Lady's Notes: Okay, before anyone says anything... yes, I know the mail doesn't come at six in the morning. But in my land it does, okay? Hahaha. It just seemed like a good way for things to go, so I made it happen. I have very little of this planned out, and I kinda just wrote it on a whim, so forgive me if mishaps like that occur a lot. Oh, and THANKYOU SO MUCH to my reviewers! It made me so happy to know that people were impressed with my beginning! I hope you continue reading!

Supernova in the Sky

Ch. 3

Sulking, the large black and white cat made his way far from the Ichiban Taiyou Orphanage, his head hung low and maw in a prominent frown. This sucked. He hadn't even spent three hours in this stupid place, and his identity was already spoiled! How did that girl know him? She couldn't be the girl he was looking for, could she?

"ChibiUsa, look!"

Rufus's ears picked up the voice of another. Turning slightly, he met the face of a pink-haired, red-eyed girl, who stared at him with the most inquisitive of stares. He leapt out of the way quickly before she had the time to trample him. After the massive feline was out of sight, the girl stopped, questioning what she had just seen.

"What was that, Diana?" she asked, pulling a pair of glasses from her fluffy white purse pocket. A small grey kitten nestled on her head was uneasy. The early sunlight caught gleam on the crescent moon on its forehead.

"That cat… he might've been one of us!" she exclaimed, turning her head. ChibiUsa laughed and shook her head.

"He didn't have a moon on his head! I know how you guys work!"

"No I'm serious!" Diana snapped, jumping off ChibiUsa and wandering down the street a few steps, her eyes searching for Rufus. "That was no moon on his head, sure… but it was something else! He's someone's guardian!"

"Well, we'll look for him later. I'm hungry, and I need community service hours!"

"I don't know why they give you the hours… you eat all of the food you make… you're just as bad as your mother!"

Ignoring her kitten who was acting like she'd be "on the rag" if she were human, ChibiUsa made her way briskly to the orphanage. She did have a knack of eating as she cooked, but a friend had told her that's how every good cook functioned! And Kino Makoto was a very good cook. It didn't take the girl very long to catch on to her friend's lessons, either. ChibiUsa's mother was so lousy in the kitchen, she had to do something if she was going to survive.

Once the girl arrived, the old wall clock read 5:55. If she was correct, Capella would be having an OCD moment right about now. Those were always exciting to watch. Diana left ChibiUsa and stationed herself on a windowsill, keeping her tiny frame behind a pot of marigolds, and watched sternly for Rufus. Also, she hated the little kids smothering her. Unlike her mother, Diana had become a little reclusive in the past year. ChibiUsa meandered to the volunteer desk – empty as no one with a right mind would be awake just yet – and found a sign in sheet. She came every Thursday, and… no one else had signed the sheet for months. Quietly, she signed her name with hearts and went into the kitchen. The usual scenario applied.

"YOU HAVE TOO MANY LUMPS IN IT!"

"THE MIX WAS LUMPY!"

"Then you should have SIFTED IT!"

What was funny was that despite their constant nagging, Kotori and Capella were the closest of friends. Kotori glared to the blonde girl while sticking out her tongue, sloppily beating the pancake batter with a wooden spoon.

"Nya!"

"Don't you nya at me!" Capella snapped back, putting her hands on her hips. "I'm mixing your eggs!"

"Big deal! I coulda mixed my eggs on my own!"

"Yeah? Well I probably coulda done a better job with my pancake batter!"

There was a sliver of silence.

"Wanna switch?"

"Yeah."

ChibiUsa laughed and grabbed one of the aprons hanging on a wall peg after surveying the daily scene.

"Good morning, you two. Looks like we're making a big breakfast this morning!" she said, waving. Capella grabbed a wet rag and wiped up the granite counter top and offered the space to the kitchen's newcomer.

"We sure are! Frying bacon is probably too dangerous for someone younger like yourself… I know! You can make the scrambled eggs!" she said, handing ChibiUsa a whisk.

"Hey! I wanted to do the eggs! Frying bacon hurts…"

"So don't turn the heat up all the way and it won't pop hot bacon grease at you all the time!" The pink-haired girl sighed. Sometimes being in the kitchen was… awkward. Kotori somewhat reluctantly handed her the eggs, and ChibiUsa heated up a frying pan and dropped in a bit of butter. If there was one thing her mother had taught her, it was that you could never have enough butter.

"It's about six… I'm gonna go check the mail before I start the bacon!" Kotori suddenly said, removing an obnoxious lemon yellow apron. Capella couldn't believe she didn't realize how ridiculous some of the stuff she owned was.

"Alright. Hurry back, the aloe is waiting for you."

Praying for a letter, Kotori rushed outside and down the walkway to the large mailbox. It was large because Ichiban Taiyou housed about 50 children, all who eagerly awaited a letter from a surprise parent daily. Kotori wasn't any different. She knew she had parents out there somewhere. And, deep down inside, she felt that someone was looking for her.

Maybe today was the day?

She reached for the mail box keys in her pocket and jammed them in the lock, twisting the old thing until it finally gave, and she pulled it open. There had to be nearly 20 letters. Nothing new. Serving out her patience-lacking manner, she rummaged through them – pink envelopes, blue envelopes, plain white ones, some with cute characters on them, a few neat postcards from places like Honshuu and even Germany, and… what was this? Her fingers pulled out a tall, mustard-yellow parcel.

With Capella's name on it? The redhead's anger boiled over like a volcano, and before her conscience could say anything about it –

"Yes, I am jealous! Are you happy?" For a quick second, she considered getting help about talking to herself, but then carefully opened the package. She was going to see just what was so damn special about Capella and not her.

Inside was a letter. Just a damn letter. For all the hard work the sender seemed to have gone through, Kotori was honestly disappointed, and was about to put it back when her curiosity got the best of her.

Dear Capella-san,

I realize you hate me, but I pray that you don't disregard this letter. Your mission is your pride, I understand. But it is time to let the last of it unfold. Let Kotori know about who she is! It's unfair to shelter her from the truth when her true home is in danger, and you know this. Quit being selfish for your own pride, you know she can handle it. I will give you three days. If I find out that nothing has been said to her, I am coming down to tell her myself.

And trust me, I'll know.

Sincerely,

Something told her that she might've been happier just holding a little jealous grudge towards Capella. This was just plan mean.

"All this time I thought that dirty witch was my friend! And here I find out… oooh! Wait till I get my hands on her!" Kotori said, biting her lip and shoving the letter carelessly inside the envelope. There was no way Capella was going to see what was in it. As she took the rest of the letters inside, Rufus crept out from behind a flower pot, his interest piqued.

"I've got to see what's on that letter…"