The sealed past is starting to stir in my chest,
The forgotten heart goes further each time I wish for it.
The longer we live, the more we lose,
But even so I don't want to throw away my dreams for tomorrow.
- Bokutachi no Yukue, Gundam SEED: Destiny

Moonlight Demon
Chapter Four: How to Meet a Familiar Face

----

Mornings had become quite lonely and quiet for Shia after Misha had left for North America.

Without Misha around, she was only cooking for herself and cleaning up after only herself. Neither task managed to keep her busy for very long, considering that she rarely ate a full meal and never made much of a mess in the apartment. And though Klaus had - for reasons that he never shared with her - decided to remain by her side after she became a human, he was never one for conversation.

It had not taken long until the morning came that Shia found herself knocking on Kotarou's front door to offer to make breakfast for himself and Shino. He only smiled tightly in response, his eyes blinking quickly as if trying to hold back his tears, as he made room to let her in. Shino sat alone in the living room, dressed to go to the daycare. Her purple eyes were big and curious as she stared at Shia. The only words that came out of her mouth that morning were,

"Where is Misha-oneesan?"

Shia blinked slowly, realizing suddenly that she was standing in her own kitchen. She gently placed down the knife that she had been using to prepare Kotarou's lunch and sighed, taking a step back away from the counter. She sighed softly, and closed her eyes.

It had hurt when Misha had left so suddenly, though she was not surprised by her choice to do so. Misha herself had been in a great deal of pain back then, dealing with her own guilt for what had happened to Kotaroh and the guilt of using Kotarou to replace him. Because she was so young, she lacked the knowledge and ability to correct the situation her thoughtlessness had created. She lost herself to that hopeless feeling, and had completely given up. It was understandable why she felt that she had to leave. She was overwhelmed by the constant reminder of what she had done.

Aizou had provided her with the escape that she needed, and had even offered her a means to correct what had happened without 'death' as an option. It only made sense that Misha left with her.

With all of that in mind, it hadn't taken long for Shia to muster up the courage to re-invite Misha to live with her. She had even managed to extended the invitation to all of Misha's friends. Misha just smiled as she accepted the offer, though her gaze turned to the side, towards Kotarou's veranda.

Could things ever return back to how they once were?

"Shia-san?" Misha's voice echoed against the kitchen walls.

She jumped, started, and turned around to face the young half-demon. Her eyes widened slightly at the sight before her: Misha's hair had miraculously turned back to it's past pink tone.

"Oh, Misha-san, your hair..."

"Y-Yeah," she replied, smiling bashfully. She ran her fingers through her hair quickly, her eyes darting to the corners as if to make sure of the colour's change. "It was something that Mango taught me."

"So, um..." Shia's eyes darted around the kitchen nervously. For some reason it was hard to think of something to say to her. "How did you sleep?"

"Um, pretty well," Misha replied, tucking a few strands of hair back behind her ears. Her smile widened. "Su."

Silence passed over the two young women for several moments.

Misha had changed quite a bit since the last time that they had last stood face to face. She was quieter, more reserved. It was almost as if she was nervous, and had to stop to carefully think out every move she made and every word that she spoke. It was as if she was so aware that making the "wrong move" could end everything, she could no longer just enjoy what was happening around her.

Though she had a knack for being motherly, she was at a loss for words to encourage Misha to relax even just a little.

"Anyways, I gotta get going before school starts," Misha said finally.

"Oh? Are you planning to go with Kotarou-san?" Shia asked.

Misha paused for a moment, then shook her head. "No… Takashi-kun gave me his jacket yesterday, and I wanted to return it to him."

"Oh, I see."

Shia's curiosity peaked. She had been able to gather that Misha and Takashi were closer than they had been before she left, but she had not been able to gauge just how close they had become. Now she was certain she could see it more clearly.

"Anyways, I should get going," Misha spoke up, smiling slightly.

It was the first smile that she had seen that wasn't accompanied by a haunted look in her eyes.

"Ah, okay," she replied.

She was silent for a moment, thinking. Even though it appeared that there was something going on between Misha and Takashi, it was still apparent that Misha still had feelings for Kotarou. Despite the fact that he was dating Koboshi now, Kotarou still retained his feelings for Misha. It was a complicated situation that only promised pain for all of them.

Still, the least that she could do was reunite them as friends. If they could at least speak to one another, then there was a chance to work everything out, without anyone getting hurt.

Right?

"Oh, Misha-san!" she called after the pink haired woman. "Could you wait a few moments?"

Misha stopped at the veranda window, her hand on the door. "What do you need? Su?"

"I'm almost done making Kotarou-san's obento," she said, motioning to the food on the counter. "Since you're headed to the school, could you deliver it to him for me?"

She received a curious stare in return. Of course it didn't make much sense that she would have Misha deliver it in her place when they lived next door to him. She could just as easily step outside and give it to him herself. However, this was the easiest chance that she could come up with for them to begin speaking to one another. It was small, but it was still a chance.

Whether she understood that an opportunity was being presented to her or not, Misha smiled again.

"Yeah, I'll take it, Shia-san."

It's hopeless for her, Shia, Klaus' voice echoed in her mind. Why are you even bothering to help that useless halfling?

She glanced over at the small black cat that had gone unnoticed until now and merely smiled back at him.

---

Shia hadn't come over to make breakfast for Shino and himself that morning. It was a habit that they had formed over the past few years: as long as Shia did not have a morning shift at the tricot, she would come over and help them prepare for the day. And as with any other daily habit, when Shia did not come over, he felt as though something was missing from his day.

So it was only natural that he would come to check up on her before he left for work, right?

"I, uh…"

Kotarou stared at the woman that had answered Shia's door. She was tall and slender, with thin maroon eyes that stared curiously back at him. Her hair was a similar colour to her eyes, only a few shades darker.

He had never seen her before in his life, but there was something about her that felt very familiar. He could not place what that feeling was, but he recognized it as something close to him.

"I… think I…" he trailed off.

Kotarou glanced from side to side, looking for something to indicated that somehow he had mistaken Shia's door for someone else's. But there was no such luck - the door to his left was indeed his own.

He was at the right apartment. So who was this woman?

"Shia's not here," the woman stated. She spoke quietly, but her tone was firm enough to leave no room for argument.

"Uh…"

Kotarou continued to stare at her. Was something serious going on? The idea was quickly pushed aside. He had seen Klaus in action once before, and he knew from then that the demon was powerful enough to take out just about anyone that meant to harm Shia. He trusted that. So then, who was this woman?

"You're Kotarou Higuchi, aren't you?" Her voice was still just as quiet, but it was softly. "Misha's friend, Kotarou, right?"

She's one of Misha's friends? he wondered, staring at her wide eyed.

She did not strike him as the kind of person that Misha would be around. She was definitely not a friendly person. But that felt as though it should have been the least of his issues with her - there was also something about her that felt very, very dangerous. Yes, he could say for certain now he knew what that familiar feeling was that he received as he stood so close to her: demon.

"Who are you?" he snapped, stumbling back.

The woman smiled now, something that completely transformed her features. She seemed friendlier. No, that was the wrong word. She looked amused more than anything else.

"What are you doing in Shia-san's place?"

She opened the door and took a step out into the hallway.

"You're a demon, aren't you?" he accused. "Right?"

She nodded, a smirk planted on her lips. "Yeah, you got me there." She took another step towards him, and he took another one back. "Well, you're sort of right. My name is Aizou, and I am a half demon. Close enough, I guess."

He blinked. She was just going to admit it? Just like that? Like it was nothing?

Well, maybe it really was nothing to her. Even if he was able to figure out what she was, that did not change the fact that she would be able to snap his neck with a single blow. What reason would she have to become unsettled by some kid figuring out what she was?

"I didn't take you for a coward," she sighed, though behind that he could hear the laughter in her voice. "After all of the stories I've heard form Misha, I'd think that you'd be a bit calmer around someone like me."

"Misha… san?" he repeated her name. So she is a friend of Misha-san. But, what would Misha be doing with a half demon?

"To be honest, I like that Ayanokoji kid better," the woman continued. She slunk towards Kotarou, each step drawn out and overly dramatic.

Kotarou scowled, his discomfort quickly being replaced by irritation. He'd never met this woman before, and yet Takashi had. How many times had he and Misha hung out since her return? How many times had Takashi just pulled her into his arms like he did at the café? How many reminders did he have to receive that she had never been his in the first place?

"Jealousy," she stated. "It's just spilling out of you."

Kotarou blinked. The woman's body was suddenly pressed against his own.

When did she…? He was cut off in mid thought as she raised a hand to his cheek.

His chest tightened. It was hard to breathe. Small pinpricks danced along his skin, and he shivered. He wanted to push her away. He wanted to give her a good shove and get the hell out of there, but his body wouldn't listen to him. He couldn't get away from her.

"You, too, are partially demon," she chuckled. "I can feel it in you. But the blood's too weak to do a damn thing for you. Maybe, maybe… it can do something for me…"

---

Joudai Middle School was the largest school that Misha had ever seen in her entire life - though she had only really ever seen one other school in her entire life. Misha stood, frozen in awe at the school's front gates, as she stared at the large building.

It wasn't until after she had left the apartment with the hopes of meeting up with Takashi before school started that she had absolutely no idea where the middle school was. For once that did not pose a problem for her; since she was a child she had possessed the ability to sense out the presence of others in order to locate them. Because of that, locating the school had been easy.

That was how I always found Kotarou-kun, she thought, smiling bitterly.

Misha sighed softly. She shook her head at herself. It was silly to think about the past now. No matter how many times she thought about it, thinking never changed anything. The past was the past, unchangeable, no matter how much she wished that things could be different. As for the present - that was within her grasp, and she could not afford to have it slip away from her.

She sucked in a deep breath and held it.

Return Takashi-kun's jacket, she reminded herself. Return it. Give Kotarou-kun his bento, then head back home. That's all that you need to do today, so do it!

She closed her eyes for a moment as she focused. There were so many students in the school grounds that looking for Takashi by any normal means would take far too long. The bell would ring, and then she would be forced to drop by during school hours to return the jacket to Takashi and give Kotarou his lunch.

A small grin touched her lips as she recalled her former habit of appearing at Kotarou's classroom window. It had always been fun to pop in on him like that, despite his own protests and the way that the teacher would scold her. Being able to just visit with him like that, just to be able to see him and not having to care about the consequences - those were the days that she had enjoyed the most.

"Excuse me, Miss, are you lost?" a quiet, male voice broke through the chatter of the students.

Misha opened her eyes slowly. "Eh?"

"Are you lost?" he repeated.

"Am I…"

Misha stared at the teen that stood less than two inches away from her. He was taller than she was by several inches. His hair was straight, brown, and barely passed his shoulders. His eyes were an odd shade of hazel, coloured by a slight crimson tint.

Aside from his oddly coloured eyes, he greatly resembled Kotarou, she thought as she continued to stare at him.

"Ah, oh." He mumbled something under his breath. He tilted to his head to the side and returned her stare, curiosity sparking in his eyes.

"Do. You. Not. Speak. Japanese?" He spoke slowly and clearly.

A smile tugged at the corners of Misha's mouth as she tried not to laugh. Though he meant well, it would have been a wasted effort on someone who did not know the language. Changing the way one spoke wouldn't matter if the one listening had no understanding of the word.

"I take that as a… no?"

"No. Su," Misha chirped in response.

"No?" he repeated. He continued

She paused for a moment, then allowed herself to laugh. "Yes. I mean, yes. Su. I can speak Japanese. Su."

It was his turn to pause as a smile broke out on his face.

"I was starting to wonder," he joked.

"Sorry. Su," she apologized, and bowed her head quickly. "I was just thinking about something. Su."

"Heh heh. That's alright."

She smiled again. She was finding it hard not to. There was something about him, something about just being near him, that made her want to smile.

"Well, as I asked you before," he continued, "are you lost?"

"No, not really. I'm just looking for someone. Su."

She bit her lip gently as she thought. What was it about him that made her feel so comfortable? For a moment the thought that it was because he resembled Kotarou passed her mind, then was quickly dismissed. She and Kotarou weren't even on speaking terms. A reminder of that, no matter the circumstances, was ever a good one. So what was it?

No, it's not Kotarou-kun, she thought, her eyes widening slightly at the realization. He looks more like Kotaroh-kun.

"Oh, who are you looking for?"

"Ah, it's Ta-Takashi Ayanokoji. Su."

His face visibly darkened at her response. "Oh." He sighed. "Guess I can't compete wish that guy."

"Ah…" Misha was unsure how to respond to his comment. What was he going to compete with Takashi over?

He cleared his throat and lowered his gaze to the ground. A sigh passed through his lips. He shifted nervously. Something was bothering him. Was it because she was looking for Takashi? Was his relationship with the blonde something like Hiroshi's - based on a rivalry?

"Are you-"

"Sorry." He cut her off. The smile suddenly returned to his face, and he offered her his hand. "My name is Kotaroh Fujimiya. May I have the honour of knowing yours?"

Misha's heart skipped a beat.

Kotaroh…?

"Is there a problem?" he asked.

Kotaroh… His name is Kotaroh…

His name echoed in her mind. "Kotaroh" - it wasn't enough that he resembled the boy she had failed, he had to have the same name as well?

She looked away.

"My name is Misha Asaki," she mumbled. "Su."

"That's a beautiful name," he commented. "Fitting for an angel."

"Huh?" Her head snapped up.

Kotaroh smiled at her. "I think that name suits you, one who is as beautiful as an angel."

She was silent for a moment, staring at his face.

"Th-Thank you. Su."

"As for Ayanokoji," he began, "he usually meets up with his friends around here."

Still staring at his face, she replied, "thank you. Su. Ko… Fu-Fujimiya-san."

"Please, 'Kotaroh' will do fine," he laughed. "I hate formalities like that."

She fell silent for a moment. It felt wrong to be here, to enjoy his presence. No matter how much she was enjoying it, the back of her mind was screaming at her for her stupidity. This boy was not "Kotaroh". Just because they shared the same physical features and name did not make them the same person. Kotarou was even Kotaroh's reincarnation - there was no connection between the teen standing before her, and the forever burned into her memories. She would only be repeating the same mistakes that she had made with Kotarou if she allowed herself to continue to think of this for as "Kotaroh".

"Hey, Misha!" Takashi's voice broke out over the crowd. "Mii-shaa!"

She turned to her right just in time to see him push through a crowd of people.

"Well then, I suppose that's my cue to exit," Kotaroh said. He reached out, took her hand in his, and lightly pressed his lips to the back of her hand. "I am honoured to have met you, dear Misha. I hope to see you again soon."

Misha blushed furiously.

Kotaroh just smiled at her, then turned around and headed for the school.

"Misha, what are you doing here?" Takashi puffed, out of breath from running.

She turned to him slowly. Her mind was racing with unintelligible things. Only one thought rang out clear in her mind: I want to see him again.

"Misha?" Takashi repeated her name again. He touched the side of her face gently, guiding her eyes to meet with his. His face was brimming with concern. "Are you okay? Did that guy do something weird to you?"

A wave of guilt overcame her. She was being ridiculous. What was she thinking? She had Takashi, who was more than ready and willing to take on all of the darkness in her past.

A cough came from behind Takashi.

"I'm going to inside," Kotarou grumbled, making his way into her line of sight.

Takashi chuckled nervously. "Yeah. See you there, man."

Kotarou stopped for a moment, staring at the two of them. Her eyes met with his for a moment, but he broke the gaze quickly. He stood there as if he was frozen in place, unable to move or look at anything but the sidewalk.

"Higuchi-san, I, um…" she stammered.

She pulled away from Takashi, and walked towards him.

"What do you want?" he grumbled, his voice barely audible.

She held her hands out between them, and smiled. She clapped, and in a small burst of smoke, the bento appeared in her hands.

"Shia-san wanted me to deliver this to you. Su," she announced.

Kotarou's eyes flickered to her face for a brief moment before he reached out for his lunch. His hand rested atop the bento for a moment, hesitating, before he finally took it from her.

"… Say thank you to Shia-san for me," he said finally.

"Um, I will. Su," she agreed.

Kotarou stood there for a moment. He glanced at her once more, then at Takashi.

"I'll see you inside," he muttered.

"Did Shia-san teach you that?" Takashi questioned, coming up behind her.

Misha shook her head. "No... Aizou did."

"So you dyed your hair back to normal last night, huh?"

She nodded slowly, finding it hard to meet his eyes.

"Hey… are you alright?" he repeated his earlier question. He placed one hand on her shoulder, and turned her so that she was facing him.

"Yeah. Why do you ask? Su?"

"You seem, kind of spaced out. That's all."

She smiled, and willed it to reach her eyes. "I was up late last night, that's all."

He was silent for a moment, then returned her smile.

"I should get inside too," he mentioned.

"Alright."

"Don't push yourself too hard," he told her, then leaned over and kissed her forehead.

She blushed. "I won't," she promised. "Su."

---

"Nyaaaah," Aya yawned. She crouched down on the pavement. "I'm bored…"

"Just a little longer," Misha promised her aqua-haired friend. She looked down at the jacket that she was holding in her arms.

It was only on her trip back to the apartment that Misha had realized her second blunder of the morning: she had forgotten to give Takashi's jacket back to him. Though just as before, this mistake wasn't one that she regretted making. Because she had forgotten it, she had a valid reason to see him again.

Though wanting to see him, alone, was enough of a reason for her.

She had come just in time to hear the final bell ring to announce the end of classes for the day, yet even an hour later, Takashi still hadn't left the school. She found it hard to stand in the same place, but she didn't want to get him into trouble with any of the teachers by going into the school.

It wasn't until Koboshi had shown up a short while later and explained that he and Kotarou held study sessions in the library every day for one hour, before Takashi's shift at the tricot began, that she understood why it was taking so long for him to come out.

Aya hopped up suddenly.

"That girl's glaring at us again," she mumbled so that only Misha could hear her.

Misha glanced over to the other side of the gate where Koboshi was standing. Just as Aya had said, the blonde was shooting daggers at Misha with her eyes.

She smiled at her.

"Uematsu-san, are you waiting for Higuchi-san?" she called over.

Koboshi remained silent for a moment, then sighed.

"Yes."

Misha laughed, softly It was a nervous response. Koboshi had never liked her to begin with. Now the animosity seemed to have grown, though she didn't know how or why.

She sighed. When she had first met Koboshi, she didn't think much of the girl. She was an obstacle, a rival for Kotarou's attention - though he was ever oblivious to how the blonde felt about him. She was still a friend of Kotarou's, though, and a friend of Kotarou was someone that she wanted to be friends with.

That was how it had been with Takashi originally, too.

Her gaze fell to the ground. How did Kotarou feel now that she was with Takashi? Neither she nor Takashi had agreed that they were officially dating, but they were growing much closer than 'just friends'.

Did that still count as being 'with' him? Or was it still too soon?

She wasn't sure. Aya had once taken the time to explain human relationships to her, but the entire concept was too complicated for Misha to comprehend. In the end all that she was able to understand was what she had understood before: dating meant that you really liked one another and wanted to be with them forever.

Forever with Takashi-kun…?

She frowned. She didn't exactly hate the idea, but she still didn't feel the same as when she thought of being with Kotaroh forever.

"Hey there, Beautiful," Takashi chuckled.

Misha perked up.

"Takashi-kun! Su!" she exclaimed. She smiled brightly and pushed away from the gate. "I missed you so much! Su!"

Once again, Kotarou appeared from behind Takashi. His eyes were a little wide with surprise. Maybe he hadn't expected to see her again so soon, or perhaps her declaration to Takashi had caught him off guard. Whatever it was, it didn't take long for the surprise to fade into a glare.

"Ehh, he's just like that girl," Aya commented, this time loud enough for all of them to hear.

Koboshi ignored the comment and walked over to Kotarou.

"How was your study session?" she asked him.

He shrugged. "Same as usual… I guess."

She inched closer to him, and he inched back and looked away.

"Kotarou…"

Takashi's hand suddenly came down on Misha's head, bringing her attention back to him.

"Takashi-kun? Su?" she questioned.

"Hey, are you busy tonight?" he asked her.

She shook her head. "No, I'm not. Su. Why? Su?"

"I'm gonna have another study session at Kotarou's for the exams in a couple days," he explained as a wolfish grin crossed his face. "So I was hoping that after I could see you."

She blushed and giggled.

"That sounds great. Su."

"Misha-chan's in love," Aya snickered. "Nyaah."

Her blush deepened.

"A-Aya-chan… Su…" she stammered.

Takashi laughed softly. He draped an arm around her shoulders and declared, "as long as it's with me, I don't mind."

There was a collective moment of silence before Aya burst out into laughter.

"O-Oh my G-God… Nya," she laughed. "That's… That's so… corny. Nya."

"Takashi-kun!" Misha gasped.

She immediately glanced over at Kotarou. He was staring at the ground again, his hair covering his face so that she couldn't make out what expression he was making. Koboshi was saying something to him, but she couldn't hear it.

"Hey, Kotarou-san! Nya!" Aya chirped suddenly, pointing dramatically in his direction.

He jumped as if someone had hit him. The sudden action startled Koboshi and she stumbled back a bit.

"Wh-What?" he stammered. He looked uncomfortable.

Aya just grinned at him. "It's nice to finally meet the 'Kotarou-kun' that Misha was always talking about. Nya. It's a pleasure. Nya."

"Uh, I… ah…" He looked away again. "Yeah, sure."

"I see you brought my jacket," Takashi spoke up, changing the subject. He, too, much have felt uncomfortable by the situation.

I wonder if he knows how Kotarou-kun feels about this… about us…

Misha smiled at him.

"I meant to bring it this morning. Su. But I forgot it after Shia-san asked me to bring Higuchi-san's lunch. Su," she explained in one breath. She gulped in a breath of air, then continued, "And, I wanted to see you again today, anyways. Su."

"Then it all worked out," he replied, giving her a gentle squeeze.

Her smile widened. "Y-Yes! Su!"

---

For the first time since her return to Japan, Misha had not been disheartened by any of the day's events. She had gotten to meet the mysterious teen that reminded her so much of her beloved "Kotaroh"; she had - sort of - shared her first conversation in years with Kotarou that did not involve him running away; and, she had gotten to see Takashi twice that day.

Staring out at the horizon, Misha sighed blissfully.

She still had nearly two months to correct how she had wronged Kotarou. It felt like so much time, and yet too little. She would have to play her cards right from now on. There was no more room for mistakes or hesitation.

"Misha, listen carefully. This is your last chance."

She closed her eyes.

"In two months, the war will begin."

"I can do it," she assured herself. She nodded. "I will do it."

"You're late," Klaus' hissed.

Misha opened her eyes and turned to face him. It was a shock at first, to see him in his true form. She had only seen it once before, when Shia had discovered the truth about her past.

"You spend too much time in that cat's body. Su," she joked. "You act like one even when you aren't."

"They planned you a 'welcome home' party," he announced, sounding unamused. "Next door. Go."

She nodded and began heading for the door. She stopped when she reached him.

"Shia asked you to get me, didn't she?"

"That's none of your concern," he huffed.

"It's good that you care about her," she said. "You'll always keep her safe, then."

He stared at her curiously. "Do you know something interesting?"

She shook her head and resumed walking.

"That's none of your concern."

---

Surprise! Makami is back!

I hope that whoever reads this enjoyed the chapter. I promise that from now on, there will be one chapter each week, posted either on Friday or Saturday. I'll try to have them this length. I don't know what else to say, except that I'm sorry to all of my readers when I just up and disappeared from writing. I plan on sticking with it this time.