Second chapter, simple as that. I really enjoy writing this so if anyone flames it…you'll crush me.
Disclaimer: I do not own Crescent moon. Or transformers
It was about two hours later that everyone came home again. I was getting worried that the bar would have to open before they got back.
"Hey Misoka! Ya missed a great movie! Transformers was so awesome! And-"
Akira proceeded to babble on about how these giant cars turned into giant fighting robots. I ignored him through most of it and continued to get the bar ready for the busy night ahead.
The Princess and Mitsuru went off together somewhere, the couple had decided that they would marry as soon as the princess was finished with school, which would be about a year away now.
Akira still managed to maintain his playful innocence, though after Himura…well, he matured just a bit.
Nozomu was still a flirt but somehow couldn't hold down a girlfriend…ever. Too busy flirting with other girls if he ever managed to start a relationship with one…which ended badly most of the time. Occasionally he'll find an obsessed fan girl in the bar to flirt with.
Speaking of the vampire, he was looking at me with his arms crossed, he was concerned, and I had a good idea why.
"Leader, may I speak with you a moment?" He still hadn't given up his nickname for me even after we found the teardrops.
I nodded and walked towards the kitchen, The others didn't follow because they knew I wouldn't put up with eavesdropping.
"what is it Nozomu?" I asked casually, hoping that he wasn't about to ask what I thought he would ask.
"Misoka, you were spacing out….you're the last person anyone would expect to space out….heck even Akira noticed it! You only space out when you think of…"
I glared at him, warning him to keep his voice low.
"Crystal…" He whispered.
I stared at the floor and leaned on the counter, my arms crossed. Yes, Nozomu found out.
A few years ago, before we even met the princess, it was when our search for her was just beginning. We were moving into the bar, and at that moment me and Nozomu were bringing my things to what would be my room. Somehow he had found the hand picture, questioned it, and I was forced to tell him what it was. Everything, even Crystal's nickname for me, which amused Nozomu to say the least, was revealed.
I swore him to secrecy. Not that I was embarrassed by being friends with Crystal, but at that time it was dangerous for our kind to know I had been…that I am. Especially around Mitsuru, if he found out he'd probably kill me and….I don't want to think of what he would do to Crystal.
He seems to be a little better, after all he is getting married to a human, it would probably be alright if he found out….but my aunt.
But my aunt…I doubt that her hatred for humans will ever decease, but…she's never really been particularly fond of me anyway….so if she did find out would it make much of a difference?
there would always be a risk that my aunt will snap again…I don't want Crystal to be in that situation…but…
"You're spacing out again.." Nozomu mentioned raising an eyebrow and I looked up.
"Its true, I was thinking of crystal, why you're worrying I cant understand though."
Nozomu sighed, "When are you gonna take a chance and go find her?"
I gave him an indignant look, "Nozomu, do you know how many people there are in the world, did you know at least a thousand add to that each day? Even if I was able to get in contact with someone who can help me find her I cant afford it."
Nozomu thought about it, it made sense, its not like as soon as he started Crystal would just pop up out of the blue. I started to walk out of the kitchen when Nozomu had to add on to the conversation. Not to mention the one I really wanted to drop.
"But Misoka….if she's so important to you why are you stalling? Is it because…"
I froze in place, don't you dare say it out loud Nozomu.
Nozomu blinked a couple of times then he slowly grinned, "you're in love with her…aren't you?"
I didn't move or speak. Its not like I didn't expect someone to figure it out sometime….but why the heck did it have to be him?!
Nozomu's grin got wider, "I knew it…that's why you never forgot about her…"
Anyone who saw my face at that moment would gasp and faint in surprise, yes, me the stoic one of the moonlight bandits was blushing. Faint but a blush is a blush.
"So your afraid that when you finally do find her you wont be able to keep your cool calm and collected look and confess."
He hit it right on the dot. Not that I would let him know that.
He sighed, "Misoka, Misoka, Misoka…the first thing bout women you have to learn is-"
"I'm out of here." I muttered as I walked briskly through the kitchen door.
"Hey!" Nozomu called after me but I disregarded him, I had no intention of listening to what he was about to say.
Akira ran past me to start his work in the kitchen, while the princess and Mitsuru where starting to set the tables. Nothing out of the usual. I sighed inwardly and walked back to the bar, starting to bring out some of our most popular drinks.
We had 20 minutes until we would open, it was dark and rainy outside with a large summer storm coming in. It was only supposed to last about an hour but with all the people rushing around to get out of it we opened early. Lets just say providing shelter can sometimes lead to good business.
Curiously, a girl was walking passed with no worry at all, in fact she didn't even try to walk under the awnings of nearby shops. She stopped to glance at the bar and she smiled, she had a huge and heavy looking bag slung across her shoulder. Her hair was sopping wet and hung in her eyes a little.
She was hesitant about coming in, she kept reaching for the door handle and pulling back and looking at her wet clothes. Finally the princess stuck her head out and asked if she would like to come in.
The girl looked sheepish and scratched behind her head. Stepping carefully on the front rug of the moonshine she smiled but looked apologetic.
"I'm sorry, I love the rain so when I stand directly under it I don't really think about where I might need to go being dry."
The princess smiled, "That's alright, let me get you a towel so you wont catch a cold."
The girl nodded and stood patiently on the rug, occasionally walking back out under the awning to ring out her hair. The princess handed her the towel a few minutes later and went back to her job.
Tousling her hair in the towel, the girl dried off quickly then came into the bar.
Now that I could get a better look, she was a short woman, maybe only 2 or 3 inches taller than me. She had….
Brown hair…and hazel eyes….just like…
"Hello, guess you get a lot of business when there's a storm coming huh?"
I looked up from my day dream to see the same girl looking at me and smiling. She was seated on one of the bar stools and her bag was on one beside her.
"I'd like a water please."
I slapped myself mentally and got her water.
"Here"
"Thank you."
As I went back to my work I found myself glancing at her every few seconds. Could she really be Crystal? If so what was she doing here? And…why was she carrying a huge bag?
Once business had slow down for a while I walked back over and let my curiosity take over just a little.
"Excuse me miss, but if you don't mind me asking what's with the bag?"
She looked up from day dreaming.
She smiled, "Oh, thats just my equipment bag…the reason it's so big is because I have to carry my photography equipment and my painting easel. "
My heart dropped to the floor, she was painter! She could really be Crystal!
Her eyes got a distant look to them, "You see I've been traveling the world for a year and a half now…what I do is I photograph sites of buildings, animals and my favorite of all, insects in different countries. Once I do I paint them and sell them off to a home were people can learn about the different things there are in other countries."
…Insects…
She looked around at the walls of the moonshine, suddenly stopped and her eyes widened in surprise. She got up suddenly and I followed.
"What is it miss?"
"T-this painting…" She pointed to the dragonfly picture Crystal had given me so many years ago.
She smiled and touched the frame, "It looks like a painting I did when I was younger."
I raised an eyebrow, I felt like my stomach was doing summersaults in excitement.
She admired the wings of the dragonfly, which sparkled in the bar's dim light, "I gave that painting to my best friend…god I miss him…"
He misses you too… I slapped myself mentally, don't jump to conclusions Misoka…you don't even know if this is Crystal.
I heard the girl gasp and she rushed back to her bag. Slinging it over her shoulder again she looked back at me very flustered.
"I just remembered I forgot something at the train station! I really have to go get it but I'll be in town for a few more days…the uh…water was good so I'll be coming back tomorrow if that's okay."
I smirked, "It is a public bar you know…you don't need permission."
"Oh right, silly me….GOTTOGOBYE!" Just like that she speed out the door at a sprint back to the train station.
I was a little sad to see her go…
"Way to go Misoka…" Nozomu's sarcastic voice said from behind me.
I didn't jump of course…but I certainly was surprised, I turned my head to see a disappointed looking Nozomu.
"You let her get away! You've been looking for this girl for what 10 years now! And you let her walk out the door!"
I walked back towards the bar, "Nozomu first of all keep your voice down, and second of all how can I be sure that's Crystal?"
Nozomu rolled his eyes, "Come on Misoka, she looks exactly like the Crystal you knew, she does the exact same thing as the Crystal you knew, and on top of that she recognized the painting that was given to you by Crystal!"
"Who's Crystal?" Akira asked, poking his head out from the kitchen door. He was drinking a root beer.
"No one!" I shouted quickly and uncharacteristically.
Nozomu smirked, "Suuuuuure she's not….Miso-kun."
Suddenly all the soda Akira just drank came flying out of his nose in laughter.
"Ahaha!….ow…Ow OW OW! It burns!" Akira screamed as he went back into the kitchen to wash his face.
I glared at Nozomu but he simply shrugged and went to help Akira.
Crystal's POV
I sighed as I slipped off my sandals, and fell backwards onto the hotel bed. Crazy day.
The folder that I had forgotten at the station lay next to me, it was my dream folder. Something that would hold things I would think about, dream about.
I smiled and unconsciously grasped one of the papers. I could tell it was the one I wanted because it felt different…very aged.
Sure a 21 year old woman might be a little old to keep something so childish but I've always acted like a child…I don't think I could honestly act like an adult.
I glanced down at my outfit. I had a baby blue t shirt on that had a butterfly with the word dream under it I had a light green skirt on with green and blue flip flops.
Yup, haven't changed much…
I lifted the hand print that me and my best friend made almost ten years ago,
Huh Misoka?
I smiled and pressed my hand gently over his hand print. I'll find you…
My mind traveled back to the young man I met at the bar for some reason….something about that smirk…could he have been?
I gasped, what if that was Misoka!!!
It would make sense I guess, after all I did recognize the painting…but what if it wasn't mine? Why didn't I keep the thumbnail of the stupid thing?!
I slapped my forehead in frustration and stared up at the ceiling.
"I have to go back…to make sure…"
I lifted the folder and gently replaced one of my most precious items into it. Setting it on the side table I crawled under the covers, not even bothering to get changed. I curled up into a ball and thought about Misoka.
I'll find you Miso-kun….I love you…
Misoka's POV
I lay awake on my bed…I was so confused…and yet excited to see the young woman again tomorrow.
I chuckled to myself, to think all of this wouldn't have been necessary if I had just asked her name.
I stared at the crescent moon, I can feel it…I'm closer to you now crystal….I'm so close.
I closed my eyes and slept restlessly waiting for the next morning.
Wahhhh! No one reviewed the last chapter! (sniff) Please review this one then…there's only one chapter left and I'm working really hard on this fic. Please please review! I need to know if I've made progress!