Bishoujo Senshi Sailor Moon Divine
Chapter Six - Not so Welcomed for Tendouko

        Tendouko didn´t know what to do, watching the others leave her at her new school. Mizuhi Middle School was relatively small compared to others and Tendouko had a feeling that wasn´t going to be helping her fit in well at all.
        "Now, Ten-chan," Kousagi looked frazzled, trying to sort out Tendouko´s already groomed look. Dressed in a very pink uniform, poor Tendouko felt even more out of place. The collar was tied into a tiny tail in the front and had a single white stripe against the stark pink. From underneath the collar, above the tie, additional fabric peeked out, ruffled and also had a white stripe going across. Her shirt was a fall top, long white sleeves with pink cuffs, and also had a breast pocket over on the left. The bottom of the shirt, just a inch from the end was a pink stripe. She wore a pink plaited skirt, near the edge was a single white stripe and then she wore white, dainty ruffled socks that covered her ankles and were hidden by black, leather shoes, with a slight heel and straps across the top of her foot and then around her ankles. "Try to be on your best behavior. If anything goes wrong, anything at all.."
        Tendouko stopped her there. "I can take care of myself," She pushed her sister´s hands away angrily. "I´m not a child!"
        "Tendouko," Duscha said gently. "She is your sister and trying to help you. At least listen to her."
        "I don´t need you to help me out," Tendouko said darkly, glaring at Kousagi. She felt a pang of guilt and shame at the momentary look of pain upon her sister´s face. But Kousagi broke out another warm smile.
        "It´s all right, Tendouko. You´re right, I should be treating you as more as an adult. You´re thirteen now and should be treated as such. I hope that you have a good day. I love you, Tendouko."
        She said the last bit hurriedly, turning frantically in hopes of hiding her eyes filling with tears. She remembered only a more happier Tendouko, before she had left, of when they got along.
        It was farther away, as the girls chattered. Going to the Shimoku High School, their winter uniforms were completely different from Tendouko´s school. The collar was completely black, with a white edge. There were a white bow and forked slender tails and the shirt itself was violet-blue, with white wide cuffs. The skirt was heavy and black with simple white sneakers for shoes. Kousagi said finally. "Do you think Tendouko is like this because she´s not being treated like she wants?"
        The question hung in the air before Primavera shrugged. "Perhaps but then, we´ve been all treating her the same. I don´t feel like it´s that reason."
        "She´s very angry and jealous," Duscha said frankly.
        "Of what?" Kousagi turned around at that simple statement.
        "She is always in the shadow of the Crowned Princess," Kassidy shook her head.
        "She´s a Crowned Princess!" Rei retorted hotly.
        "But she isn´t as accepted. I mean, how would you feel hearing people saying that the Queen was supposed to have only one child?" Kassidy glared at Rei.
        "But who said that?" Kousagi was very confused, her face downcast.
        "You mean you never heard of that?" Mako blinked. "Wow, you´re really a ditz in disguise, huh?"
        Kousagi glared. "I was joking!" Mako wailed, looking nervous at the mutinous glare of her friend.

        Tendouko fidgeted in her assigned chair, unused to the rough substance that was wood. She wanted and wished vainly for something soft, like cushion.
        Her head was moved down, keeping to herself. She didn´t want to draw attention to herself or at least more than what was there.
        The teacher nodded to each student that entered. She even gave Tendouko the same treatment. But she knew that some of her fellow classmates must know her and hearing them whispering was what would be the worst because it would be the exact same things she´d hear at home, from the high up to the low levels of society. No one seemed to like her at all.
        Her eyes welled up before two pale hands thumped onto her desk. "Hello," came the cheerful voice of the young girl from earlier that week.
        "Oh... he...hello," Tendouko fumbled, turning red as the other classmates watched on with bated breath.
        "Name´s Seino Kyoukou but please, call me Kyou-chan if you´d like?" She gave a slow, infectious smile.
        "Oh... you can call me Ten-chan," Tendouko said shyly.
        "Wonderful!" Kyoukou settled next to her. "Excuse me," she said loudly, not bothering to look behind her. "But don´t you think you´re being rude? Go talk about the lack of entertainment in your life if you want to moan about having a Princess in your face."
        The quartet of girls glared at the girl´s head. Kyoukou never turned around and fully acknowledged them.
        Tendouko´s problems never went away. Upon going to her second class and entering said class, a fellow male classmate tripped her, snickering as the group he was with joined in. It was always a group of people and those she fast learned were people who all had the same thoughts.
        And the single ones didn´t like it when she tried to be friends with them. She frightened them so badly that by lunch time, she realized she´d never have any friends.
        ‘Well, except one,´ she mused sadly. ‘Don´t know if she´ll stick with me, though.´
        "Augh," Kyoukou flicked her braid back behind her shoulders, glaring at the pile that was supposed to be lunch. "This is healthy," she muttered darkly. "What about you?"
        Tendouko pulled out a small lunch bag. "I made it myself," she said, still speaking shyly.
        Kyoukou blinked before grinning and slapping the table. "Hey, no need to act so demure and sweet. Act your age with me! I don´t wanna have to act grownup yet!"
        Tendouko smiled, for yet again, the smile was infectious. "Well, at least I won´t have to eat that." She pointed out.
        "Hmm... how about we trade bites? You have one of mine and I have one of yours?"
        "All right but I may only make it once," Tendouko warned, eyeing the slowly sloping glop.
        "Fine by me!" So Tendouko pulled out her lunch, a sandwich, apple slices, and a juice.
        "That´s it?"
        "I don´t eat much," Tendouko shrugged. It was true, since Kousagi had apparently inherited the bottomless stomach that her mother had. She wondered dimly if Cosmos-sama was once like that. She seemed too thin if she did so.
        "So an apple slice for a bite?"
        Tendouko nodded dutifully and sorrowfully relinquished a slice for the slop. Which didn´t really taste like anything and didn´t leave an aftertaste, she thought as she chewed carefully. "Why is it that lunch foods are so awful?"
        "Cheap?" Kyoukou offered in between loud chomps.
        "Hmm..."
        "It´s great that we have class together. It doesn´t seem like anyone likes you. I mean, why is that?" Kyoukou leaned over, her eyes glittering. "Just cause you´re a Princess.."
        "Because I´m second-born," Tendouko said flatly.
        "Oh.." She raised an eyebrow. "Don´t like that much?"
        Tendouko flushed. "Oh... well..."
        Kyoukou waved a hand airlessly. "No problem. Whatever you say to me, I will never, ever tell another soul!"
        Tendouko was quiet. "Why are you so nice? And friendly? Why would you like me?"
        Kyoukou´s eyes blanked out for a moment, her thoughts turned inward before she answered, her voice almost calculated. "I know what it´s like to be left alone, to be friendless. I only have my little brother and I try hard to be a good sister. If I copied what everyone did, be mean and pulling tricks, then I´m not really nice anymore."
        "Besides, I think we´re alike. We want to be something," Kyoukou nodded sagely.
        "What do you want to be?" Tendouko asked curiously.
        "Well... what do you want to be?" She countered.
        "Oh..."
        "When you can answer, I´ll give you my answer," Kyoukou gave a warm smile as the bell rang. "Come on! After school, wanna walk home together?"

        The wind picked up in the field where Botsu plucked the grass from the roots, collecting a small gathering before looking up at the bright skies with a shining sun. The air was slightly crisp, fall already fast approaching. He sat down then, taking to braiding the strips of grass into a headdress, humming to himself. Not far away, Tendouko and Kyoukou were doing their homework, enjoying the weather.
        "Aren´t you hot?" Tendouko asked finally. "I at least changed into something more cooler but you´re still in the school uniform."
        "I don´t get hot or cold that easily," Kyoukou answered with a shrug. "Hey, don´t you have to tell someone where you are?"
        "No," Tendouko glared at her hands, feeling rebellious. "What about you?"
        "Sometimes," Kyoukou shrugged. "But Botsu and me are predictable. We almost always follow the same patterns."
        "Hmm... we should do something about that," Tendouko mused before watching four looming shadows overpass her and Kyoukou.
        "Tsukino Tendouko," Kassidy crossed her arms. "What do you think you´re doing? Out here? Alone? Without telling ANYONE where you were?"
        "Did you want us to have a heart attack?" Primavera asked, a foot tapping.
        "That´s a lot of homework," Oceane commented.
        "Oceane!"
        "I´m with my friend!" Tendouko gestured toward Kyoukou, who was studying her fingernails intently.
        "That´s wonderful!" Duscha settled down in front of the two girls. "I´m Duscha," she offered a hand and smile.
        Kyoukou didn´t look up nor offer anything of herself. "Hi."
        "Kyoukou?" Tendouko blinked. "What´s wrong?"
        "Don´t do well in groups," came a strained whisper.
        "But these are my best friends."
        Kyoukou glanced up. "You´re all older."
        "Yes, well, we´re still best friends," Kassidy puffed out her chest even more.
        "Stop that," Oceane poked her belly, causing the other girl to wince.
        "Hi!" Botsu didn´t seem to mind the group at all. He wore his headdress of grass, tilted to the side comically so that the girls began to exclaim over him and how cute he was.
        "Ew.. can´t believe they like him," Kyoukou whispered to Tendouko with a giggle.
        "Ten-chan!" Kousagi came huffing, followed closely by her friends.
        "Oh... well, Ten-chan, I´ll see you tomorrow?" Kyoukou nodded to her. "Bye!"
        "Botsu," she called out as he perked up.
        "Bye bye, ladies!" He called out gaily, following his sister with a trot.
        "Ten-chan, why didn´t you come home right away?" Kousagi began.
        "I was with my friend," Tendouko bit out. "Since when is that a crime?"
        Kousagi shook her head. "At least have the others with you.."
        "HOW?" Tendouko glared. "You all go to a different school. Asides, I -don´t- need a babysitter! I can take care of myself!"
        "Tendouko.." Kousagi sighed. "Let´s just go, okay?"
        She didn´t respond, merely snatching up her book bag, glaring at Kousagi. "Don´t tell me what to do," she bit out darkly, thrashing around her. "I can do things by myself. I don´t need YOUR permission."

        Kyoukou hummed listlessly, fiddling with her pocket as Botsu stood behind her, watching with wide eyes.
        She found what she was expecting all day, a letter still sealed.
        "What does Mama want us to do now?" Botsu asked curiously.
        "Nothing for you to worry about," Kyoukou answered lightly. "Go on and do your homework, okay?"
        "Where´s Mommy? Isn´t she coming home soon?" Botsu asked, insistently.
        "Soon, Botsu, soon. We have to be patient," she never looked up, hiding her darkened eyes. Pain etched plainly in the lines of her face, she took a deep breath, clearing her gaze and smiled at him.
        "Please, Botsu, go do your homework."
        He nodded and took off. She waited until he was fully out of her sight before she opened the letter and read it carefully twice. She folded it and her fingers closed carefully over it, her eyes nearly black as the letter became alit in blue fire.
        She closed her eyes wearily, opening them to reveal the calm blue gaze. Sadness washed over her, her arms wrapping around her as she looked up at the ceiling.
        Where above her little brother worked diligently on his homework, his poor memory nothing more than that, poor. She prayed it would stay like that.


      This site, fan characters (otaku senshi, enemies, secondary), new fuku designs, labeled art, writing is copyrighted (C) 2007 Wild Nature. Sailor Moon (Bishoujo Senshi Sailor Moon), all related characters, original storyline is copyrighted (C) 1993 Naoko Takeuchi.