she happily walked into yet another clothing store.
'How come I feel that I know her from somewhere?' he thought as he looked at her strangely.