Duty and Love

Act 1: Awaken; Sailor Neptune!

"Silence is approaching, "

"Who are you?" I extend my reach to touch the dark figure. They didn't answer me. My hand passed through the the silhouette. As if it were no more than a ghost.

"Silence is approaching! Awaken; Sailor Neptune!" they lowered their silver glaive. A bright flash emitted from it, engulfing my vision.

My eyes shot open. That same dream, once more? What is the silence and who is Sailor Neptune? I turn onto my side, clutching my duvet to my chest. How much longer must I have this same dream, every night? I can't think about this right now, I have to get myself ready for school.

I glance over to my newly cleaned middle school uniform. Today was Monday, meaning I also needed to bring my PE kit with me to school today. I have little interest in sports. The only exception being swimming; I feel as one with the water while my hair streams through the depths as I swim. In the pool, you're free.

I climb out of the bed in order to face the day. Slipping the uniform on and styling my hair with my favourite head band. After heading to the kitchen I notice the post-it-note on the bench from my mother;

"Good morning Michiru! Sorry we couldn't eat breakfast together again, I made you an onigiri to eat, see you later."

We hardly see one another these days. Mum wakes early for work and often returns home late. Being a secretary must be difficult, I would like for her to have the time to see me. I ate the onigiri in silence.

It was getting close to leaving time. I packed up my school lunch, cleaned a pair of chopsticks for school and put my violin in its travel case.

The train was crowded as per usual. I checked my phone, and read Elsa 's message.

"See you on the train this morning?"

"Of course :)," I responded.

The next stop was hers. Her short pink hair wavered in the air as she dashed onto the train. Despite having to run in order to catch this train, she didn't break a sweat. Elsa squeezed her way past the other passengers.

"Excuse me," I heard her mutter under her breath as she passed a few more people.

After finally reaching me, I greeted her and we caught up about all the new gossip about our classmates. Who's interested in who and how our own weekends went. The pair of us spoke the entire way to Takamatsu middle school. Elsa began to tell me more about her hobby as a track racer, speaking of wanting to join the track club in high school. She dreams of becoming the number 1 female track athlete. Right now, only one thing stood in her way of pursuing that dream. There's another girl in the Minato ward who is rumoured to be faster than Elsa. That person had become a sort of rival to her.

Sports is everything for Elsa. Since arriving in Tokyo on the exchange program run between Takamatsu middle school and another over in America; other than English, PE has been her best subject. Though I would consider her level of Japanese knowledge and understanding to be proficient, Elsa claims that in other subjects like history the teachers and text books use words and characters that she is unfamiliar with and therefore finds them to be challenging.

The sound of the school bell bellowed.

"I'll see you at recess?" Elsa offered.

"Oh- I'm sorry I have violin practise I must do in preparation for my recital next month. I'll see you for PE though."

She nodded her head and smiled, with that we separated.

First up for the day, after homeroom was art. Something I seem to excel at. I usually find peace through the gentle strokes of a paint brush. But not today. Today my mind is filled with the words: