~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Tenshi's eyes were so bright at having discovered a possible solution to the puzzle of Neko. So despite her shock at Tenshi's suggestion, Neko tried to keep her response composed. But she couldn't let Tenshi contact Hoshi. Hoshi didn't even know about her.
"Ano, you know, you really don't have to go to all that trouble, Tenshi-kun." She smiled evocatively. "I'll tell you anything you wish to know."
"Oh?" Tenshi just had to take her up on her offer. "Then� just how do you manage to light up a room when you enter it?" she asked with a twinkle in her eye. "I thought you might have a remote control or something, but I've been watching you very closely. It must be magic."
"Silly. It's not me entering the room that makes it light up. It's that the room is so happy to see the two of us together that it can't help but brighten at the sight."
"Well, that's very romantic of it. Sets just the right atmosphere."
"Hai. We'll have to thank it for that."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Later that evening, Neko stared at the last letter Hoshi had sent her. It had come about a month and a half ago. "Ne, Mi-chan? When was the last time you wrote to Hoshi-chan?"
Mi-chan shrugged. "Oh, I don't know. Two or three months ago, something like that."
"We promised we'd write at least once a month�," Neko said slowly. She was aware that she too was guilty of not writing to Hoshi for awhile. They had just gotten so busy, what with the Sailor Senshi stuff and school and sports and significant others. But that really wasn't an excuse. She decided that perhaps it was time to write her right then.
She dug through her backpack for some notebook paper - not as pretty as Hoshi's star-filled stationary, but better than nothing. Shoving aside her summer homework, she cleared her desk and sat down to write.
Dear Hoshi-chan,
I'm sorry it's been so long since I last wrote to you. Mi-chan and I have been really busy. You know how it is. Besides school and stuff, we both have going out on lots of
She stopped. She couldn't tell Hoshi about Tenshi. Hoshi had made it clear that she didn't believe in same-sex relationships. She didn't even like S relationships all that much, though she never said anything about them.
No, she couldn't write about Tenshi. She erased that and tried again. Maybe if she focused on Mi-chan's relationship.
Mi-chan has finally found a guy that she wants to stick with. Remember when I told you about x-Chang-x Jian-wa Chang, my best friend. Well, he and she are now dating, and it looks pretty serious. Apparently he's the guy of her dreams. They were just flirting for awhile, but then they went to the dance together and
She stopped again. She couldn't write about the dance either. Hoshi didn't know they were the Sailor Scouts. And she certainly couldn't tell her what had happened with Jian-wa. She'd never approve of a guy who had betrayed them, who had tried to kill them. Heck, sometimes Neko wasn't sure she approved.
That wasn't exactly true. She knew they were really happy together. And Jian-wa had saved Mi-chan and Tenshi at the risk of his own life, so she knew they could probably trust him. So she had given him a second chance, and she was fairly certain that he wouldn't do anything to jeopardize that. But that was what betrayal was all about - waiting until someone trusted you and then stabbing them in the back!
Okay, so maybe she wasn't totally over it.
She didn't know that Hoshi would be all that forgiving either. So once again she erased what she had just wrote. "�really busy," she read back to herself.
You know how it is. I mean, Mi-chan's juggling and fencing and racing. And we both have Kempo. Naturally, I have continued with choir, soccer, and pole vault.
Oh, speaking of pole vault, I didn't tell you. I get to be one of two girls to go to Regionals from our school. It's really a big deal. In a few weeks Tenshi-kun and I
Sheesh, was there any part of their lives that didn't connect to their significant others or their identities as Sailor Senshi?! She crumpled up the paper into a ball and threw it into the trashcan.
"Good shot!" Mi-chan complimented her. "Writer's block?"
Neko sighed. "Completely. I wonder if Mom and Dad will let us call Hoshi-chan tomorrow." Not that that would necessarily be better.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
The twins were next to spar, which was always interesting since they knew each other so well. They both bowed and took defensive stances.
As usual, it was Mi-chan who was aggressive enough to make the first move. Naturally, Neko anticipated it and blocked it easily. However, it was unusual for Mi-chan to continue with a second and third attack with Neko only having time to defend herself. Usually they traded off.
"Ne, Neko-chan? I've been meaning to talk to you about something."
"Right now?" It seemed like a strange time for a heart-to-heart.
"It's about Tenshi-kun," Mi-chan said as she attempted a spinning rear kick.
Neko allowed her eyes to flicker to her girlfriend in the audience, judging Mi-chan's attack only by their psychic link for a split second. "Did she do something wrong?"
"Oh, no. Nothing like that," Mi-chan said innocently, even as she brought her knee up for a front snap kick. "It's just�" Kick, block. "�well, I haven't quite told you the truth about�" Punch, block. "�how I feel."
Neko stepped back, confused by Mi-chan's declaration. "What are you talking about?"
"Well, you know how I kinda hid my nightmare from you?" Crescent kick, low block. "Well, it's kinda like that. I didn't want to upset you." Roundhouse with her left foot. Dodged. "But I can't keep this up anymore. The truth is I just can't accept your relationship with Tenshi-kun."
Neko faltered, missing her first opportunity to attack. "Nani? But you get along with her pretty well."
"For your sake. But I've never liked her that much. And I'm really sorry you told me she was a girl. Ever since then�" Punch, low. Blocked. Punch, high. Blocked. "�I realized that you weren't who I thought you were."
The twins stepped in unison - Mi-chan forward, Neko back - as Mi-chan readied to make her final blow.
"So you see, Neko-chan, as long as you're in love with Tenoh Tenshi, I have no choice but to hate you." Mi-chan finished with a sweeping low kick that took Neko's legs out from under her�.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Neko jerked awake, feeling as if she had just been dropped into her bed. Badum, badum, badum. Her heart raced along like she'd just run the 100m dash.
"Neko-chan, you awake?" Apparently, her fall into consciousness hadn't affected her alone. She slipped out of bed and crept over to Mi-chan's.
"I had a bad dream," she whispered. "I'm sorry if I woke you up."
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