A "Circle of Times" story. Homepage is at http://www.geocities.com/tokyo/9897/ct.htm Revelations by Annie Something was going on. Something was weird. I did not exactly know what the something was, so I kept my mouth shut. It would not exactly be normal of me to say that something was going on. That was Rei?s job, not mine. But still, I knew that something odd was going on. There was something in the air that told me that. I attributed it all to Ami?s recent disappearance and reappearance, as that was the only weird thing that had happened lately. I just knew it had to do with that, as we knew none of the sordid details. All we knew was that Ami had disappeared nearly a year ago, and had come back... with a baby. The "something weird" for sure had to do with that. But that was not the whole thing. There was another weird thing, connecting to it. Ami?s daughter?s name was Setsuna, and this Setsuna had apparently been born on the twenty-ninth of October. The other Setsuna, Sailor Pluto, was gone. Missing in action. But I really did not want to dwell on the fact that for nearly a year, two of our friends had been missing. Now, one was back, with a kid named after the other. How weird was that? Maybe that was just why it was all bugging me so much. I didn?t understand it all. It was just that everyone had secrets that no one wanted to tell. But the only secret I really wanted to know was Ami?s. I wanted to know what was going on with her, and her version of what had happened to her in the past year. But her lips, as well as her mother?s, Dr. Mizuno, were locked. With a of this hiding of the truth, I keep on looking back. Before Ami had disappeared, what had I been doing? Mamoru and I had broken up. Lucky for us, and the future, Ami was able to talk him into getting back together. I suppose, as that time, I was too involved in my relationship to see what was happening with Ami, before she disappeared. I remember, we were all so worried about her, but it was impossible to find her. Then, she came back. what a surprise that had been! After so long, she had just come back one day. Of course, it was difficult adjusting to the fact that she had a child, but whenever it was possible, we helped. Oh, I do not know why I am dwelling on this so much... it?s just this sixth sense bugging me. I just wish I knew... But I cannot think about that now, I just cannot. Not now, at least. It is my turn to baby-sit Setsuna, because Ami has got night school, and Dr. Mizuno has the night shift at the hospital. Another really weird thing is that... every time I see Setsuna now, I get this icy feeling down my spine. I am rolling over, and, unfortunately, falling. Boom! I fall off the couch. Ow... I moan, rubbing my back. What time is it? I swing my head over to the living room clock, which reads eight o?clock. Only eight! I put Setsuna down to sleep an hour ago, and then I fell on the couch. Ami should be back in a few hours. I go to check on Setsuna, still sleeping. So I head on over back to the couch, and stare up at the ceiling, watching the fan go around... and round... and round... my eyes... fall... shut. Clocks bang past me, in a passageway. I curl up in a fetal position. Everything is dark, and quiet, now. But my locket bursts open, bringing rays of light with it. A voice makes me snap open my eyes. It is my mother?s voice. My mother, Serenity. "The truth... You wish to find the truth." "The truth," another voice says. I know this voice. It is Mamoru?s. "The truth," a voice whispers. Ami?s voice. "The truth," voices laugh. "The truth." "THE TRUTH!" I scream. Everything falls silent. The sun rises. People move about. I move off the couch, suspiciously. Am I awake? I go to check on Setsuna, but she is not there. In fact, neither is her crib. I move on to Ami?s room. It is slightly messy, unusual for Ami. As long as I have known her, she has been spectacularly clean. A binder lies open on the desk, to math questions. I peer down at them. They are only half done, again, unusual for Ami. But they are also something else. They are from a year ago. Shocked, I slowly go out of the house. I make my way down to the shopping district, intent on getting some ice cream to clear my mind. It is so early in the morning, there are hardly any people around. But, obviously, not too early for some. A couple is kissing. I fall to my knees. It is Ami and Mamoru. I crawl into an alley, hyperventilating. Tears falling down my cheeks, unnoticed. A raging of emotions are duking it out inside me. Why? Why? Just, why?? How dare he! Anger flares. He had no right to do that! True, anger admits, you had been broken up then... but to kiss your girlfriend?s best friend, that is inexcusable! And you worried about him getting it on with Rei, I laugh. Then I am quiet. Maybe they did not just kiss, reason says calmly. I start to cry again. Setsuna... she is Mamoru?s child. It is obvious. Oh, mother, why was I born with this fate?! I scream to the skies. I am not strong enough to handle this! Mother! Answer me! As if on cue, the sun sets quickly, and the moon rises. I reach out to the moon, longing to reach it. How easy life was back then! I had been princess of the moon, and shielded from problems, unlike now. But you were given these problems for a reason, something inside tells me. To do what? I ask. To toughen me up? For what? These are my friends, what am I supposed to do? Reason takes me over once again. You cannot let them know that you know. It would be disastrous. Besides, you know that you cannot handle life without any friends. Or Mamoru. "There is only one thing I can do," I say aloud. And I awake. Setsuna is still asleep, and it is nearly midnight. Ami is walking in the door, jangling her keys, and balancing her textbooks. "Oh!" she says, noticing I am now awake, "Did I wake you up?" "Um, yeah," I reply, slightly uncomfortable, "but it doesn?t matter. I need to go home anyway." "Okay," she says. "Yeah, bye." At home, I cannot sleep. For obvious reasons, of course. I switch on the radio. Maybe some songs will be able to get me to sleep. A song is half over. "I will always have a cross to bear, Cause the voices tell me, I was there. So give me time, to face this test of mine... If only I could turn back time, If only I had said what I still hide, If only I could turn back time, I would stay for the night, For the night." Crying, I switch the station. "Little princess in a terrible mess, A kingdom alone with no love is confessed, Dreams of a prince on a tall white horse, Runs like a spirit by the castle walls." Why are these songs plaguing me? I switch the station again. "The world is quiet, like there?s no one around, But I feel you beside me. I know the secrets you keep locked away inside Don?t understand why you?re fighting. I know she must be special, This new girl by your side. I seek the answers when I look into your eyes..." What is this? I think, irritated. Aqua-mania? I cannot take this anymore... I have to tell someone about this... Mother... I think, drifting off to sleep... why me? With a night of tossing and turning, and no dreams, I went to school. I tried to act as normal as possible, but it was hard. How was I supposed to act normal when I had found out that my fiancé ¨ad cheated on me with one of my best friends, and was the father of her baby? I just needed to be alone, to sort everything out. But it was going to be tough, trying to get everyone to leave me alone. I usually wanted to be surrounded by people all the time. But, I managed to get my way, in the library. What am I going to do? I cannot very well walk up to Mamoru and tell him "I know what you did last summer." Wait, that is a movie. Then again, I do know what he did last summer. And am I supposed to walk up to Ami and tell her: "I know your little secret?" I cannot do any of that. Then, what am I to do? Just leave everyone alone, and go on with a happy-go-lucky life? Well, if I did anything different, people would suspect something. That is what I have to do. I have to act like I do not know anything. Sure, it will be hard, but what other choice do I have? If I confront them, I will lose Mamoru. Then Chibi-Usa will be gone, and so will my future. I do not want to be a slave to the future, but that is what got me into this mess in the first place! what I have to do is... to disregard my own feelings and not let anyone know that I know. Boy, my life has gotten screwed up a whole lot. It seems that not even I am in charge of my own life anymore. It is strange... finding out things I would really not want to find out. They are secrets, awful revelations that I have to keep to myself. I do not like this at all, but what choice do I have? The End _________________________________________________________ DO YOU YAHOO!? Get your free @yahoo.com address at http://mail.yahoo.com