"Reflections and a Day Off"

by Cassandra

DISCLAIMER: Yeah right, like you’d believe the Three Lights are mine!

"The Wind’s Whisper: Taiki"

Chapter II

"Look what the cat dragged out." Seiya’s mocking exclamation roused me out of my state of bliss, making me look up from my book of poems. I smirked slightly at what I saw and at what time it was.

Walking into the dining room, carrying a bowl of oatmeal and milk was Yaten. He was dressed in an open white shirt that was a little too big for him over an ice mint tank top and gray lounging pants. His hair was still a little damp from the shower but he tied it back anyway.

Yaten let out an arrogant "Hmp!" and ignored his fellow senshi, choosing to sit on the table and eat his brunch.

Seiya meanwhile had forgotten about him already as he reclined against the couch in front of the TV. His eyes were glued to the flickering screen as a cartoon show was on. Dressed in a red football jersey and soft denim jeans, he was wolfing down his second hamburger for the day. Every once and a while, he would rip of laughing at something a character said or did.

Delicately pushing the spoon into his mouth, Yaten rolled his eyes and grumbled under his breath every time he heard Seiya. Yaten could be so easy to annoy, given his tolerance for anything that he didn’t like.

I looked at Seiya again when he laughed. I glanced at Yaten and saw the expression on his face. The fireworks are coming soon enough.

Earlier than I expected, Yaten whirled around on his seat to shoot a withering look at the back of Seiya’s head. If his green eyes were lasers, his subject would be dead on the floor lying on a pool of blood.

"Turn that damn thing off! It’s irritating!"

"Everything is irritating to you, Yaten." Seiya quipped in return, glancing at him long enough to deliver his trademark smirk. "Lighten up!"

"Oh yeah? Lighten up and do what? Watch those stupid cartoons like you do and learn to belch along the way?" The white-haired Healer sniffed and returned to his oatmeal. "I’d rather go on a date with that twit!"

"That twit" is the renowned Aino Minako aka Sailor Venus. Yaten just couldn’t stand her, but in Seiya’s opinion they could make quite a match.

That resulted into a shout of laughter from Seiya. He grinned and completely turned around to face his victim. Mischief was evident in whatever his intentions were. "Then why don’t you? Ask Minako for a date. I dare ya!"

I watched in concealed amusement as Yaten frowned darker when Seiya suggested this. Seiya began teasing him, much to his irritation.

"Yaten and Minako sitting in a tree K-I-S-S-I-N-G! First comes love –"

"Seiya, shut up."

"You can’t do it can ya? Coz you’re scared! Yo Yaten, is your hair turning yellow?"

"I am not SCARED!"

"Yellow as the sun! Yellow as your rose! Yellow as Odango’s hair! Wait, it’s golden blond… Haha! Yellow as a chi—"

"Continue and I’ll punch your lights out!"

"Chicken! Buck, buck, buckOK!!!"

"THAT’S IT! YOU’RE HISTORY PAL!!"

And with that, Yaten pounced on Seiya and they began rolling around on the floor, choking, punching and pulling each other to shreds as they screamed profanity that could make anyone cringe. Soon, the fight became too much for me.

With a tired sigh, I grabbed my black jacket and pulled it over my purple long-sleeved shirt and my khaki pants. I plopped on a cap and slipped on my shades, couldn’t be too careful once outside now, can you? With them on I couldn’t be recognized and I could walk around without being bothered by fans asking me for autographs.

"I’ll just be going out for a while." I called out to the two monkeys who were still squabbling. I smiled a little as I leveled my amethyst eyes on them. "Be careful of the furniture." Without as much as a "Ja, Taiki" I walked out.

My hands were deep inside my pocket as I shook my head in a sigh. Those two could be such trouble at times. They tended to fight more often here on Earth than they did back in Kinmoku. I didn’t know why but my guess is that they’re less rigid here and the wonders of being in a male body was definitely a freeing experience for the three of us.

I stepped into the street and was at once attacked by an onslaught of human emotion and thoughts.

I used to be so overwhelmed with the fact that humans didn’t have shields for their minds whatsoever. Everything was loud and crazy to me and I couldn’t just shut them out. It had been hard during the first few months. Along with dealing with the loud ruckus of human minds, we had to learn Japanese and get used to our male anatomy.

It could be quite hilarious once I look back at those first months though I would admit that I wouldn’t have found them at least amusing back them.

I remember one afternoon when Seiya and I were struggling with our lessons when he threw his book across the room in a fit of exasperation. He buried his face into his hands and I heard him groan out, "I could hear a kid whining about his lost toy in the other building!" And he couldn’t concentrate.

Next, Yaten burst into the room and began yelling in panic that it had been a very long time since he had his time of the month. Seiya and I just continued to watch him warily until he realized that he was stuck in a male body and that such bodily function just wasn’t possible.

We all got used to it eventually and now I reveled in it. I have learned to love this planet and considered it my second home.

I only used to drink up its cultural and materialistic beauty as Yaten quickly discovered its wondrous food and resources that benefited his somewhat selfish heart. I never used to understand how Seiya grew to love Earth, including its inhabitants.

To me, they were just annoying and uncivilized creatures whom we just socialized with so that we may get to our goal or at least give us a lead: to find Kakyuu-hime.

They were just too wrapped up with their farfetched ideas of romance and dreams.

What we are doing now would have seemed romantic in their eyes: searching for a Princess with all we’ve got.

Our existence and Kinmoku itself are only figments of their wildest dreams.

Yeah, aliens and a planet called Kinmoku , man, could we talk about something else? That was what Earth humans might probably say.

I used to treat them and their foolishness with the same coldness they showed for things they don’t care about and care about them I didn’t.

Dreams and romance don’t make the world a better place. You have to be realistic and stand up and do something. Being realistic means being practical ; where’s the dreams and romance in that? Now you tell me, Earthling.

That was what I thought until I met Mizuno Ami.

I find myself brought by my musings to the park near our apartment. Sakura trees lined up against the path and since it was a little windy, green leaves and pink petals filled the air. The clean, fresh air filled my lungs as I breathed in deeply. I opened my palm out and a single pink petal fluttered down against my skin.

I smiled at the precious little offering of nature. Ami-san woulkd definitely love this.

Ami-san matched me in almost every measure and I hadn’t thought that she was the type that believed in romance and dreams. Yet when I heard her speak about the Wataru’s comet and how romantic she sees it, my respect for her faltered.

I know that may seem unfair but what would a cold, calculating scholar like me think during such a time?

I went away after delivering a blow at shattering her childish idealism with my cool practicality to the extent that I almost made her cry, I think. Yes, me and my insensitivity.

She didn’t give up though and continued bearing with me.

Her persistence soon paid off and, along with her friends and fellow senshi, "brainwashed" me. They managed to pull out Taiki Kou from inside the protective shell of Sailor Star Maker.

They brought out the human, the musician, the poet, the real Taiki Kou, along with his recovered laughter.

I smiled as I remembered that time. It felt good to laugh again.

"Rei-chan! Why do you have to be so mean?!"

I glanced up and saw the owner of the voice, just as I expected.

On a checkered blanket underneath a large Sakura tree, sat all five Inner Senshi having a picnic.

In the middle of it all sat the future Neo Queen Serenity, Tsukino Usagi, with a frown on her face as she looked at Sailor Mars, also known as Hino Rei. The dark-haired beauty was such a great contrast to the innocent appeal of the Moon Princess. That just may be the reason why Seiya fell for her so deeply.

The other three, the strong yet motherly Sailor Jupiter Kino Makoto, the Ultimate Goddess of Love of course, Minako and my clever Sailor Mercury, Ami just continued to watch them with amusement.

Even from afar, I felt the warmth of their friendship and saw their incredible shine.

Romance, dreams, destiny and so much more bind them forever.

The wind blew again and petals showered down on them, as if it were a prize. When I closed my eyes, I think I hear something coming from them. The hum of happiness and love.

"Taiki-san!"

Minako discovered me despite my hat and eyeglasses and I was promptly pulled towards the gathering, no matter how much I protested. I was positioned beside Ami-san and I was greeted with a peaceful smile. It made me even more guilty as I was handed a portion of Makoto-san’s divine cooking, even if it was sushi.

I wasn’t supposed to be here. Who was I to come into their circle like this? But as I looked around me, I saw acceptance as I have never seen on any other group of people. It just didn’t seem real.

I sighed and I let the wind play with my ponytail.

Such happiness and completeness could only be possible in dreams…leading to beautiful and precious romance…