By Haruka

Seiya was too stunned to think much of anything in the first few moments of the kiss. Then it struck him that this was _Haruka_ kissing him. Haruka, who would hack her own arm off rather than let a man touch her. The same Haruka who hated him a week earlier. He knew she was under some extreme stress, but he didn't know it was this bad. He should probably stop it, he thought. She would be angry with herself later, and with him, too. He should stop it �.
But he didn't want to.
What he wanted to do was put his arm around her and draw her closer, to keep the kiss going as long as possible.
And since Haruka didn't seem inclined to break it off anytime soon, that's exactly what he did.

Michiru was used to not being as fleet of foot as Haruka, but she could usually keep up with her tomboy girlfriend. This time, however, the senshi of flight would have far outdistanced her if she weren't holding fast to her hand. She saw the ice cream place up ahead and breathed a sigh of relief.
"Slow down, Ruka! Even if they come out now, we're sure to see them."
Haruka obediently slowed her pace to a brisk walk, her gaze fastened on the door ahead. "What if they're not here?" she wondered aloud. "What if we're on a wild goose chase?"
"Then we keep hunting." Michiru gave her hand a squeeze.
The couple picked up their pace again and opened the door to Ice Cream King. They saw Seiya immediately - the long black ponytail was unmistakable. He appeared to be busy at the moment
"Uh � who's he kissing?" Haruka asked weakly.
"That's you, dear," Michiru said, her voice shaking slightly.
Haruka stared in disbelief. "My God �."

Amara had the strange feeling she was being watched. Not wanting to end the kiss with the boy who was now responding to her, she cracked one eye open and saw � herself. She sat back abruptly, staring in wordless amazement. The black-haired boy frowned at first, then turned to see what had her attention. His jaw dropped open.
"Haruka?"
"Seiya!" snapped the green-haired girl beside the double. "What do you think you're doing? What about Fish Eye?"
What's a Fish Eye? Amara wondered vaguely, still staring at the other girl who looked so much like her. The way the girl stared back at her made her wonder if it was some kind of reflection. No, she realized. The blonde was holding the green-haired girl's hand. And now the two of them were coming closer.
"It really _is_ you," the black-haired boy said to her double. He turned to look at her suddenly. "Then you must be �."
"Amara," she said, unable to take her eyes off the other girl.
"I'm Haruka," she answered, staring right back at her. "This is Michiru, my girlfriend."
"I'm Seiya," the pretty boy told her. She finally tore her gaze from Haruka's to look at him and noticed he was blushing slightly. "I thought � I thought you were �." He glanced at Haruka, who rolled her eyes.
"Oh, come _on_, Seiya, why would I be kissing you? No offense, but you know better than that." She sat down at their table and winced, then focused on Amara again. "I've been getting into a lot of trouble because of you."
Amara looked thoughtful. "Was someone you know nearly hit by a car yesterday?"
"My mother," Haruka answered. "He wasn't happy."
"Sorry about that," Amara told her. "I was going a little too fast."
"Amara," Michiru said, "would you be willing to come home with Haruka and I? Her parents will never believe us unless they see you for themselves."
"Well," Amara said slowly, "it'd be pretty stupid of me to go off to a stranger's house alone, wouldn't it?" She turned to Seiya. "Would you come with me?"
He blinked in surprise, then grinned. "Sure," he said. "I'll protect you."
"I was hoping you'd say that." She smiled back.
Michiru frowned slightly as she watched them and Haruka knew that she was thinking about Fish Eye again. She'd have to talk to her later. Right now she was too relieved that Amara had agreed to accompany them - and too curious over why they looked so much alike.

"We're getting nowhere fast," Ves Ves complained as she and her sisters walked down the street, scanning the people around them.
"Well, we'll be at the arcade soon," Jun Jun said. "We can stop in and play a few games - maybe that guy with the braid will show up."
"You just want to play the games," Cere Cere sniffed.
"So what if I _do_ want to play? I'm entitled, it's vacation." She shrugged. "And it's not the only reason. I want to help Haruka. She's cool."
"Jun Jun is blushing," Palla Palla remarked.
"I am not!"
Her other two sisters scrutinized her. "Definitely blushing," Ves Ves agreed.
"Absolutely," Cere Cere said with an amused smile. "Jun Jun, do you have a _crush_ on Haruka?"
"No!" Jun Jun yelled.
"You just got redder," Palla Palla pointed out.
"That's because I'm mad!"
"Okay, hush now, people are starting to stare," Cere Cere said.
"Aw, people are always staring at us, who cares?" Jun Jun grumbled.
"You'd care if Haruka did it," Ves Ves teased. Jun Jun made a fist and was about to launch it at her sister's face when she looked through the window of the arcade. "Hey, _that_ guy has a long braid!"
The girls plastered themselves to the window and stared. Sure enough, there was a boy with long brown hair tied in a braid, arguing with an exotic-looking boy with long white hair and puppy-like ears on top of his head.
"Palla Palla wants to take the puppy home!"
"Never mind him! Let's nab Braid Boy!" Jun Jun ran into the arcade with her sisters in hot pursuit.

Inuyasha folded his arms. "Okay, fine, have it your way, Duo."
"Thank you, I will." Duo put the token into the game and settled in for a long run. "This will be my best performance ever! It should only take an hour or so."
"Just don't expect me to wait for you after I get bored," Inuyasha told him.
Duo was too busy staring at the game screen to notice the four girls creeping up behind him. However, when the whip wrapped around his waist tightly, pinning his arms to his sides, they had his full attention. "Hey, what the hell's going on?!" he yelled.
Inuyasha looked over the crowd of colourfully-dressed, strangely coiffed little girls. They looked harmless, and yet from the way they efficiently bound Duo up and hoisted him onto their collective shoulders like pallbearers at a funeral, they were used to working together and were good at it. He decided to answer Duo's question, "Looks like you're being kidnapped by a bunch of girls."
"Well, DO something, man!!"
"Okay." Inuyasha walked over and blocked the sliding doors open. "Go ahead, girls."
"Inuyasha!" Duo bellowed. "I'll get you for this!"
"Thanks, puppy!" the blue-haired girl said. "You want to come home with me and be my pet?"
"No, thanks." The dog demon stepped out after the girls and waved goodbye to the protesting Duo as he literally got carried away.

End of chapter 21

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