Sailor Moon Fan Fiction ❯ Karma--Repeating the Past ❯ Day/Night 1 ( Chapter 1 )

Cycles of Love

By WufeiNeko

Rating: PG-13

Summary: Years after the final battle, the daughters of two senshi meet to begin a romance that left off with their mothers. Angst! Romance! ChibiUsa Bashing!

Kasumi Ten'oh frowned as she listened to the lecture on planetary cultures. Now I understand why mother hated this class so much, she thought as she diligently took notes. Of course, Asuka-papa doesn't care how or what I do, so long as it keeps me out of her hair.

After Haruka died, Asuka had taken little to no interest in her daughter, with the exception of trying to make her daughter less like her or her deceased mother. Namely, more feminine.

There's no use trying to fight her either, Kasumi thought, absently twirling a long strand of straw-gold hair around a finger. Her hair was long, and it fell in gentle waves to her shoulders. Asuka had once remarked that she looked like a blonde version of Haruka's former lover more than anyone from her family.

Class is nearly over, I think, she thought, looking up at the clock, giving up on taking notes. Someone poked her right arm, trying to get her attention.

"Sumi-chan!" Setsuna Meioh's only daughter and Kasumi's best friend, Winter whispered impatiently. Winter had the dark skin and green-black hair of her mother, but the ice-blue eyes of her father. When standing, Kasumi had to look up to speak to Winter, something Kasumi had to do with all her friends, it seemed.

"What Winter?" Kasumi asked, looking up at the teacher before looking over at her friend.

Winter's eyes glowed with expectation. "There's a new student coming in today."

Kasumi sighed. It seemed that Winter fell in love with every new student that came to their class. That was actually how they became friends. Typically, Winter would attack Kasumi with hugs and bring her lunch every day, unless told not to. Glancing over at her best friend, she felt a sweatdrop form. Sure enough, Winter was primping and paying no attention what-so-ever.

The teacher, a man with glasses as thick as the textbooks, cleared his throat. "Class, I'd like to present our newest student." He gestured for someone to come in.

Hikari Kaioh took the necessary steps to get into the room, but no more than necessary. She wore the boys' uniform, her pants neatly pressed and her short blue-green hair combed neatly. Her dark blue eyes were cold as she looked around. "Kaioh Yuki." She said, her voice much deeper than many of the boys in the class.

The teacher frowned. "It says here, Hikari. Not Yuki."

She turned frigid eyes on him. "I know what it says. Yuki." Her voice echoed the coldness in her eyes.

He looked at her for a moment, took a breath, and looked back down at the seating arrangement. "Take a seat beside Ten'oh." He said, after looking for the one empty seat in the room.

Kasumi felt her eyes widen as she got a good look at the new student. She sat a bit straighter and stopped playing with her hair. Kaioh-wasn't that the name of Mother's first lover? She thought as she watched Hikari walk towards her.

Hikari stopped at Kasumi's desk. "You're Ms. Ten'oh?" she asked, her voice low, sounding like it belonged more in a bedroom than in the classroom.

Kasumi felt her face get red as she nodded. "Kasumi Ten'oh." She stretched her hand out to shake. "I think our mothers knew each other." She said, her voice lowering.

Hikari nodded and sat down in the seat to the left of Kasumi's. "Mother speaks of your mother often. My condolences."

Kasumi felt her face redden again. "Thank you." She stammered, before quickly turning her face back to the front. He's gorgeous. Why does he make me feel this way?

Hikari chuckled. She leaned across the walkway and whispered, "So, do we have gym class next, or is my schedule wrong?"

Kasumi jumped in her seat.

That was enough to get the teacher's attention. "Ten'oh! Kaioh! In the hall, now!" he yelled, throwing them out of the room.

Kasumi glared at Hikari, her anger overcoming her nervousness. "What did you do that for?!" she whispered angrily, slamming her books on the floor and facing the taller student.

Hikari started laughing. Not the guffawing that most of the other boys did, but the sensuous chuckle that made the hair on Kasumi's arms rise. After a moment, dark blue eyes settled on Kasumi's face. "My apologies. I wanted an excuse to take you out for a drive."

Kasumi felt the heat rise in her face. "You…wanted…a drive?" she asked, words failing her as she saw those cold eyes suddenly warm.

Hikari nodded. "I drove my motorcycle here. I was wondering if you'd be willing to show me around the town, since this is my first time here, and you obviously know the area."

Kasumi's eyes widened and she nodded hesitantly. "I'd love to-we'd have to stop off at my apartment so I can change-"

Hikari raised an eyebrow. "'Your apartment'? My, and here I thought I'd be the only one in our class living alone." She chuckled again.

Kasumi shook her head. "My…father…decided that it was best if I have my own apartment so I don't get in the way." She shrugged at the look of shock on Hikari's face. "It works out well, since we don't get along since mother died."

Hikari placed a gentle hand on the shorter girl's shoulder. "Again, my apologies." She said, gently moving some hair back behind the other girl's ear.

Kasumi felt the other girl's hand slide along her shoulder and push some hair back. She pulled back and felt her face grow red again.

Hikari looked startled. "Some other time then, hm?" she asked, recovering her poise. She pushed some hair out of her face and smiled rakishly.

Kasumi nodded, and watched the taller student walk away, most likely out to the motorcycle mentioned, stopping only to tease and to (seemingly) flirt with some of the boys from homeroom. He's a mystery-cold, but fiery, closed off but flirtatious. This is waaaay too weird.

~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~

As she walked out, Hikari noticed a group of boys who were built like the stereotypical American football players standing beside her bike. Shit. What now, she thought as she walked towards them.

"Hey, look, it's the faggot!"

"Wanna see how a *real* man rides, cock sucker?"

She silently strode towards them, swinging her jacket over her shoulder. "Mind moving away from my bike?" she asked quietly, her voice going lower than it had been when she spoke to the lovely blonde.

One of them, a particularly nasty looking grease-ball with his black-brown hair slicked back, walked around her and pulled out a switchblade. "What, you gonna make us, bitch?"

She slowly raised her midnight-blue eyes up to his. Her eyes were as cold as ice as she did, the blue-green hair sliding back off of her face. "No, I will ask you one more time to move away from my bike. If you decide to tempt fate, fine."

The one who approached her, Yamada Satoshi, chuckled. "What can a skinny little fucker like you do to a man like me?"

Hikari smiled coldly. Her eyes narrowed and she moved so fast that the other boys were barely able to see her move. One swift kick to the jaw knocked out Yamada, and a series of punches put his cohorts out for the count.

"YUKI!!!" Kasumi had run to the window as soon as she heard the sounds of the boys laughing, panicked that they had hurt the new boy, screaming his name as she reached the ledge.

Looking up, Hikari smiled. She ran her fingers through her hair and winked at the blonde, giving her a salute and blowing her a kiss. Slowly, she swung herself over the barrel of the motorcycle and started it, letting the machine idle for a second before turning her attention to what she was doing.

~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~

Hikari smiled as sat on the idling cycle. I love doing that. I would bet that she thinks I'm a guy. She slid her helmet on and kicked off, speeding down the road. The sights blurred by as she took the roads back to her apartment. Stopping for a red-light, she re-zipped her leather jacket after getting her sunglasses out. Minutes and several streets later, Hikari pulled into the parking lot of her apartment.

She hopped off, grabbed her books, and started inside. First floor. Second floor. Third floor. Fourth floor. When she got to the fifth, she walked down to the eighth apartment. Pulling out her keys, she opened the door and went inside, only to hear her phone ring. "Gods damn it..." She muttered, dropping her books and running to her room, where the only phone was. "What?" she said breathlessly, grabbing the phone on the fourth ring.

"Good evening, Hikari-chan," Minako's voice came through the phone. "Everything alright? You sound out of breath."

Hikari sighed. "I just got home. What'cha need, Mina?"

Minako laughed. "I knew you'd be rushing in and out if I let you get that apartment and motorcycle." She paused. "How did your first day go?"

"Oh. That." Hikari groaned and picked up a pillow that she knocked to the floor. "Pretty well. I met Haruka-san's daughter. She's as beautiful as her mother." She remarked casually, pushing back a strand of hair.

Minako's voice suddenly sounded suspicious. "And? What do you think of her?"

"I haven't had the time to form an opinion, Mina-san." Hikari replied dryly. "After all, I just got here."

Minako laughed. "Oh. Right. Sorry, Hikari-chan. Anyway, I just had to call and see if you settled in okay."

Hikari laughed and nodded, knowing that Minako couldn't see her. "Anyway, I've got homework and I still have to make dinner."

"Why don't you call Makoto-san? She'll help you with both if you need it," Minako reminded her pseudo-daughter.

Hikari groaned. "Mina! The last thing I need is boy-crazy Mako-chan coming over here and terrorizing my neighbors and making me gain five pounds!" She paused to tug her shirt off. "Oh, if you happen to run into Hotaru and her step-sister, tell them hi for me, okay?"

"I will. Goodbye." Minako said before cutting off the conversation.

Hikari hung up the phone, picked up the shirt she tossed on the floor, and shoved it in the hamper. "I've really got to clean up if I'm gonna go sweep Ms. Ten'oh off her feet tonight," she muttered to herself as she rummaged through her shirts.

The phone rang again.

"What is this? Call Hikari day??" she muttered to no one in particular. She stalked over to the phone. "Insane asylum, how can I be of service?"

"Hikari?" Soi Hino's startled voice rang through the phone. Rei's oldest daughter from her first marriage, Soi was the only one who Hikari got along with of that brood. "Good God, you even *sound* different this far away!"

Hikari chuckled. "No offense, Lightning, but what do you want? I need food or I'll eat the phone."

"Gack. My bad. Just wanted to know if you're gonna come home any time soon." Soi sounded apologetic, but nervous.

Hikari raised an eyebrow. "Why? I'll be home for New Year's, but that's the soonest."

Soi audibly pouted. "Maaan. I wanted you to meet my new boyfriend!"

Hikari sighed. "Soi, I've got to go. We'll talk later, okay?"

"Okay. Later!" Soi hung up, leaving Hikari listening to the annoying beep of the phone.

About ten minutes afterwards, Hikari sprawled on her couch, relishing the feeling of her leather jeans. "Let's see, what kind of impression do I want to make on this young woman? Dashing and dangerous? Or like ice so cold it burns?" she asked herself, watching the neighborhood cat prowl past her kitchen window. "Here kitty," she said, making tsk tsk noises to get it's attention.

The cat obliged by hopping in the window and marching up to her, purring like an old motor.

Hikari smiled and petted it, enjoying the feeling of fur under her fingers. "You're a well fed kitty. Who's your owner?"

The cat looked at her with blue eyes. It had black fur, but as it looked up at her, there was no doubt it heard her. "Mrowr?"

She laughed. "You're not going to tell me, are you? Well, time for you to go-I have a date, and I can't leave you in here, or my couch'll be in shreds!"

The cat made a small sound as she picked it up. "Mrowrrrrrrrrr." It sounded piteous, like it didn't want to leave.

Hikari shook her head. "Tell you what, cat. You come back here tomorrow morning and wake me up, and we'll talk. Otherwise, you go back to whoever feeds you so well. Okay?" she set it down on the carpeted floor of the hallway.

It walked up and rubbed it's cheek against her hand, purring loudly.

Hikari laughed and straightened her jacket. "I guess that's a yes." She said, donning her helmet and fishing her gloves out of a pocket. She took the stairs two at a time, and was down at the motorcycle before too long. She put the keys in the ignition and let the engine warm up before kicking it into gear. Moments later, she kicked off, and sped down the road, destination unknown, and perfectly fine with it.

~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~

Kasumi sat in her room, attempting the homework she had been assigned. Attempting was the key word, since most of what she ended up writing about was Yuki. She crumpled another sheet of paper as she realized what she was doing. Damn it, I can't even focus! She sighed and set her head on her desk. "I need something to drink," she muttered.

While she got up, she braided her hair loosely, getting it out of her face. The water she had set on to boil for tea before she started was just boiling. As she set her tea in to steep, she looked out her kitchen window. "What the-"

Hikari sat on her bike, smiling.

Kasumi opened the window. "What are you doing here? Better question, how did you get here?!" she yelled.

Hikari got off the bike and walked towards the building. "Buzz me in, will you?" she said, sticking one hand loosely in her pocket.

Kasumi looked at the other student. On the one hand, he did look like he wasn't planning anything awful, but on the other, he could be hiding something under the leather jacket. She smiled and walked over to the buzz-panel. Pushing the button, she again asked herself what she was doing, but continued.

Moments later, Kasumi heard a knock on the door. "Coming," she said. She opened the door to find Hikari standing in the doorway, leather jacket slung over one shoulder, with a baggy silk shirt and leather jeans on.

Hikari looked at Kasumi before crossing the threshold. "Wonderful apartment you have." She said quietly, moving so that she wasn't in the shorter girl's way. "Is it alright if I sit down?" she asked, silently stepping over to the couch.

Kasumi nodded and got another cup of tea. "How can I help you?" she asked, mentally trying to find something else to say.

Hikari smiled. "Well, it's not dark yet, and I was hoping that you'd be willing to go for that drive." She brushed a strand of blue-green hair out of her eyes. She sipped the cup of tea that Kasumi had given her.

Kasumi nervously smiled. "Um, Yuki-"

Hikari raised her hand and cut off Kasumi. "Hikari. That dolt of a teacher was right. I just go by that so none of the boys will mess with me." She smiled and placed her hand on the other girl's. "Now that we've got that major misunderstanding out of the way, what were you going to say?"

Kasumi's eyes widened and she scooted away from the other girl. "You're a girl?" she asked, putting things together.

Hikari nodded. "As much as you are. I just don't like being treated like one." She smiled. "You don't need to worry about it. I've been doing this for years-at least since my sixth year of school."

Kasumi started to smile.

Hikari raised her eyebrow. "So, are you ready to go for that ride now?" she asked, putting down her cup of tea.

Kasumi nodded. "Yep." Her blue-green eyes sparkled. "I'm ready if you are."

Moments later, Kasumi stood out in front of her apartment building beside Hikari. "It's a beautiful bike, Hikari." She said softly, clasping her hands together.

Hikari smiled. "I hoped you'd say that. You want a helmet?" she said, handing the shorter girl one with blue-green swirls on a white background.

Kasumi took it and put it on. Hikari put her helmet, blue and gold stars on a black background, on and sat down. As she straddled the bike, she looked at Kasumi. "You going to get on, or what?" she asked, with a tone that suggested she ought to.

Kasumi got on and tried to sit side-saddle, but it wasn't comfortable. "Um," she muttered. "Any suggestions as to how I'm gonna sit comfortably?" she asked, steadying herself by placing her hands on Hikari's shoulders.

Hikari laughed. "You're wearing pants, right? So why bother sitting side-saddle?"

Kasumi nodded. She swung around so that she balanced like Hikari.

Once Kasumi was settled seat-wise, Hikari reached around and got her hands and settled them firmly around her own waist. "That's to keep you from slipping off," she said. "Now, when we make a turn, you lean the way I lean."

Kasumi nodded again and tightened her grip on Hikari's waist. "Where are we going?" she asked.

Hikari shrugged. "Dunno. It's a small town, so I don't think we can get too lost if we just turn every now and then. Ready?" she asked, sliding the key into the ignition.

Kasumi laughed. "As ready as I'll ever be!"

Hikari revved the engine and kicked off.

They sped past some of the many beautiful buildings in the town, stopping only when needed. After several moments, they came to the shore, and Hikari turned off the bike. "So," she said, turning around to look at the smaller girl. "Tell me about your mother."

Kasumi pulled off the helmet and shook her hair out. "Mother-died a few years ago. Father said I reminded her too much of Haruka, and decided I was better off living on my own." Her voice was soft and low as she looked around. "Mother used to bring me here when I was younger, we'd play in the water."

Hikari sighed. "I know what you mean. Mother-Michiru, never really settled down after Haruka left. How she had me, I'll never know, but she came to the idea that I was more independent than she ever was, so she told Minako to look in on me every once and a while, but gave me the apartment she used to live in and the motorcycle Haruka left behind." She looked out at the water, enjoying the starlight on the surface.

Kasumi sighed. "Mother used to say that though my father was the more feminine, that she was more stubborn. She was the reason Mother left the bike behind."

Hikari got off the bike and held her hand out. "Come on, let's walk the beach."

Kicking off shoes and socks, the two of them walked along the shore, in the darkness. Hikari bent over and picked up shells every few steps. "Kasumi, how did your mother die?"

Kasumi didn't say anything, but she tugged her sweater around herself.

After several moments of silence, Hikari turned around and looked at the pale blonde in the low light. "Kasumi, please, tell me."

Kasumi frowned. "Mother contracted a disease. She didn't have much time after it started to attack her system. She died four weeks after the first symptoms."

Hikari stood and walked over to stand beside the smaller girl. "I'm so sorry." She put her arms around the blonde.

Kasumi started to move away, but she felt the firmness of the other girl's grip. "Don't." She muttered, only half-heartedly fighting the embrace.

Hikari snorted. "What, don't feel sorry or don't hold you?" as she spoke, she gently turned the smaller girl around.

Looking up into those midnight blue eyes, Kasumi felt her will waver.

Hikari saw the vibrant blue-green eyes that her own hair mirrored and simply held the smaller girl.

In a sad way, the scene was touching. If anyone walking by looked at the two on the beach that night, they wouldn't have seen two young women, but rather a set of green-gold wings enfolding a blue-silver core of light. In that moment, both of the young women knew they'd never need to feel lonely again.

As they drove back to Kasumi's apartment, Hikari felt oddly comfortable with the other girl, as comfortable as her own mother recalled having been with Haruka. Now, either I sweet talk her into coming back to my apartment, or I let her think what happened tonight over and talk to her at school tomorrow, she thought. She felt a small sigh on her back as they pulled into her apartment complex parking lot. "You okay back there?" she asked as she turned off the engine.

Kasumi nodded as she pulled off the helmet. "Perfectly fine. I was just thinking."

"About?" Hikari asked, running a hand through her own mussed hair. "You were quiet after talking about your mom. I didn't mean to reopen old wounds-" she stopped as she realized she was sounding overly apologetic.

Kasumi shrugged. "You didn't. I just needed to think some things over." She pulled the helmet back on as she looked at the taller girl.

Hikari raised an eyebrow. "What do you think you're doing?" she asked, crossing her arms.

"You're taking me back to your apartment so we don't have to make separate trips in the morning." Kasumi laughed and locked her arms around the still skeptical girl. "I'll sleep on the couch if you don't want this, but I'm still going back with you."

That was easy, Hikari thought as she restarted the bike. I didn't think she knew what I was planning though.

As they pulled into the parking lot of Hikari's apartment, Kasumi felt a small feeling of wonder. It was an old brownstone building, but it was six floors tall. The ground around it was manicured within an inch of its life, and the blacktop was as smooth as silk. Kasumi simply stood there for a moment as Hikari locked the bike.

Hikari looked at the shorter girl and smiled. "You know, I saw the same look on Mother's face when she saw where I intended to live." She laughed. "Except, the words next out of her mouth were: `You want to live here? In heaven's name, why?'"

Kasumi grinned. "I was just thinking the opposite. I think it's lovely." Her blue-green eyes sparkled in the starlight. "I think I like it better than my apartment building."

Hikari smiled. "Well, I was actually thinking that your building looks high-class. Mine looks roach infested." Her blue eyes turned slightly to the side for a moment. "Kasumi-chan, you'd better go inside." She said quietly, after a moment of shifting into a more dangerous mode.

Kasumi shook her head. "Why?"

A deep growl came from the darkness just out of site. "Kaioh. You made a fool of me earlier today. No one makes a fool of me." A tall guy-one of the football players Hikari had managed to make look stupid after school, Kasumi gathered-stepped out into the one streetlight in the parking lot.

Hikari walked up to the guy. "I did nothing that you weren't already doing, Yamada. I just made it more obvious." Her voice went lower as she talked, growing as dangerous as the stance she took.

Yamada growled again and flipped open a switchblade. "Bastard!" he yelled, lunging forward, thinking to take the `guy' by surprise.

Hikari simply moved out of the way. "Moron." She said, watching him fall on his face. "You jocks are all alike. Always thinking that your size simply makes you good. Well, I've got news for you," she said, pulling a knife the size of a short-sword from her jacket. She laid it on his neck, pressing the blade in enough to make a small rivulet of blood show. "Never, and I do mean never, take on someone who has already beaten you in more ways than one, jackass." She pulled back enough for him to struggle to a sitting position. "Get lost before I decide to finish the job."

Yamada put a hand to his neck, before looking at the two of them and walking away like a wounded panther. Dangerous. Hurt, but dangerous.

Hikari sighed and slid the blade home in its sheath. "I'm sorry you had to see that." She said simply, not raising her eyes to the other girl. "Well," she said, walking over to the door of her building. "You wanted to come up, right?"

Slowly, Hikari led Kasumi up the long flights of stairs to her apartment, chuckling with the things that the shorter girl had to say about various people in their class. She's so open, she thought, watching the blonde laugh mid-sentence. She doesn't understand that this wasn't the first time someone's tried to attack me-she thinks that it's all something of a fluke-one kid deciding he didn't like me. Her dark blue eyes were sullenly quiet as she opened the door to her apartment, slowly nodding with everything Kasumi said. "Kasumi-You can have the bed-I'll take the couch," she whispered, slowly flipping on the light, bathing the apartment in warm illumination.

Blushing, Kasumi shook her head. "No-I don't want to put you out." She tucked a strand of blonde hair behind her ear and slowly looked up into the other girl's eyes. "Besides-it's your apartment. You should sleep where you want."

Shrugging, Hikari threw her coat onto a chair, looking very tired all of a sudden. "Why haven't you asked me about why Yamada attacked me?" she asked quietly, slowly sitting down on the couch, slouching backwards until she rested her chin on her chest.

"It's wasn't any of my business," Kasumi whispered, slowly sitting beside the taller girl. "I figured that he simply didn't like you-"

"It's not that he doesn't like me, Kasumi." Hikari stood and stuffed her hands in her pockets. How can I explain to her that I've been living with assholes like him since I started going by Yuki rather than Hikari.

Standing, and silently coming up behind the taller girl, Kasumi rested her arms around her waist, and gently hugging her. The warmth and the combination of comforting feelings made Hikari nearly want to cry. "Don't talk about it until you want to, Hikari. I don't mind."

Slowly the blue-green haired girl turned, looking into the matching eyes of the blonde. "Let's go to bed," she said softly, stroking Kasumi's cheek. As the blonde blushed, Hikari lowered her lips to lightly brush the matching set, whispering. "You take the bed. I'll sleep out here, should you need me."