Crystal of the Heart

Act 11. New Home

Dear Readers,

   If you are enjoying my new Sailor Moon story please vote and comment. When you guys comment it keeps me going. Thanks guys!

        -Ashe_Hime

Ritsuko followed her older brother,Mamoru Chiba through the quiet streets. His hand firmly gripping onto Ritsuko's as of he feared she would dissapear into thin air. She smiled faintly,gently gripping onto her brother's hand. Causing him to smile befle leading Ritsuko upstair of a fairly large apartment building. Ritsuko walked along the vast hallway,it smelled of fresh paint. Which was evident with the already chipped paint on a corned of the wall.

Mamoru stopped at the end of the hallway,while fumbling with his keys on a keyring. Soon finding the correct key,the door itself clicked as he turned the knob. He then opened the door allowing his sister Ritsuko to explore her new home. For a man Mamoru Chiba kept his home fairly clean. It was a 2 bedroom and 2 in a half bathroom apartment. It had a very modern feeling to it,its large kitchen open with a silver marbled island at its center.

Mamoru's bedroom was closet to the front door. He told Ritsuko he felt safer if she was away from the door,or anyone who would harm them. Ritsuko nodded appreciating how protective her elder brother was over her before continuing to explore the apartment. The living room had a nice and modern black leather couch,a flat screen screwed into the wall. It had to at least be a 42 in,and black metallic glass coffee table center of the room.

On the walls were random paintings,with what looked like someone had simply spilt paint across the canvas. It looked messy,yet elegant. Ritsuko's brother did always have a sense of love for art,and it appeared even in this life he loved art. Quietly Ritsuko walked down the short hall pass Mamoru's room to her own,surpsingly it was already furnished. It held a full sized canaopy bed,with white blankets and sheets with silver flowers printed on them. A matching dresser,mirror and a fairly large closet.

Ritsuko peered towards her brother as he rubbed the back of his head nervously. "Usako and I furnished it,she thought we'd need an extra room for some reason. I'm glad I listened."He told her as Ritsuko sat down on the bed smoothing out the wrinkles of her skirt. The more she thought about it the only things that belonged to her were the clothes on her back and her messenger bag she had abandoned in the alley when she first layed eyes on Mamoru.

" Endymion I mean-..."Ritsuko began so use to her brother's true name. The name their parents had given their heir,the name that oozed strength and pride. The name of a man she had grown up with struggling to follow his footsteps. Ritsuko always felt like she was trying to catch up with her brother,to show the entire kingdom and their parents that she was an adequate heir to "The Golden Kingdom". Yet she could never keep up. It was always Endymion 10 steps ahead of her with a warm smile on his face. Endymion would always encourage his sister to follow him. That she was just as strong,even of she trailed behind him. Ritsuko could never catch up to him, on the outside she acted as if it never effected her. But in truth it stressed her out more than anything. It made her feel weak.

Mamoru noticed his sister's troubled gaze as he knelt down before her. Taking her small hands in his,holding them to his chest. " My name may have changed but I am still your brother, Endymion. You can tell me anything."He told his sister,hoping he could stir the hidden emotions inside her heart. He knew his sister never really had the chance of a normal teenage life. She was pressured at a young age into marriage with a prince on another planet. And her duty to the Golden Crystal did not help much either. He knew his sister craved for the life she never had,a life of romance and freedom. And Mamoru hoped she could have it this time with no strings attached.

Ritsuko swallowed hard,a lump forming in her throat. What she was about to ask she knew would possibly change the way her brother looked at her. But she had to know,she felt empty. Even with her elder brother by her side it just...didn't feel like it was enough. As if a huge piece was missing from her life and she knew what it was,or more who it was. "Where...where is he?" Ritsuko breathed,her voice strained as if she couldn't fathom what spilled from her lips.

Mamoru stared at his sister's hands,not daring to look her in the eye. He knew if she did it would unveil him,all the terror and fears that had surfaced with her awakening. Mamoru wouldn't be able to hide what he knew about "Him" much longer. He actually had hoped that Ritsuko wouldn't remember that man,but she did. And there was no going around her questions. "Where is he?" Ritsuko questioned again, this time her voice filled with fear of what the answer maybe. Mamoru soon stared into the cerulean pools that belonged to his sister before whispering the answer she dreaded to hear.

"He's disappeared Ritsuko...right after your death....word was he couldnt take the fact that you had died. He fled,and no one...not even myself has heard from him." Mamoru breathed as immediately Ritsuko's body began to tremble violently at his words. He was gone? Had he died? No,he couldn't he was strong. Ritsuko knew he was strong and brave, where had he gone? Where had her knight gone? Tears spilled down Ritsuko's cheeks as she pulled her legs to her chest sobbing,she was broken. And Mamoru couldn't stand the sight of her so lost and broken.

After finally awakening "He" had abandoned her. Left her,he was the one person Ritsuko craved to see more than anything. Had she been reincarnated for nothing? Was she suppose to move on with her life without looking back? Hadn't the two been in love? Or had he lied to her? Ritsuko gritted her teeth as hot tears continued to fall. "W-Why....?" She mumbled to herself as her chest heaved up and down. She was in pain physical pain without him,Mamoru begged her to calm down. Pleaded with her to breathe but she couldn't not without him,not without the missing piece.

"Helios." Ritsuko choked out,her eyes now red from the tears she had shed. It hurt even to say his name,it felt foreign on her tongue. Mamoru stood from the ground with a determined look on his face. "I will find him for you I swear,just give me time." He told his shaken sister,who quietly nodded towards him. Now beginning to calm down abit,enough to answer him. "No." She breathed catching Mamoru off guard as he turned towards his sister's tear stained face before she spoke again. "If he truly loves me...he will find me." She said as Mamoru quietly nodded as he pulled the door to Ritsuko's room closed. Leaving the young Princess to shed her tears in private.