Title: Strings of Fate
Description: Five years has passed since the defeat of Galaxia and peace has returned to the world, thanks to the many efforts of our heroines, Eternal Sailor Moon and her senshi. Our heroines have gone on with their lives either continuing with school, finishing school, or fighting for the passion of once lost dreams. They have grown as people and have excelled from where they previously were five years ago. While peace seemed to be promising, unfortunately, it does not last.

Predating those of the Dark Kingdom, a new enemy rises from the darkness that they have been lurking in silence for so long, waiting to clench the thirst of the need of revenge. Beginning their attack, they begin to hunt down individuals who carry a specific type of soul -- a Celestial Soul -- in order to carry out their revenge against the White Moon and her court.

In wake of the new enemy though, a new soldier emerges with the likeness of Saturn who appears to be familiar with the enemy. In shock to the Senshi, the enemy refers to this new soldier as "The Assassin Senshi". Instead of showing kindness to Sailor Senshi, her intention appears cold and crude, treating the Sailor Senshi as if they were enemies as well. The only advice she gives them about the enemy is to stay out of this fight followed up by a threat informing them that she will tie up "loose" ends if they plan to get in their way.


While this new enemy claims to predate the Dark Kingdom, not one of the Sailor Senshi, not even Sailor Pluto, has an recollection of this enemy or this sailor solder.

Who is this enemy that holds revenge against the White Moon and the her court? Who is this unknown senshi that the enemy calls "The Assassin Senshi"? What will Sailor Moon and the Sailor Senshi do to maintain peace?

Comments/Suggestions/Critiques: Allowed and encouraged ^^

Strings of Fate - Prologue

I never asked to be anything special. I was happy the way I lived life – which for me, was to its fullest. I lived and breathe to protect my twin sister, who I treasure and love. Many viewed us as omens, especially those of our neighboring planets; in fact they were the ones who would always attempt to prevent her from living. Normally they were successful at preventing my sister's birth or preventing her from aging much beyond a young child – that was until I was born with her.

When I was born, I was born with the sense that I needed to protect my sister from those who would attempt to harm her. With much success, I was able always fend those three soldiers off without much of exertion. My fighting knowledge taught to me by our father and my ability to move objects with the power of my mind; long before I was able to use my sailor crystal. To help protect my sister, I used my steel blade chakrams, Mimas and Titan, who were blessed by my mother.

I was considered the representation of Saturn, being able to transforming into sailor senshi; although I was never fully convinced that I was the Soldier of Saturn since the name didn't exist in my soldier name. Unlike my twin though, I was not fully apart of the Moon Court; my twin was apart of the Moon Court since she was the eldest. I was one that was always in the shadows as a sailor senshi, performing "special" missions for the Moon Queen – Queen Serenity. She always would ensure me though that my sister would be safe and with that assurance, I never thought twice about being her assassin. I always succeeded with my missions.

The day of my fateful mission fell upon our birthday – long before the movements of the Dark Kingdom. My sister was looking forward to it as she always does and our father wanted everything to be perfect since he was very proud of both my older sister and I. As my sister and I were enjoying the beautiful afternoon sky, which was a mixture of blues, oranges, and purples, a messenger of the Moon came for me stating that Queen Serenity was requesting my presence. Since it was our birthday, my sister, even though she served the Moon Queen's daughter, Princess Serenity, asked me not to go to the Moon. I ensured my sister that I would be back in time for the festivities. Even if I didn't know it at the time, it was the first and only time I ever lied to her.

Upon my arrival to the Moon, I instantly met up with Queen Serenity, who was strolling in the garden of many flowers that encircled her palace. Upon meeting her, I instantly could see that her eyes were filled with conflict and that's when I knew that this was no normal assignment. When I asked about why she had sent for me, she asked me to follow her for she feared that speaking of it even in the open area would cause panic.

In a secluded room, the Queen began to tell me of these human-like creatures that referred themselves as Night Creatures and their beginnings of an invasion into our solar system. Asking for more information, she informed me that these creatures came from a parallel realm to ours known as the Night Realm and that they were getting in by a rift on the far side of the Sun; the soldier of the Sun had hid the rift from the view of the Solar System. She stated that the Sun Princess was currently keeping them from advancing any further, though she had sent word that she would not be able to hold the enemy's armies much longer. The Soldier of the Sun had requested for help.
Inquiring what had made these enemies so unique as to not send the Inner Senshi, she informed me of what these enemies could do and what they were after. Queen Serenity had informed me that they were after a special type of souls called Celestial Souls and that they would violently extract them from the holder's body. If the soul wasn't a Celestial Soul, they would manipulate the victim's body as a tool against its enemy, which at that point was us.

As she went on about the Night Creatures, I knew what she wanted me to do. She wanted me to perform my forbidden attack – a sealing attack that would claim my life in the end. At first, I refused but then she reluctantly began to tell me a story, which at first I didn't believe but slowly began to make sense; a story that held the reason as to why the three Outer Soldiers always after my twin sister's death. With my sister's life in the equation, I became hostile towards the Moon Queen and snapped a reply towards her as my protective side came through.

It was Queen Serenity's eyes though that betrayed her. As I had gazed into her eyes, after my comment, I could see that she never intended on ending my sister's life, but I could tell she was at her wit's end.

"I'm running out of options. I need…No, all the civilians of this solar system needs your help to prevent a war." Queen Serenity was pleading to me and I have never seen the Queen plead to anyone.

In the end, I had accepted my last mission by the Queen after she accepted a pact between us. A pact that would take my existence as it was known and erase it from the minds of people who had met me, knew me, or had heard of me in any way shape or form, especially my sister. Since I knew that in this mission in the end would claim my life, I did not want her to come searching for someone who was already dead or attempt to kill herself. My request was to be done after my sealing attack which Queen Serenity would know when I was performing it. There was also one other part of the pact that I had requested and that was to never speak of Night Realm nor its vile inhabitants again; in my opinion, such things spoken of in a time such as the Silver Millennium was taboo and if they no longer existed, there was no need to speak of these human-like creatures. Upon accepting my mission, I went from the Moon to the Sun to begin my advance against the Night Realm; I never returned home and I never saw my sister again.

In the end, I released my final attack and died. Unfortunately though, my previous actions only postpone the war. The war has just begun.

I am the Lady of Saturn and this is my story…

Strings of Fate - Chapter One

The sky above was a brilliant blue and reflected perfectly against the large pond of the park, so that the water appeared to be that same, eggshell blue that reflected the nearby scenery. The color was broken only by the reflection of the trees and the gentle floating of ducks, geese, leaves and blossoms--mostly the pink of cherry blossoms. Surprisingly this portion of the park was empty of passersby, as if everyone who might have visited the lovely pond had found themselves detoured from the prospect. This was, of course, just the way it needed to be at this particular moment.

In but a matter of seconds the blue sky just above the pond transformed into thick, purple-gray clouds lit from within by brilliant, white light. The clouds floated toward the ground, twirling and spinning like the beginnings of a tornado that was reaching for the bridge that crossed over the large pond. Ducks and geese squawked indignantly as the wind suddenly picked up around the bridge, then the light from within the strange clouds touched the planks of the bridge and a shadow suddenly appeared within the light. It floated down from the clouds, becoming more solid the closer it came to the bridge until, at last, the figure a young woman alighted on the bridge. The moment her foot touched the planks, the light rushed back up into the clouds toward the sky and the clouds vanished as quickly as they had appeared.

The sudden wind vanished with the clouds and the light, leaving the pond as peaceful and lovely as it had been before the strange incident. The only disruption was the continued bickering of the birds, all of which seemed to be chastising the young woman that now stood on the bridge, holding a pink umbrella above her head. She wore a short, pleated, pink skirt and a white tank-top decorated with a single, pink bunny above her ample bust. Over the tank top was a pastel pink, summer jacket that fell to her hips and was left unbuttoned, so that it flapped around her lithe frame. White, thigh-high stockings covered her legs and small, white shoes completed the outfit.

The girl's hair--also an amazing shade of pink--was held up in two buns that were shaped into cones that gave her the appearance of having small bunny-ears on top of her head. The remaining hair fell in two tails to her ankles and gleamed with health. To help hold the hair in place she wore pink scrunchies around each bun, as well as simple, white barrettes above her thick bangs. The bangs framed a delicate, pretty face set with large, red eyes and perfect, full, pink lips.

Even more interesting was the gray cat that sat upon her shoulders, its tail looped around the girl's throat. It had red eyes and a strange, golden, crescent mark upon its brow, but otherwise appeared to be a normal cat.

"Looks like no one noticed our arrival..." the feline spoke softly into the young woman's ear, her tail twitching lightly against the girl's throat.

"Of course not...that's the magic of the Gate for you and Setsuna stated this was the best area to arrive at considering the time." the girl responded softly while she closed up the umbrella in her hands. A quick glance proved they were still alone, so she quickly stated the words that would turn the umbrella into a simple, pink pen which she then slipped into her jacket pocket. With that done, she quickly smoothed out her clothing and turned to cross the rest of the bridge and head down the little path that lead deeper into the park.

"Usagi-chan is probably at work right now..." the girl offered softly, causing the little cat to nod.

"Yes, which means we'll need to head there to see her. You remember where it is?"

"Yes..." the pink-haired girl gently scratched the cat's ears and gave her a smile, then started jogging down the path in hopes of reaching her destination sooner.

She was halfway down the path when a familiar girl caught her eye, forcing her to a sudden halt. "Hotaru-chan!" the pink-haired girl cried, turning from the path to rush toward the dark-haired, pale-skinned girl that was sitting in the grass with her back to her. "Hotaru-chan, it's me! Chibiusa!" she called, announcing her presence to the entire park.

Chibiusa sprinted towards the dark-haired girl and tacked her as she gave a strong embrace around the girl's frame. The dark-haired girl hunched over was she was currently working on as she was not expecting for Chibiusa to embrace her so. The dark-haired girl giggled as she pushed against the force of the girl's weight and turned slightly to looked at Chibiusa with a friendly smile.

"I think you've mistaken me for someone else. Are you having problems finding your friend?" The dark-haired girl asked.

In that moment Chibiusa stared in amazement as she looked at the dark-haired girl in front of her. While sharing strong similarities, this dark-haired girl was not Hotaru. There were minor differences that Chibiusa began to notice about the young woman. For one, she had a different style cut than Hotaru. While Hotaru's was a very straight haircut that came to her shoulders, the dark-haired girl, while having the same length, had a more stylized and layered cut that framed her face more to show off her eyes. That was the main difference though that made Chibiusa instantly realize that this was not Hotaru. The dark-haired girl has piercing blue eyes that once contact with her eyes had been made, it was hard to look away. Then the girl had spoke revealing yet more differences between this girl and her dear friend, when she realized that she had been staring rudely at this mysterious stranger.

Chibiusa blushed a brilliant crimson and smiled sheepishly. "Gomen, I thought you were someone else! You look amazingly like a friend of mine…" she faltered, her expression becoming more curious as she gazed towards the dark-haired, blue-eyed woman.

Seeing the embarrassment of Chibiusa mistaking her for her friend, the dark-haired girl shook her head; locks of dark violet slightly tapped paled skin upon her movement. "It's quite alright. Think nothing of it. I'm sorry to have embarrassed you though."

There were a few moments of silence before Chibiusa asked the question that was on her mind, the blush still tinting her cheeks a bright red. "Do you by chance know Tomoe Hotaru? It's just…" Chibiusa paused momentarily, "you really look as if you could be related!"

The dark-haired girl thought for a moment as she had finally taken notice of the Chibiusa's pet that sat on her shoulder. She was a bit amazed by the feline's mark on its forehead. Passing the mark off as a birthmark, she looked towards Chibiusa and then again shook her head. "I'm sorry but unfortunately I have never heard for a Tomoe Hotaru. I'm an only child so if you have a friend that I look similar to then I can assure that we are not related."

The girl then blinked for a moment and giggled sheepishly. "Forgive me, I must seem rude. Let me introduce myself. My name is Fu Maaya and it's nice to meet you." The dark-haired girl, Maaya, bowed as politely as she could sitting down.

Chibiusa appeared confused for a few moments when she looked up to Maaya, offering a kind smile in return to her friendly smile. "Tsukino Chibiusa," Chibiusa offered with a quick bow, immediately going with the name she'd given herself every time she came to the past, so that she was mistaken for Usagi's sister. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Fu-san."
//

Strings of Fate - Chapter 3
Writer's Comments: I have been thinking for sometime on rewriting this chapter. Thoughts and Opinions?

Brushing her dark color hair in the bathroom, Hotaru smiled after feeling refreshed from a morning shower. She had been up earlier that day, working on finishing her summer holiday assignments and was almost finished with them. Sometimes she was distracted by the beautiful weather outside and would often glance at her lamp collection that would glisten in its rays of sunlight. Although happy and content with her "family" life, she has been having an incompletely feeling; something she had been unable to explain. Then there were those dreams that she been having since just slightly before the summer holiday had began. None of this she had told her adoptive parents for she could tell that they were enjoying their life as it was right now and she didn't want to burden them with these possible thoughts.

As she continued to prepare herself for a day of study in the bathroom, the delicious aroma of food filled her senses as it caused her stomach to gurgle with hunger. Placing the hairbrush down on the stone-faux countertop, Hotaru did one final check on her appearance before she headed downstairs. With her attire, it proved that she had been working on school assignments. Her pants were made of soft athletic fleece material that was accented by a lilac colored drawstring. While the pants hugged her hips, it hung loosely around her legs. To accompany the pants, she wore an open lilac colored fleece hooded jacket that was made up of the same material as the pants that had a form fitting white tank top beneath. Doing a complete spin, she smiled in the mirror and headed down the stairs as her hair danced on her shoulders.

Once on the lower level, she headed over to the kitchen. As she began to enter, she caught sight of a tall blonde that held a teal haired woman in her embraced. Giggling, Hotaru quietly stepped back and hid behind the corner that neared the kitchen.

Haruka muzzled her mouth against Michiru's neck as Michiru giggled, trying to concentrate on cooking. While trying to keep her mind on the task at hand, she always relaxed in the arms of her lover and made it a difficult task. Moving their boding in a rocking motion, Haruka's arms were tightly wrapped around the sea goddess small frame, wanting to simmer in this moment forever.

Michiru was dressed in a dark blue, denim skirt that dropped to just above the middle of her thighs. White, calf-length socks covered her feet and were folded so that they curved around her ankle; the outfit would go great with the denim slippers she'd bought last week. She had an apron tide tightly around her to prevent any accidents from messing her clothes. On the other hands, it was plain to see that Haruka had just returned from her morning run as she was wearing the usual outfit she wore for running, her blonde hair mussed from the wind that always joined her when she ran. A towel hung over her shoulders and there were sweat stains on the shirt, but Michiru didn't care.

"I am trying to cook, love," Michiru whispered, the love shining in her eyes and she turned to embrace the other woman. She breathed deeply of Haruka's natural scent, her heart-beat quickening just a bit with sudden excitement. She knew they could do nothing, now--they were not alone in the house--but Haruka simply affected her this way. There was no denying the way her lover made her feel.

"I have what I want already," Haruka stated, a sly look fell upon her face as she softly kissed the smooth cheek that belong to Michiru.

The sound of nearby giggles pulled Michiru out of her reverie and she pulled back from Haruka's embrace. Haruka gave her love a confused face as Michiru lifted her chin in the direction just outside of the kitchen. The blonde smiling and nodding in acknowlegdement walked quietly over to the corner and quickly grabbed the hiding young teenager from the corner. Haruka proceeded to tickle the eavesdropper as Hotaru busted out laughing, struggling to get out of the older woman's grasp.

"Good Morning, Taru-chan!" Haruka spoke as she finished her tickling her "daughter" and kissed the dark haired girl on the forehead. Smiling, Haruka looked at Michiru. "I'm going to take a quick shower before breakfast."

"Hurry. It won't be much longer until breakfast is ready," Michiru called out to her lover.

Collecting herself, Hotaru walked over to Michiru with a bright smile. "Good Morning, Michiru-mama."

"Good Morning, Taru-chan. We're having crepes this morning," Michiru spoke. "Would you set the table and see if Setsuna is awake?"

"Sure!" Hotaru nodded in agreement as she went to grab what she needed to prepare the table.

***

Red velvet draping covered the upper walls of a room lighted only by multiple stand-alone iron-casted candelabras that had three candles each. The lower portion of the wall was decorated with dark cherry wood moldings that had ornate cravings of geek tales that created long ago. The floor of the room was encased in black marble that created a sound, so that even the most quite of warriors could not go unannounced; the only thing that covered the floor was a red velvet carpet that was set up in the center of the room. Against the back of the room that was almost engulfed in complete darkness, was a throne that was carved out of dark cherry wood with the same ornate cravings as the walls. Red velvet cushions were form fitted to the arms and the seat of the chair to help provide some comfort.

While it appeared that almost no one would spend time in this room, a slouched male figure sat upon the throne. The figure's features were hidden quite well under the shadows of the darkness, except from time to time when the candles would flicker just right. With a flicker of a candle gave a brief moment to view his facial features. His appearance in this form was flawless. From the round point
of his chin, to his moderate level of cheekbones, to his stunning silver eyes, every aspect of him looked like a human, even though he himself was a demon. His eyes though had the impression of that which could stare you all the way down to the soul.

For many years now, his power was depleting from all the positive energy that this world, Earth, carried. Even though he had slept for a long time after the sealing of his realm, his powers were based on negativity and it was taking an effect on him. He waited for the current two Nightmare Creatures that knew that he, the only one of royal blood from his realm, was here on Earth. The male figure knew that to proceed with taking over this planet and to conquer the senshi that he wish to pay back, they needed to locate any others like those found in the Nightmare Realm. He himself, in his current condition was unable to do so. Being too weak to the point of collapsing, Lord Daimon made himself comfortable in his chair and raised his hand.

"Ashi, Yukimei, come here," He commanded. "It is time we gather our resources and finally have our revenge on the Senshi for what they did to us so many years ago. For the blood of those like us are still on their hands, and they shall be avenged from our actions. Blood will be spilled and it will be glorious. And," he paused smiling, "We will learn how to remove that seal that keeps our home realm prisoner. We will be victorious!"

Hearing their Lord's call, a red headed female was the first to appear in the darkened room. Her body was a blur to those of lesser power as she used her extraordinary speed to slip down the halls and to the throne room. Once inside she slowed her movements, for her lord would see them whether using her power or not. She turned gold, cat-like eyes to her Lord and smiled, revealing her sharp, white fangs. With slow, deliberate steps she walked down the long line of red carpet, the click of her boot heels muffled by the thick fabric. Once she stood before lord, she pressed her right fist to her chest, above her heart, and dropped to one knee before him.

Seconds later, another female entered the throne room through the doorway. She had long white hair that was kept in a high positioned ponytail, which ended at her mid-back and her skin was as white as a porcelain doll. While she appeared very human-like like the other woman, she wore a laced band around her mouth. With just her presence, the room dropped several degrees in temperature as her icy presence made an impact. Her dark indigo eyes came upon the kneeling form of the red headed female, seeing that she had already arrived. Following the actions of the red head woman, the white haired woman dropped to one knee before the man that sat on the throne, her right fist clenched to her chest.

"My Lord Daimon?" the red head spoke, her voice a soft purr as she stared at the carpet at her feet. It was the red of freshly spilled blood, the sight of which quickened the red headed woman's heart rate with sudden desire. She had fed, but that had been some hours before...it was time to feed, again. However, she set these thoughts aside while listening to the prince's orders, nodding once when he had finally finished.

His slouching became lower as his eyes were somewhat closed. "Find those like us and bring them back to our fortress. They have awakened or have let their presence be known. Follow it. Give them shelter if needed. Tell them of the plan to avenge our people but for now, do not alarm the Senshi. I will send my signature to those who are like us to let them know that we are now attempting to combined forces. Merely static to others, but you should be able to locate them quickly with this calling."


***

Heading to the table with the food, Michiru stopped in her tracks. She was immediately embraced by the coolness of the sea, the scent of salt and water filling her senses and momentarily taking her away from the kitchen so that, for a moment, she felt as if she were resting in the middle of the ocean, its loving presence wrapping around her.

The moment she was floating in the sea she felt the warning--danger, close at hand and growing. Then the vision was over and she was once more in the kitchen, surrounded by the scent of breakfast and the sounds of her family. Taking a stepping back and taking a breath, Michiru looked at her family.

"Danger is rising...I just received the warning from the sea...we should warn the others and see if they've sensed anything, recently."
//

Strings of Fate - Chapter 3

As the morning sun beamed down on the two teenagers and the feline, Diana gazed at the familiar-looking girl after she’d given her own kitty-greeting as to protect her true nature. Maaya truly did look amazingly like Hotaru. However, there were differences and considering the difference in the family name, Diana was beginning to think it might very well have been a coincidence. Then again, there was something about this girl…something that seemed important. With another soft meow, the gray cat hopped off of Chibiusa’s shoulder and landed gently on Maaya’s, not even using her claws so that she didn’t accidentally scratch the girl.

“Diana!” Chibiusa exclaimed when the gray cat jumped onto Maaya, her face once more beet-red with embarrassment. “Sorry about that…she must really like you…” she offered, wondering if she should move to take the cat off of Maaya’s shoulders, only hoping that Maaya wasn’t allergic.

Maaya’s eyes widened for a moment as she was taken aback by Diana’s sudden movement to jump on her. Diana proceeded to nuzzle Maaya’s face and sniff at her, trying to figure out why she seemed so important and familiar. Meanwhile, Maaya let out a girlish giggle.

“You’re a cutie,” Maaya spoke with a genuine smile as she softly scratched behind the cat’s ears. She looked at Chibiusa as the pink-hair girl was excusing her cat for her sudden actions. “It’s quite alright, Ms. Tsukino. I like cats.”

Chibiusa returned the soft smile with a bright one of her own, nodding her head when the girl stated she liked cats. “Well, that’s a good thing since Diana seems to really like you,” she offered with a giggle.

The feline in question, meanwhile, was purring loudly in Maaya’s ear and had settled securely on the girl’s shoulder. She glanced towards Chibiusa, her expressions clearly stating that she was not moving any time soon; this was something the girl could easily do as she’d been doing it for years. It was all Chibiusa could do not to frown at the cat, wondering what Diana was up to. However, her attention was soon pulled away by the rumbling sounds of “ggggruuum”.

Maaya slightly blushed as the sounds belonged to her grumbling stomach. “I apologize. I must be getting hungry.” Maaya spoke as she glanced down at her watch, noticing the time. “Have you eaten breakfast yet, Ms. Tsukino? If not, would you care to join me? My treat.”

When the dark-haired girl asked Chibiusa if she’d like to join her for breakfast, Chibiusa was about to decline. That was until her stomach decide to announce to the world its own hunger…very loudly. Chibiusa blushed a dark crimson, but her smile never faltered. “I guess that answers that question,” Chibiusa stated as both girls busted out laughing. Soon Chibiusa’s laughter turned to a nervous giggle, “I would love to join you, Ms..”

“Maaya. Please call me Maaya,” Maaya stated cutting off Chibiusa before she could finish.

Chibiusa smiled and nodded. “I would love to join you, Maaya as long as you call me Chibiusa as well.”

Chibiusa glanced toward the direction she’d intended to head--to find Usagi and the others. As she gazed a bit longer, she began to wonder if they might actually be at the Crown. “Where did you have in mind? I know this great little café, Fruit’s Parlor Crown. They have wonderful milkshakes and smoothies.!”


Maaya giggled and nodded. “That sounds like a great place. Just give me a moment to collect my things.”

As Maaya collected her things, stuffed them in a brown bag that she easily slung across her shoulder, she looked at Chibiusa and smile. “I have to say, I don’t know where this place is so I’ll have to follow you.”

Chibiusa smiled in return adding a playful wink of her eye. “Alright, follow me.” The pink-haired girl’s brilliant smile that lit up her dark red eyes as she turned and headed down the path that she’d been originally following, knowing Maaya would keep pace with her.

The trip from the park to the Crown was uneventful and fairly quick. In only a few minutes they were standing on the sidewalk waiting for a light to turn, the Crown Parlor nestled within the other buildings on the other side of the street.

"That's Crown, there," she offered, pointing to the cafe with its large, open windows. The light soon turned and they were allowed to cross the street, then they were finally through the doors of the cafe. A bell rung to announce their entrance and moments later, a familiar red head girl appeared with a bright smile.

"Chibiusa?" the red-head, Unazuki, stopped to stare at the pink-haired girl, her eyes blinking rapidly as if she couldn’t believe what she was seeing. Chibiusa gave the girl a bright smile and waved before the red-head suddenly threw herself at the other girl to hug her, tightly.

"It's been so long! How are you? Who's your new friend?" the woman turned to gaze at Maaya, a soft smile coming to her face.

“This is Maaya Fu. I just met her today. I mistook her for Hotaru.” Chibiusa responded with a soft giggle.

“I can see why!” Unazuki stated, wiggling her index finger in the air, closing her blue eyes for a moment while doing so. “They do look remarkably alike. My name is Furuhata Unazuki. It’s a pleasure to meet you!” The red-head gave a quick bow.

Maaya, who never stopped smiling, bowed after Unazuki’s bow. “Likewise Ms. Furuhata.”

Unazuki suddenly turned to Chibiusa. “Everyone is here except for Usagi. From what I overhead, Usagi is working overtime because she failed to meet a deadline at work. Her fingers are probably covered in bandaids again.” The red-head rolled her eyes after that statement. “Anyways, did you wish to sit with them?”

“Oh! Well…” she glanced toward Maaya, the question in her eyes. “Would you rather sit alone? I mean, you don’t really know any of my friends. I wouldn’t want them to bombard you or something.”

While listening to the conversation, it finally dawned on the dark-haired girl that she hadn’t asked Chibiusa if she had anything planned before inviting her to eat. Maaya shook her head and bit her lip a bit.

“I’m sorry, Ms. Chibiusa. I didn’t know you were meeting people much less that you hadn’t been here for awhile. It was impolite,” Maaya paused for a moment. “Honestly, I’m very use to crowds and never had a problem with it. If you prefer some private time with your friends, we can do this another time.”

The apology was not what Chibiusa was expecting, though she could understand why the girl was doing so. Still, it wasn’t as if Chibiusa really had any plans - truth be told, no one knew she was ‘in town’ and it was suppose to be a surprise. Still, Maaya couldn’t have known that and now appeared as if she intended to meet someone here, what with the way Unazuki had mentioned her. Smiling softly, the pink-haired girl shook her head when Maaya finished.

“Though I thank you for the apology, there really isn’t a need for it. Truth be told, I hadn’t told anyone I was back in town, yet,” she blushed lightly, then shrugged. “It was supposed to be something of a surprise. My other friends…well that was unexpected…,” she glanced over her shoulder, quickly scanning the room for any sign of the “gang”, but did not immediately see them. That meant they were probably on the other side of the large section of the plants, in the ‘usual spot’.

Turning back to Maaya, she continued to smile softly. “I don’t want you to think you have to leave…I DO wish to have lunch with you.”

Maaya nodded slightly and before she had a chance to reply, “MEOW!” Diana offered rather loudly, causing Chibiusa’s gaze to turn to the cat, a look of shock on her face as Maaya’s ear that was closest to Diana clogged up.

“Diana! You’re right next to her ear!” Chibiusa exclaimed while she watched the grey cat rub herself against Maaya’s chin and cheek before giving the dark-haired girl a quick kiss. Maaya giggled as Diana began to purr very loudly, loudly enough for anyone nearby to hear.

“I think my cat just said she wants you to stay.” Chibiusa couldn’t help but giggle, then shook her head. “Diana, come here…” she motioned with her hands for the cat to jump to her shoulder and, for a moment, though that Diana wouldn’t listen; considering Diana had a mind and personality all her own, it wouldn’t have surprised the pink-haired girl. However, the feline gave Maaya one last lick on the cheek, then hopped off her shoulder to land effortlessly on Chibiusa’s. Maaya could easily tell that Chibiusa was use to having the grey cat on her shoulder constantly, seeing how the girl automatically shifted her stance so the cat could land with ease.

“You silly kitten…what will I do with you.” Chibiusa whispered softly while scratching the cat beneath her chin, across the underside of booth cheeks, and then over both ears, causing Diana to purr softly. Smiling, Chibiusa’s gazed turned back to Maaya to see her response to her previous comment about wanting to have lunch with her.

“Okay, I’ll stay then.” Maaya stated with a friendly smile. “Still though, I think you should sit with your friends since they don’t know that you have come back.”

Chibiusa returned the kind smile and gave a quick nod. “If you’re really okay with it, that sounds great!” with that, she turned and allowed Unazuki, who had been standing and waiting patiently, to lead them to the table that Minako, Rei, Makoto, and Ami were at. In moments, they were within sight of the familiar girls; an excited smile began to form on Chibiusa’s face as they foursome approached.

As they approached ear distance, Chibiusa’s excitement no longer could be contained as the pink-haired girl yelled out, “Hi everyone!!”

The heads of a bluenette, a blonde, a brunette, and a dark auburn haired girl looked towards the sound of the voice, all eyes wide and filled with shock as they saw the young futuristic daughter of Usagi and Mamoru standing before them.

“Chibi..,” the bluenette uttered.

“Usa…” words escaped the brunette.

“CHAN?!?!” exclaimed the red-head girl as she instantly got up from where she was sitting and embraced the girl in a tight hug.

The others quickly joined the hugging couple, standing from where they were sitting and paced over to where Chibiusa was.

“You look so much older!” Ami stated with a smile, still amazed that the pink-haired girl was back.

“We missed you so much,” Minako stated hugging the young teen from the back.

“Probably not as much as Usagi and Mamoru,” Makoto chimed in, giving the hair a friendly ruffle on the top of the head.

Minako saw the dark-haired girl standing by watching as they all had welcomed their future princess back. Minako crossed her arms and put a sarcastic smile on her face. “Hotaru, you could have warned us that Chibiusa had returned,” Minako stated as Maaya tried to intervene to let her know that she wasn’t the person that Minako thought she was. Minako did not give the chance as she pointed a finger towards Maaya and continued. “I know that Haruka, Michiru, Setsuna, and you live pretty far in the city suburbs, but there are such technologies such as a telephone, you know?”

“Um, Minako…” Chibiusa stated as she tried to intervene as well for Maaya’s sake, seeing as Maaya was becoming somewhat uncomfortable.

“Hey, don’t tease Hotaru, Minako. Hotaru is probably just as surprised as you are about Chibiusa’s return.”

“HEY!,” Chibusa called out loudly so that the attention of Minako, Rei, Makoto and Ami were focused on her. Chibiusa cleared her throat,“She’s not Hotaru.”

Shock quickly covered the women’s faces as Minako and Makoto took a closer look at the girl. As they began to focus their attention on the dark-haired girl’s features, it was becoming a realization that she did had some slight differences from the girl they all knew well, Hotaru.

“She has…” Minako started.

“…blue eyes.” Makoto finished.

Maaya let out a nervous chuckle.

“EH?!?!” Minako, Rei, Makoto, and Ami stated in unison.

Strings of Fate - Chapter Four

After the excitement of learning that the mysterious girl was indeed not Hotaru, Chibusa and Maaya joined Ami, Minako, Makoto, and Rei around the table, while Diana still rested comfortably on Chibiusa’s shoulder.

“So how’s your parents, Chibiusa?” Minako asked as Ami, Makoto, and Rei gwacked at Minako for asking such a question when a regular civilian was present.

"Well, things are great at home. Everyone is doing fine and life is rather peaceful, actually." she offered, her gaze turning back to Maaya and then to the others at the table. "I've been excelling in my classes, but have mostly been enjoying my art classes. I've even been learning painting! I've made several new friends, though they couldn't come with me on my trip; I wish they could have. They'd have loved to meet all of you. Other than that, life has mostly been BORING, which is why I decided to come visit."

Her own explanations over, Chibiusa turned her attention on the menu that had been set on the table in front of her, her stomach complaining silently to her that it was rather hungry. She pursued the menu, blushing lightly in hopes that no one really noticed the sounds. She turned her attention to food options and glanced toward Maaya.

"What do you want? Anything look good to you?" she asked, not wanting to leave Maaya out of the conversation, entirely.

Maaya was looking through the menu, feeling eyes on her. When she looked up slightly, the eyes of everyone with the exception of Chibiusa, quickly diverted to something else as if they had never laid eyes on her. Maaya giggled slightly and looked towards Chibiusa.

“I’m starting to wonder about this resemblance of your friend that you told me about and how much we look alike,” Maaya stated in a kind matter as she looked back towards the menu as the others began to feel a bit sheepish with the exception of Chibiusa. “I think I’m going to get a salad with some fruit most likely. I tend to eat light in the mornings.”

Giving a nervous giggle, Makoto spoke up from the others, “You know, I think we still didn’t’ get your name.”

Blinking a few moments as she recollected from her memory of the most recent events, she did realize that she never introduced herself to Chibiusa’s friends. “Oh my! I apologize about that. My name is Maaya Fu– it’s a pleasure meeting everyone.” After introducing herself, Maaya gave a short polite bow at the table, where only inches existed between her forehead and the table itself.

Chibiusa placed a gentle hand on Maaya’s shoulder as Maaya looked towards Chibiusa. With a smile, Chibiusa started to introduce Ami, Minako, Rei, and Makoto, by pointing towards the one she was talking about and telling Maaya one of their traits. After introductions were taken cared of, Rei stared at the dark haired girl as she involuntarily stirred her drink with the red straw that she had been sipping from.

“You’re not originally from here, are you? I hear a slight accent when you talk.”.

Maaya gave a quick nod. “Yes. I’ve actually only lived in Tokyo for about five years now. Before then, I was born and raised in Kyoto.”

Ami smiled as she titled her head slightly. “What brought your family out to Tokyo then? I heard that they have top notched schools in Kyoto and can provide an excellent education towards the youth there.”

“You never changed, Ami,” Chibiusa smiled.

Looking up towards the ceiling for a moment, it was plain to see that Maaya was thinking just by looking at the expression on her face. She then lowered her head and smiled, “While the schools are great in Kyoto, there was a school more aimed towards a particular area of my talents that I want to focus on more.” At that particular moment, a ringtone came from the sound of Maaya’s bag. Picking it up for a moment, Maaya shuffled through the items in her bag until she located her cell phone. It was a black slender phone that had a red butterfly phone strap dangling from it. Taking a look at the number for a moment, she looked at those who sat around the table. “Excuse me, I have to take this call.”

With that, Maaya excused herself from the table and walked away from the table as she began conversing with the person on the other line. Chibiusa gaze shifted from Maaya back to the others.

“So where’s Usagi?” Chibiusa asked questioningly.

“She pretty much destroyed a design for a local up-and-coming designer that she works for at the moment. So the designer is making her stay late to correct the errors she made today or to scrap and start over,” Rei stated as she placed a finger against her forehead. “She was being the usual Usagi though when she called.”

Chibiusa giggled. “That sounds like Usagi.” She paused for a moment and looked at the others. “And Mamo?”

“He’s still in America finishing up his studies. He only has a few more months left from what I understand, but Usagi has been lonely even though they call each other every week,” Makoto stated. “Even if we are here, there’s that one void we cannot fill so I bet she will be pleasantly surprised and happy when she sees you,” Makoto stated finishing off with a wink.

“Hey! Why don’t we go see her after we eat? I bet it would be a great surprise for her, plus it ought to cheer her up!” Minako stated.

“That would be great,” Chibiusa stated happily but then remembered Maaya. “But I don’t want to just leave Maaya hanging. We’ll have to see if she wants to come too.”

“Of course!” Minako stated in an excited tone.

Within moments, Maaya returned to the table with the others and bowed apologetically. She rose and said, “I’m sorry everyone. I’m going to have to take a rain check on the breakfast. My boss called and a shipment came in that she needs help with. She’s pregnant and I really don’t want her to be lifting any heavy boxes.”

Disappointment was clear on Chibiusa’s face as she was sad to hear that Maaya wouldn’t be able to stay around. She was intrigued by the girl who looked like her best friend but understood that work was work and the pink-haired girl understood that took precedence. She sat in silence for a few moments as she watched the other girls become interested in Maaya’s reason for leaving.

“That makes sense. Where do you work?” Rei asked.

“I work at Akai Medicine Shoppe. It’s a medicine shop that specializes in herbal medicine mixtures. While I really don't understand the work behind it, the owner is my godfather’s wife. She has a medical degree but with the way she acts sometime, one would wonder how she ever gotten out of high school. She’s about five months pregnant, I think.”

“Would you like some help? I’d be happy to come with you,” Makoto stated with a concern look.

Maaya shook her head gratefully. “Thank you, but I can manage. Plus Ms. Tsukino just came to town so I’m pretty sure you want to catch up with her as well as she with you.”

“Maaya, please call me Chibiusa,” Chibiusa smiled and then continued. “And I bet my cousin would love to meet you as well as we were going to ask you to come with us after breakfast. Maybe you can come with us another day? Or maybe we can meet up again later and just have some fun?”

“I’d love that, Chibiusa,” Maaya replied with a smile. “Here.” Maaya grabbed a loose napkin that had a crown logo on it and a pen from her bag as she wrote down her name and phone number. “Be sure to call me so I can get your number too.”

Chibiusa nodded and pocketed the napkin. “I’ll do that. It was a pleasure meeting you, Maaya,” Chibiusa stated as Maaya put the bag around her shoulder and smiled.

“It was a pleasure indeed. I’ll talk to you later,” she looked towards everyone else and bowed again. “It was a pleasure meeting each of you. Later.”

"Meow!" Diana offered, as well, loudly enough that several other patrons turned to see the feline sitting on the chair Maaya had just vacated, her tail waiving as if she were waving goodbye to the other girl. Then Maaya was out of sight.

Makoto turned her gaze towards Chibiusa. “That was a nice girl. Where did you meet her?

“I met her at the park - thought she was Hotaru also. The resemblance is almost uncanny...but once you see her face you can see the differences. I think Maaya is older though..." The girl had already sat back down and folded her arms over the table and lean on them.

The young teen let her gaze dart around the cafe, as if she were looking for something. Her expression was suddenly thoughtful. "There was more..." she offered, softly, her gaze now staring at the table. "About Maaya, I mean...I could have sworn it was Hotaru, and not just because of how close in appearance they look. She FELT like Hotaru...well, similar, anyway. I was passing her in the park and swore I felt Hotaru was there. When I turned the girl looked like her from the back. Except, it wasn't her...and once I was closer what I felt was a little different, also. It was strange..."

Diana, not wanting to alarm any more customers, simply nodded her agreement with her charge. She didn't dare speak up, less someone overhear her, but she made it clear by action that she agreed and had sensed the same as Chibiusa.