AN:
WHOLELY FREAKIN' COW!
I completely forgot that I was going to update this sooner, so I'm SO SORRY! Well, ;;; it has been awhile, hasn't it? This took me a long time to write for some odd reason, but now that I'm over my writer's block with this story, my writers' block has progressed to several new stories that I will eventually get around to post, alright?
Now… to all my reviewers:
Raine of The Darkness:
(blinks) Sure. I don't speak Japanese, but (nods) I'll pretend I understand, alright? ;;; I'm beginning to wonder about you…
Flame Ivy Moon:
I'm seriously lost in your review. What information? OO Did I tell you something important and forget about it? SORRY! But I'm glad you like it!
Chikara-Yuy:
I know this isn't ASAP, but I tried, alright? Now I have writers' block for my other stories, which is terrible! Hope you like this cliffhanger!
…:
Um. Nice name? --;;; First of all, I don't mind the criticism; you don't completely trash my story. I'd just like to know what a Mary Sue is? And could you edit my story or stories? I would seriously appreciate it. I go through them, but I probably miss a bunch of stuff. Second, NO 'me hopes' or sound like my soon-to-be two-year-old cousin, who says everything's "MINE!" or "ME" which is annoying. But I appreciate the fact that you think I'm a fair author for my age. I've suck at writing my whole life and it's nice to know somebody understands what I'm attempting to write!
Shinegami's Little Sis:
Yea, I love Chibi Chibi too! She's so clueless, but adorable, it's funny! Well still, I think your name's awesome… now if my fingers would unfreeze, I could quit typing funny… (sighs)
TO EVERYBODY ELSE, THANKS! I hope you enjoy this chapter. AND AGAIN, I DO NOT OWN GUNDAM WING NOR SAILOR MOON… if I did, I would be a freakin' genius dude, and guess what, I'm not and I certainly don't speak Japanese and I don't live in Japan… so yea… the list could continue, but I'll shut up so you can enjoy this segment. YUPITERU
Chapter 12: A Glimmer of the Past
"What did Duo tell you about me?"
---------------
Hiiro carefully stared at her before turning his attention to the mess kitchen, "He didn't say much."
He went back to cleaning the waffle-batter covered surface, as if nothing had happened, leaving her wondering if her elder brother had mentioned anything to him. Duet cocked her head to one side and walked to the other side of the counter. She couldn't resist - she was so curious - she just blurted out,
"Like what?"
Before she had really thought about the question.
Prussian eyes locked with her silver orbs, boring through layer upon layer and penetrating what protection she had placed around herself.
"Something about an orphanage," his voice rumbled in the same tone, which sent shivers down her spine, leaving her wondering - yet again - what had caused it.
Duet gave him some-what of a smile and stared at the floor, "He loved the Maxwell Church and Orphanage. Did he tell you about my…" she laughed, "I mean, our adoption?"
Hiiro shook his head, still cleaning the counter with the third towel, eyes still trained on the short white-silver haired woman standing barely three feet from him. She turned her attention away from the floor and disappeared from his gaze to go to the black coffee pot; which oddly enough, had remained untouched from the batter mess he was cleaning up. She leaned up to a cupboard and pulled out a gold coffee mug then poured herself a cup of coffee while telling him what had happened.
"Long story short, the Tsukino family wanted to adopt me at the age of five. Of course, Duo bawled his eyes out and begged to be adopted too. On the day the adoption was finalized, he told them they couldn't take me without him."
Turning around from the counter and into his vision again, she giggled. Her placid fingers wrapping themselves around her hot mug of coffee, creating a fortress around the gold cup; before she began staring into its black abysmal depths, as if it held all of her memories.
"The Tsukinos finally agreed, only Duo was two years older than I was, so as soon as he finished high school, he left for college in New York City. I met up with him about four years ago, when I transferred schools."
Hiiro just stared at the girl in front of him, knowing she was telling him all the in-between details. She, he was finding out, was very good a keeping secrets. Actually she was a tenshi, an utter angel, in his eyes from some reason that he could explain nor process; never-the-less, she made what he had of emotions twice as strong.
"My adopted name is Tsukino Usagi," she said, her eyes locking with his, voice wavering slightly, as if pondering why she was telling him all of this information.
He stared right back, nodded then translated the name aloud in a questioning manner, "Rabbit of the Moon?"
She nodded eyes downcast again, as she appeared in a far-off daze while still murmuring a random reason as to why she had told him - mainly to convince herself.
"I thought you might want to know, sense my friends and partial family are returning. We all lived in Juuban. They like to call me 'Usa' or 'Odango Atama' or 'Koneko'…just thought you should know…"
She closed her eyes briefly, only for them to snap open once again; this time, they were void of her pupils. She must have been receiving some sort of message, because she began to wobble and teeter back and forth like a little child on a swing. Hiiro caught the white and silver haired female, just before her knees gave way and she sunk to the floor. The mug fell from her hands, shattered as it hit the floor and adding to the mess already in the kitchen, the contents splattered all over the cornflakes and waffle batter covered floor. It was that point in time, Minako had decided to walk in with Chibi Chibi. As soon as they caught sight of the collapsed woman on the floor, the two rushed over to Duet's side.
"MAMA!" Chibi Chibi screamed in horror, her dark blue eyes widening and threatening to spill the on-coming tears.
"Duet-chan… Duet!" Minako cried, holding the little girl close to her so she wouldn't see her body's body, "Is she okay? What's going on? What happened?"
The only man in the house gazed at Duet's blonde haired cousin and wondered how it was possible they were related; before immediately shaking the thought away because it was distracting him from the current situation.
"She's fine. Probably receiving some sort of message. I'm guessing something involving Duo. She's done this once before," his voice came out level.
Minako just cried to herself, 'What could possibly take this long to send to Duet?'
Chibi Chibi managed to squeeze away from her aunt's grip and tugged on Duet's clammy hand, "Mama!"
As soon as she had collapsed, Duet sprang back to life, her silver eyes gained focus and she jumped in Hiiro's warm and rather comforting embrace. A frown marred her features, but she managed to wrap her arms around Hiiro's back and embrace him in a hug, her arms around his waist. Hiiro looked clueless, seeing as he didn't know what to do with his hands. He finally decided on wrapping them around the petite woman's waist again; if that was what comforting her. She slowly released him, clenching his tank top in her fists, like he was her last line in sanity; which was partially true, but she would never admit it aloud to the people in front her.
"Is it possible to be dead, but not dead?" her voice came out wavering, and perplexed.
She was frowning. The two adults - Hiiro and Minako - were baffled at her question, and through it all, the young child began to giggle happily at their reactions to whatever her mother had said.