Sailor Moon: Destiny of the Stars
Chapter 7:
Sailor Moon: Destiny of the Stars
Chapter 7:
In a bright flash of white light, lightning streaked across the black Japanese night sky, signifying the arrival of another late-August storm. It was followed a few seconds later by a series of loud and rumbling thunder, as though an angry god was on a rampage in the Heavens above. Rain pelted heavily against the window of the upstairs bedroom of the simple, two story house of the Cambridge residence, but it went unnoticed as a small child writhed, twisted and turned in the large bed she was sleeping on. With a kick, the light blanket she was covered in was thrown off the bed, and Tilly moaned as sweat covered her face at the dream she was having:
"Mama, Papa, look up there!" shouted a little girl with glee. She was standing near a tall tree that had large, round apples hanging from its broad branches. She pointed towards it, laughed a little, then turned to her parents, who were standing off to the side smiling gently. Although most of their faces could barely be seen with the glaring double suns high in the sky, the child could easily feel the love radiating from them with that secret and soft smile they both gave.
She ran up to the tree, the long trail from her white princess dress flowing behind her, then turned to face her parents. "Can I have one, please?" she asked, her eyes wide with hope. The man, dressed in a dark navy blue and silver armor, laughed softly as he stepped forward with a purposeful stride. He gently lifted the little girl up to his shoulders. Tilly laughed with joy as she was seated on her father's shoulders, and reached up to pluck an apple with her small and nimble dark hands. Greens leaves fell about them as the branch was tugged, and with one final pull, the apple gave way.
The woman, who was the most beautiful woman that Tilly had ever seen, gently strode up besides them and laid a small hand on her father's shoulder, and smiled with pride at the little girl. Tilly was about to ask if she wanted an apple too....when suddenly, the ground beneath them shook heavily. The sunlight dimmed, and it was suddenly night.
Then, without knowing how, the scene changed, and Tilly was suddenly running away with the woman, breathing hard and trying to keep up. She closed her eyes for a second, and suddenly, she didn't feel her mother's hands anymore. She was alone....and frightened. She look desperately around her to find her mother and father, but saw and felt no one.
"M..mommy? Papa?" Tilly whispered, hugging her arms around herself. Suddenly, two immense figures walked out of the darkness towards her. Tilly took a deep breath, waiting to see who it was. Seconds later, the figures came into focus; large, lizard-like faces stared down at her, eyes bulging and gleaming with madness and blood lust. With a loud and dreadful hiss, they stretched out their arms at her, flicked out their long red-forked tongue, and ran full force towards her.....
"NOOOO! HELP ME, PLEAAASE! MAMA, PAPA!" screamed Tilly in terror as she jolted up from her bed, her hands over her chest. She panted hard as her eyes were squeezed shut.
The bedroom door burst open a second later, and Tanya ran inside, her eyes wide with fear. "Tilly, what's wrong? Are you alright?" she shouted, heading straight for the bed and gathering the small girl in her arms.
"I...I saw them! I saw my mom and dad, and those bad people, they..they want to get me, and..and..and.." Tilly gasped in fright as she buried her head in Tanya's chest. Unable to go on, she sobbed, and her tiny body shook with her crying and the fright she'd been holding in for so long. Oh how she longed for one of her mother's hugs, to see her smile gently at her again! How she missed her father singing her to sleep...
"Shhhh! It's alright, Tilly, I'm here." Tanya soothed, holding her more closely. "I'm here, and I won't let anything bad happen to you, alright?" Tanya put a finger under the child's chin, and lifted her face up to look into her dark green eyes. "I promise you, I won't let those creeps get you, so don't be afraid, okay?"
After a moment, Tilly stopped shaking, and took a deep breath to calm herself. "O..Okay," Tilly smiled softly. She turned to look at the window, and watched another flash of lightning streak across the sky. She shuddered and leaned closer into Tanya's protective arms.
"Don't worry, the storm will be over by morning, and we'll have fun at the beach!" said Tanya cheerfully. "Everyone will be there, even Usagi-chan!" Her face turned slightly serious. "And if there's going to be any trouble, the Sailor Senshi will be there." she finished as she nodded her dark head.
"And Sailor Sirius? Will Sailor Sirius be there too? She's my hero you know!" said Tilly, her eyes wide at the thought of meeting the senshi she admired so much.
"You bet! Sailor Sirius will definitely be there!" laughed Tanya as she tickled Tilly in her tummy. The child giggled, feeling much better, then settled back in the bed amongst the plush, white pillows.
"Thanks Tanya-chan." Tilly said after she yawned, covering her mouth. She closed her eyes, smiled softly, and was asleep within seconds.
"Anytime kid." smiled Tanya as she pulled up the little blanket to cover Tilly's small form. She left the bedroom to resume her talk with Marco. As soon as she stepped out the bedroom door and closed it, she leaned against the wall beside it, then slid down to the floor and sat against the wall, drawing her knees up to her ample chest.
A golden-furred form walked up beside her and laid a gentle paw on her dark foot. "Is she alright now?" Marco asked quietly.
"Yeah, she just had a bad dream." Tanya answered, her voice sounding tired. Then, against her will, tears filled up in her eyes. "I...I wish Dad was here. I mean, I know he said we need the money and all, but I just wish he was around more." Tanya sniffed, wiping away her tears. "Why did he have to leave now? We need him here!" She banged a balled fist against the wall behind her in frustration.
Before, Tanya didn't mind her father leaving to find work on one of his missionary trips. She was used to it, being alone and fending for herself in his absence, but this was different. She hated to know that Tilly was going through the same thing she did: not having her father around when she needed him the most. She swore to herself if she ever had a family, none of her children would go through that pain...and now it was happening, and there was nothing she could do to stop it. Now..it was only her for Tilly, and it hurt her so much the child was going through the same loneliness she was.
"I know it's going to be hard Tanya, but you have to be strong for your sake, and Tilly's. We need to get her to trust us if we're going to find out where she's from and why she's here." the golden dog said, jerking his head towards the bedroom door. "And we have to find out why those...those aliens are after her!"
"I know," sighed Tanya, resting the back of her head against the wall. "But still..I just wish..." Tanya let the sentence trail off. She wished Yaten was here too, so he could hold her in his arms, and tell her everything was going to be alright, but he was so busy now. She sighed quietly, and for a while, she just listened to the pelting of the Fall rain against the windows. She sighed once more, then got up and went back inside the bedroom to sleep.
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The Next Morning
Juuban Soni Recording Studios:
Yaten Kou sat down on a large sofa, strumming the strings on his guitar and humming the bars to himself. Sweat poured down his forehead as he concentrated and tried to practice the song he wrote the other day....but instead, his heart wasn't in it, and he stopped. He could only think of that little girl that was staying with Tanya, not to mention Tanya herself. What was the mystery surrounded the child? Where did she come from, and why was she here? He didn't know, but even he couldn't deny how cute the child was, and mischievous. He just hoped that Tanya was okay with protecting her, and that they would find out about Tilly soon. He then smiled at the similarities between both girls by looks and personality
A sense of protection like no other overcame him. He knew..in some strange sense he couldn't describe, that he had to keep them from harm. He vowed to himself that he would not let them get hurt in any way, specially Tilly, and until he found out why he felt that way, he would protect her, not matter what.
Just then, a knock sounded on the thick door. The door opened hardly a second later, and a young recording assistant walked inside nervously. "M..M...Mr. Kou-san, we're ready for you now, if you don't mind." the young girl said.
Yaten nodded, taking up the guitar and following the woman. "Just to let you know, I think I'll take off a little early after this." the young singer said with a smile. "It's too nice a day to be stuck inside a stuffy old office!" He chuckled slightly at the shocked look the young woman gave him.
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Hikawa Shrine:
Tanya and Tilly walked up the stairs to the front door of the shrine, and the older girl knocked gently. A second later, the side-door was opened by a smiling Rei Hino. The black-haired beauty was already dressed for a day at the beach. "Great! You made it just in time!" she exclaimed happily. She took both Tilly and Tanya's hands and dragged them inside, causing them to nearly drop their duffel bags.
Inside, Ami, Makoto, Minako, and Usagi were just settling down after placing their things against the wall near the front door for when Haruka arrived. "Ohaiyo minna-san!" called out Tanya, putting her and Tilly's things down with everyone else's. Tanya and Tilly were then immediately surrounded by the group, each talking at once about what a great day it was, despite the storm last night, and what a wonderful time they would have at the beach one last time before they started the Fall term of school next week. The weather was unusually warm this time of the year, and everyone was excited about taking advantage of such a wonderful day. Tanya had to widened her eyes at Minako's new look; gone was the giant red bow, as well as the over-sized bang. Her hair was as long as ever, but instead of the bang, there was a neat part in the middle of her head, and her golden hair fell in a very straight path down on either side of her beaming face to her waist.
Then, she looked to Usagi and smiled in admiration. The blonde former Moon Princess had also fixed up her hair; even though she kept her trademark "odangos", it was more neatly done, and her bangs now had slight curls, giving her a more mature and sophisticated look. Her hair was still so long, that the ends of the ponytails reached way past her waist. They also had a hint of curls.
"Kokkoi!" said Tanya, grinning and giving the thumbs up sign for their new looks. The girls laughed, then continued on their girl chat. The paper side door opened a few moments later, and Yuuichiro casually walked in with a big grin. The young brown-haired singer, who was just beginning to get popular with his music, was carrying a tray of cookies and drink.
"I hope you don't mind, but I thought I might give you all a little snack before you left." the young man smiled in welcome. "Come on to the kitchen, and you can have lots more."
"YAAAAAY!" shouted out Tilly, running to Yuuichiro and taking a cookie. The brown-haired man chuckled gently at the small girl as she smiled her thanks.
"Thanks, we'll be there in a little while. We have to...umm...talk." said Rei. She smiled at the young man and winked. Yuuichiro blushed at that, then turned and walked back to the kitchen to join Rei's grandfather, Tilly following behind enthusiastically.
When they were alone, Makoto turned to Tanya. "So, anything new come up about Tilly?" the tall girl asked as she and the rest group sat comfortably Indian-style on the floor in a circle.
"No, Marco still can't figure out who she is, even though he tried hard to find info on her in the Command Center." Tanya sighed.
"Luna and Artemis are clueless too." said Usagi, resting her head on her hand. Then, her eyes widened, a thought coming into her mind. "Wait a minute! You...you guys don't think that Tilly could be from the...well...I mean, you know...like...Chibi Usa?"
All the girls looked at each other in surprise, finally grasping the concept. "Hmm, there might be something to that theory." said Ami, placing a finger to her chin. At the same time as the thought came to them, the girls looked at Tanya curiously, suddenly just beginning to see the similarities between Tanya and Tilly. Tanya blinked a few times in confusion, then gulped, knowing all too well about the story of Chibi Usa, Usagi's daughter from the future.
"But..but if she is...then who is her mothe..." But Tanya never got to finish the question, as she was cut off when a loud car horn blasted in the warm mid-morning air. All the girls quickly got up, the conversation forgotten for the moment, and rushed to the front door. A large maroon and silver colored van pulled up at the side at the bottom of the lone stairs. When it parked, the side door slid opened, and the cheery face of Hotaru popped out.
"Hi guys! Ready for some fun?" Hotaru shouted up at them. Haruka grinned broadly and waved from behind the wheel. Michiru looked up at the crowd of friends and smiled gently, the wind blowing her green hair about.
Just then, Tilly ran out from behind the girls, her mouth still full of cookies. She swallowed, then grinned as she waved a hand high in the air. "HIIIIYEEE! Ruka-san! Michi-san! Hoto-chaaaaaan!" Tilly shouted out happily as the other girls sweatdropped in embarrassment.
Haruka chuckled softly under her breath. "Kawaii no." she whispered to herself. Michiru turned to her and smiled knowingly, laying a hand on the her dear friend's shoulder in agreement.
Soon, the van was filled with shouting, laughing voices, bags, food, and beach blankets. About 10 minutes later, they were on their way. Hotaru had fun playing guessing games and cards in the back with Tilly as Haruka and Michiru told the other girls about their wonderful time in Europe. "Did you see the Arc de Triumph?" asked Minako as she listened in rapt attention.
"Sure did!" said Michiru, winking at the girls as they sighed with the thought of being in Europe.
"Michiru-san, you are so cool," breathed out Tanya, her eyes shining with admiration for the aqua-haired woman. Michiru giggled softly, glad for the slight attention. The other girls chuckled at Tanya's display of admiration, and the shorter girl blushed as she looked down. She greatly admired the genius musician, and Tanya often dreamed to be like her someday.
When they finally reached the beach, the girls grabbed their things, scrambled out the van and rushed into the changing tents. The beach was only just beginning to get packed, as was expected. Minutes later, they all came out of the changing tents at the same time, modeling their new two-piece swimsuits. Each of them was wearing their favorite colors, and the suits showed off their perfect figures beautifully.
Tanya, her dark blue bikini setting of her dark color flawlessly, smiled in approval at her friend's choices. Let's go!" she shouted joyously. The girls cheered as they ran to the water in a line together, and dove right in.
For almost half and hour they all splashed and played with one another in the refreshing ocean water, then played underwater tag with Tilly, who was enjoying every minute of it in her yellow and white one-piece bathing suit, laughing in complete joy.
Suddenly, Usagi's eyes widened as she spotted a figure floating towards Tanya as she was about to pick Tilly up. "Tanya-chan, look out!" the blonde shouted, but it was too late; two arms reached up from the water, grabbed Tanya around the waist, and pulled her down into the water as she screamed in surprise. Then, a few seconds later, Yaten, with Tanya cradled in his hands, broke through the surface, a big smile on his face and water dripping from his loose hair.
Tanya squirted water from her mouth, blinked a few times, and looked up to see who held her. Her eyes widened when she saw Yaten laughing down at her. "Yaten-kun!" Tanya said, feeling her heart surge with happiness. She smiled, and was about to hug him when she turned her head and saw the smirking and smiling faces of everyone looking at her. "OH! P..put me down!" Tanya shouted in embarrassment, squirming in his arms.
But Yaten didn't want to put her down yet. She felt so... so good here in his arms, as if her small, firm body fit perfectly where it was. He looked into Tanya's eyes for a moment, then saw her blush harshly. "Alright, alright!" he chuckled as he reluctantly set her down. The group shook their heads in amusement and continued their game.
But they never noticed that Tanya too wanted to stay in his arms, to feel his strong arms wrap lovingly around her body...but when she looked at the sly looks and gossipy face of the others, she blushed even more. When she had looked into Yaten's eyes, what she saw completely shocked her....it was pure, raging desire, something she had never thought would be directed at her.
As far as she remembered, the boys back in her country and in America never really paid much attention to her, thanks to her young looks and short height, and because of it, Tanya had just about given up on anyone being interested in her, much less a singing idol like Yaten Kou.
For just a moment, she felt delicious shivers run down her back at the thoughts running through her mind; thoughts of just being in Yaten's arms forever, the look in his eyes when he held her in his arms just a few moments ago...thoughts such as those. She shook her head to clear it from thinking about it anymore. No, now was not to time to think about it. They were all here to relax...and figure things out with Tilly. But before she could help herself, she felt slightly surprised and even a bit scared at how those feelings made her feel, since she had never really had them before. She never thought SHE would make anyone else feel them as well. With a sigh, she hurried back to others to continue the water play.
Soon, after many hours of playing and sunbathing, then eating the delicious food Mako-chan and Michiru made, the sun began to set, and the group of friends decided it was time to go. They gathered their things and once more piled into Haruka's van. Haruka dropped of Usagi, then Minako, Rei, and Ami, and finally Makoto home. When they stopped in front of Tanya's house, Yaten helped take her stuff in.
When Haruka drove off...after giving Yaten a warning glance, he turned to the two girls."Ummm, do you mind if me, you and Tilly take a walk?" he asked shyly. At that question, Tilly cheered and wrapped her arms around Yaten's waist in a clear "yes", liking the thought of walking with this handsome man. She liked him somehow, and wanted to spend as much time with him as possible.
"Sure, since Tilly doesn't mind," smiled Tanya, "but no more tricks!" Yaten chuckled, then each taking a hand from Tilly, they walked around the block in a calm silence.
The setting sun behind them cast their long shadows on the sidewalk as they walked in silence for a few moments, making them look like the perfect family spending the evening together after a long and busy day. I feel so...safe now! Tilly thought blissfully to herself. She looked up at the young man and smiled joyfully. Just like when I used to walk with Mommy and Papa! Errr...I THINK like how it was with Mommy and Papa. I can't really remember that much.... Tilly swallowed sadly at that thought, suddenly missing the parents she barely remembered.
Yaten meanwhile was struggling on how to talk to them about how he felt, about how much a part of his life the two girls suddenly were. He turned to Tanya, and smiled nervously. Suddenly, Yaten's eyes widened in alarm as he felt danger around him, and stepped protectively in front of Tilly and Tanya.
In a rush of hot wind, a bright flash appeared. When it dimmed, two gigantic figures stood tall and menacing. Their lizard faces glared at them in anger and hatred. The older looking one stepped forward, hissing low in his throat. "We've played enough games with you. Give us the child, NOW!"
Tanya gasped in shock as Tilly screamed and ran behind her to hide, her eyes wide with fear and trembling.
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To Be Continued.
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