Moon: Tsukino Usagi
Venus: Aino Minako
Mars: Hino Rei
Jupiter: Kino Makoto
Mercury: Mizuno Ami
Endymion: Chiba Mamoru
Kunzite: Seishou Kouseinou
Jadeite: Tabiki Kasen
Nephrite: Kousei Kyosei
Zoicite: Kouseki Yosouya
Chapter 2-Twice Upon This Lifetime
Home late directly after a press conference with the media about her recently-earned rank as the top female swimmer in Japan (at least for teens), Ami was surprised to hear the doorbell ring. Her mother rarely forgot her keys, and they were missing from the tray on the hall table anyway. Peering nervously through the keyhole, hoping that there were no more reporters, she sighed with relief when she saw who it was. Opening the door, she nearly threw herself at the visitor in her happiness to see him. "Kyo-kun!" she cried happily, hugging him.
Laughing and putting his arms around her in return, one hand full with a bouquet of flowers, he said, "Konnichiwa, Ami-chan. I saw the press conference at the airport. Congratulations! Oh...here."
Taking the flowers that the brown-haired boy thrust at her, the blue-haired girl blushed slightly at both his words and the kind gesture. "Kyo-kun, you didn't have to go through all the trouble to get these. Arigato. They're beautiful."
"Douitashimashite, Ami-chan. They're almost as beautiful as you are," Kyosei grinned, winking one navy blue eye at her. When she flushed even more darkly, his smile grew wider.
They walked into the elegant living room, which was decorated in the same cool, classical style as the rest of the house. White marble and light-colored ceramic tiles were often present, and many rare works of art or statues created a nostalgic atmosphere. Ami never felt particularly at home in the place except in her room, which she had done herself. "Why didn't you tell me you were coming back today? I would have gone to meet you!"
"Nani? After you're all tired out from championships? Besides, surprising you is fun."
Shrugging, Ami sat down as he did, flicking back soft tendrils of blue hair from her pale face. Even during the summer, her porcelain complexion never seemed to acquire any traces of gilt. She was long used to the fact that she would probably never get a tan. For a while, they sat facing each other, sipping hot tea and discussing her swimming and his trip to England. Softly, she looked into the distance, reliving a memory that she called to mind often. "I just wish that someday, I'll meet Souya-kun again and thank him for what he did."
Kyosei, who was familiar with her description of him, replied, "I'm sure you'll see him again one day. After all, Hokkaido isn't far away from Juuban. How old did you say he was again?"
"I don't really know," she answered, forehead puckered up in thought, "he looked around a year or two older, so he's probably in college. Maybe you'll see him at Juuban University."
"I'll keep an eye out for him, just for you."
~ * ~ * ~
Minako toured Juuban High with great interest. She had left Japan when she was in elementary school, but she had remembered driving past the high school and watching the older students awe and admiration. She had wanted to be just like them, big and strong and bustling around with backpacks filled with important-looking books. Of course, now she knew that a student's life was not in the least bit dramatic, nor was having numerous textbooks something to get excited over. Soon, she would have to submit her college applications–on top of fitting back in at high school and trying to see where she would have to catch up with the senior curriculum. Juuban University was her first choice, because it was a very good school, one of the best in the area. But besides that, Minako didn't want to leave her home anymore. Despite the fact that she had spent more years of her life in England than she had in Japan, she still remembered Japan as her home and spoke the language more fluently. She loved and treasured her heritage, from the food to clothing (kimonos) to ceremonies and festivals. She still remembered running around and tripping on the hem of her first "grown up" kimono, holding a lantern clutched tightly in her hand in the shape of a fish. By now, the lantern was long lost, and the kimono had become much too short for her (or she had become too tall for it), but memories that she cherished could never be lost.
Cornflower blue eyes misty and mind preoccupied with recollections, the golden-haired girl neglected to watch where she was going and almost bumped into a brunette girl. "Oh, excuse me! Gomen nasai."
"Hey, it's no problem!" Makoto said cheerily. "Are you new here? I don't think I've ever seen you before."
"Hai. I used to live in Japan when I was eight, but I left for England. I've finally come back, after ten years...I've missed it so much. I'm Aino Minako, call me Mina-chan!" she introduced, smiling brightly.
Enchanted by her spirit and warm smile, the other girl replied, "I'm Kino Makoto, but call me Mako-chan. Oh...I've got to go now, to meet some friends of mine. Say, do you want to come with me if you don't have anything else to do? We could help you readjust to everything. Ten years is a really long time. Besides, some new friends couldn't hurt, ne?"
"I'd love to! Arigato gozaimisu." Walking along, she asked, "So, do you have any brothers or sisters?"
"Iie, no siblings...I'm an orphan, actually. What about you?"
Feeling abashed, Minako apologized, "Gomen nasai. I didn't mean to bring up anything uncomfortable... I don't have any brothers or sisters either."
Good-naturedly, the taller girl replied casually, "Don't feel bad, Mina-chan. It's not your fault that you didn't know. Besides, I've come to terms with their deaths. I've been alone for a while, now, so I'm used to it. Let me tell you about everyone so you won't feel uncomfortable when you meet them. First there's Tsukino Usagi. She's very possibly the sweetest girl I've ever met, and she's very open with people. Don't be surprised if she talks about personal things easily. Lately, though, she's been kind of down. The person she loves doesn't love her back."
Minako wondered at the strangeness pervading her, as if she knew this person...perhaps it was just Makoto's heartfelt description that touched her deeply. Obviously, the brown-haired girl cared a lot for this girl. "That's too bad... Do you know why he doesn't like her? I mean, not that it's any of my business, but this Usagi-chan sounds like a wonderful girl."
Biting her lip, she explained, "Mamoru-kun, who's also there, has been searching for this dream princess of his. It really hurts Usagi-chan a lot to think that she can't measure up to what he expects of a girl in life."
"That's really horrible!" the blonde exclaimed, shocked. "And he knows how Usagi-chan feels about him?"
"Oh yeah. I'm sure it's crystal clear," Makoto said dryly. "But...maybe I should tell you a little about Chiba Mamoru–he'll be there, too. But don't say anything to him about it, because it's a very touchy subject for him, too. Mamoru-kun's a sophomore in college right now, and he has big dreams to be a medical doctor. Like me, he lost his family a long time ago and woke up in a hospital with amnesia. Because of how they cared for him, he's wanted to be a doctor, too. He doesn't show emotion that easily, but he's really a great guy. There are two other guys in our little group besides Mamoru-kun. Tabiki Kasen and Kouseki Yosouya are half-brothers, but no one remembers that most of the time. They're both blond, but Kasen-kun has these gorgeous brilliant blue eyes, and Souya-kun's are a really sweet shade of dark green. Even though they look a lot alike and are pretty close, their personalities are really different. Kasen-kun is a real charmer, and he flirts almost unconsciously with any girl that comes along–whether she's pretty or not, so you better watch out and excuse his behavior."
Smiling faintly, Minako remarked, "I've had previous experience with unwanted attention, so I'll be fine. Don't worry."
"Great. Just so you don't get offended. But besides that, Kasen-kun is really _extremely_ nice and cares a lot about his friends. He's spending a lot of time with Usagi-chan, trying to get her to cheer up and not feel so down about himself. When he was younger, he used to get in trouble all the time for the pranks he pulled. Because he's busy in his freshman year, he hasn't really had a lot of time for fun, but once he gets the chance... Okay, okay, on to Souya-kun. He's just as perceptive as Kasen-kun other peoples' feelings, and if he wants to, he can get anything out of you that he wants, even if you thought you'd never tell anyone about it. He's also semi-taken." Seeing that the other girl was more than slightly confused, Makoto smiled slightly. "He didn't actually tell us anything, but Kasen-kun says there's a picture of a really pretty girl framed on his dresser. He said that she's not really stunning or anything like that, but there's something about her...but hey, it's a guy thing."
Giggling, Minako said a little enviously, "They all sound like such wonderful people. I wish that I had such good friends. In England, I didn't have many friends there. Most of the people were just friends with me, because I was in a few movies."
"Gomen nasai, Mina-chan. Hopefully you'll have better luck back home! So what movies were you in?"
Blushing at the brunette's eagerness and apparent admiration, she answered hesitantly, "It was just a few things for Sailor V."
Surprised, Makoto asked, "Really? Usa-chan loved watching that when she was younger... actually, she still does. Who were you? Matte, let me guess: Sailor V herself?"
"Hai, you're right. But it was really no big deal."
Seeing that Minako was feeling a little embarrassed, the other girl said, "Just make sure that you don't let Usagi-chan hear about this. She'll besiege you for details about movie magic and your autograph. Oh, look, there's the Crown Arcade. Motoki-kun's family owns the place, so he works there almost all the time. They also own the Parlor next door, and his imouto-san Unazaki-chan works there. She's really nice, so if you get the chance, go there one day and meet her–she's the pretty redhead." Before she could respond, Makoto towed her along into the Crown Arcade, past the games, and to a large table where one girl and three boys were already waiting. "Oh, great, everyone's here already–double introductions annoy me. Here we go. Konnichiwa, minna! This is Aino Minako, Mina-chan. I met her at school when I went to pick up some stuff," she explained, indicating the large backpack on her back.
They all responded with the same, and Kasen raised his eyebrows in an inquiring but friendly manner. "Hajimemashite, Mina-chan."
"You must be Kasen. Hajimemashite."
Looking at her with new respect, the blonde glanced towards Makoto. "You briefed her, didn't you?"
Shrugging, Makoto slid in next to Usagi and indicated that Minako should sit on the other end of the long booth, next to Yosouya. "Hey, it's only fair. I only told her what color your eyes were. Mina-chan, this is Usagi-chan, and that's Kasen-kun, whom you've already met, and then Mamoru-kun and Souya-kun."
As each murmured greetings in their own turns, with varying degrees of enthusiasm but genuine warmth and welcoming, Minako smiled at all of them. Usagi was blond-haired, with crystal blue eyes. Mamoru, the one who had seemingly rejected her cruelly, was breathtakingly handsome, she supposed, and his dark ebony hair and sapphire eyes were a nice combination. Knowing how he felt about Usagi, though, she wasn't sure that she wanted to associate with someone who could be so detrimental to another's emotional health. Kasen and Yosouya did look slightly alike, as Makoto had said, but she could easily tell them apart.
For a little while, the five talked about themselves and asked her about herself, and Minako told about how she had left Japan and finally returned for the first time. Before long, though, an interruption surfaced as Yosouya glanced in the direction of the door and frowned slightly. Excusing himself to the others and apologizing as Minako got out of the seat to let him out, they all watched as he headed towards a shadow lounging around outside.
~ * ~ * ~
"Excuse me? Miss?" Rei asked politely of the girl who looked around her age, although her build and height were a little slighter. "Did you want any help?"
Ami looked up in surprise, then smiled slightly. "Konnichiwa. I was just thinking about a few things...old memories...some of them better left to rest."
Curious purple meeting soft blue, the dark-haired girl asked, "Would you feel comfortable talking about it?"
"Hai, I think so." Ami smiled, then said, "I just realized that I don't know your name. I'm Mizuno Ami."
"Hino Rei. Hajimemashite. Hey, wait a minute...aren't you the swimmer? The Junior Champion for Japan?"
Blushing hotly, she nodded and looked down. "Hai, but it's only for girls. Besides, I'm giving up swimming this year. It's one of the things I was thinking about. I don't know...there was a dream I had once, inspired by person that's become very special to me..."
~ * ~ * ~
"Kouseinou-kun, I thought you said you were going to be busy today."
"I did," he answered, "but something seemed to draw me here. Something important. Did anything happen?"
Leaning against the wall, Yosouya brushed his fair hair out of his eyes. "Mako-chan's found a pretty nice girl at the high school. She's new, and her name is Aino Minako. You knew a Minako, didn't you? Her nickname is Mina-chan."
Gray eyes going wide, the silver-haired boy asked, "What does she look like?"
"Blond hair, blue eyes."
Leaving without a word, Seishou Kouseinou walked into the Crown Arcade, barely pausing to nod to Motoki, a friend of his. Going directly to the booth, he stopped short when he saw them all staring at him. Ignoring the greetings of his friends, he looked at the newcomer intensely for a few minutes. "Mina-chan?"
Drawing in a sharp breath, clear blue stared into smoky gray before she asked in reply, "Kousei-kun?"
"What, do you two know each other or something?" asked Kasen in surprise, voicing all of their questions.
Not relinquishing her gaze, Kouseinou nodded. "We met...once upon a time, long ago."
~ * ~ * ~
Jikai: The Next Meeting
The Present
Infinite Ice
