Rainbow Day's Side Stories

Raina's roommates didn't mind that I moved in with them. In fact, according to Robin, it's just like having a live-in handyman. I had to tell her that I didn't know much about fixing anything but she wouldn't hear of it. The others were rather excited over the news about the baby and everything. It was nice. Even if a small part of me ached a little in remembrance of a relationship that should've been this. It should've been Usagi and her friends cooing over the eventual birth of Chibiusa. That's what the future had dictated back then.

 

But that future was not one I would have. This, I think, might be a better one. Without the expectations of what would come with a crown. I pushed the thoughts aside, they often plague me when I brood too much, and settled to studying again. I had some time before my shift at work. Even though I still had money from my inheritance, I wanted to add to it while I still could so we could buy our own home.

 

My own home. Something that was completely mine that I shared with someone I loved. Just thinking about it warmed my heart. Monroe seemed to approve of that when we told him and Okaasan during one of our weekly calls.

 

"See, now that's a man." He had said approvingly, "Willing to step up for his family. I'm proud of you son. Keep studying too. All that hard work will pay off."

 

Proud of you son. I was suddenly glad he couldn't see me. I felt tears burn in my eyes a little. He called me 'son'. Someone was proud of me. I had to collect myself quickly to answer him. I could see Raina just smiling at me from the corner of my eye. Her hand found mine, gripping it briefly. I think she understood how much it meant to me to hear that.

 

 

The joy of that carried me until sleep that night. For the first time in a long time, I began to dream. I dreamed of a child- I think, my child with Raina- who's back is to me wearing a multi-colored dress that blew in the wind. She points to a dark cloud in the distance.

 

"It's coming." Her voice distorted and faint, "It'll be here soon, Papa."

 

The dark cloud gathered ominously over Tokyo. Dread seeped into my heart as I wondered briefly if they were fighting again. If they were safe. What if something was wrong-?

 

I woke disoriented. I must've been speaking in Japanese because Raina awkwardly asked me if I was ok in Japanese. It must've sounded off because I came back to reality. The awareness of where I was, and whom I was with grounded me. It'd been a dream. Just a dream. Yet the dread didn't fade away yet. Not until Raina wrapped her arms around me, and I could feel her pregnant belly pressed at my side. Right. There's nothing wrong. Everything is fine.

 

I wrapped myself in her and settled for sleep. Even as I worry a little about what that dream meant.

​

I had a part time job as an engraver at one of the local jewelry stores. The irony hasn't been lost on me on how I went from a jewelry thief to now working at one. It'd been completely by accident. I'd intrigued the owners, Marcia and Ramon -a husband and wife team, when I had correctly guessed the type of stones they had on display without hesitation. They then went on to quiz me about the cuts. I was a little shakier about those, but it was suitable enough that Ramon had said,

 

"A little more time, and you could be a fine jeweler yourself, Mr. Chiba."

 

It's a quiet job that allowed me to study in-between customers that came in. It also came with a check that helped me towards my goal of securing enough money to make life comfortable for us when the baby arrives. Marcia was absolutely delighted to give us some hand-me-downs from when her own children had been infants. I tried to decline but she wouldn't hear of it. I wasn't sure how to explain it to Raina when I came home with the first load but she seemed to find it charming.

 

I can't help but feel grateful. Everyone has helped us so much. It almost feels like before. Like having a large extended family.

 

 

July's hot here. I'm not sure if I could compare it to Japan's July but both are insufferable in different ways. Lucky for me, I get to stay inside the store, reading up on some lecture notes when the door dings, announcing customers coming in. I stilled, feeling the familiar energies I hadn't felt in almost a year at this point. I hadn't thought I'd see them again. I hadn't thought anyone but those close to me would ever seek me out.

 

I should've known better.

 

"Chiba."

 

I looked up.

 

Time hasn't touched them. I don't think it ever will. A little older, yet still youthful, Haruka and Michiru stood before me like models out of a magazine. They always looked like that. Impossibly beautiful and handsome at the same time. The type of beauty you swear that only gods should possess. It's probably a quality of being a Sailor Guardian.

And despite their smiles, casual pose in trendy outfits, they weren't very pleased to see me.

 

"How-?" I began before my gaze dropped to Michiru's Neptune Mirror. Of course. Nothing is far from her sights in that. "I see. Is there anything wrong? Is the world in danger?"

 

"No." Michiru answered, the mirror disappearing from her hands, " In fact, it was a coincidence that we even came here. Massachusetts isn't exactly on Haruka's tour list. However, I was asked to play as a guest for one of their concerts. My mirror recognized a power here, and so we found you."

 

"I see."

 

"It's kind of rude, don't you think?" Haruka asked, browsing the jewelry cases before looking at me with those sharp dark blue eyes, "We didn't even get an invite to the wedding."

 

I winced, " Reika and Motoki?" I guessed.

 

Michiru smiled lightly, " Reika let it slipped to Setsuna. Setsuna was very upset to hear about it all. For weeks she's been trying to figure out why the future was so hazy and wouldn't show itself to her, the daughter of time itself, until then. I had to buy her a great deal of special tea to calm her down."

 

"And a really expensive bottle of wine." Haruka drily added.

 

Michiru laughed softly, "Yes, well, she can put it away when depressed, can't she?" She then looked at me, "But I take it this is the path you choose, Mamoru? With someone else?"

 

I remained calm as I nodded, " Yes. I..." I closed my mouth, the feelings bubbled up to the surface. I didn't want to say it yet but, "This is what I chose."

 

"What about that future? You and Usagi are destined to take over and become king and queen of Crystal Tokyo. Are you going to abandon it all over a small fight?" Haruka asked. It sounded almost like an accusation of some heinous treason. "You didn't even give it another chance before you left her for another woman?"

 

"Haruka." Michiru gave her lover a look before rephrasing it, " What we mean is, are you certain about this? Once done, nothing can ever go back the way it was."

 

I raised my chin, staring them back down, "It wasn't a small fight, Haruka. She was stalking me to my study groups. She even yelled at Ami for asking for my help because she was sitting close to me. For- she literally put herself between us!" I shook my head, " It wasn't good. She couldn't even trust the others around me. She accused an elderly woman I was helping of trying to take me away." I exhaled a little, " I gave her time. I gave her plenty of time. I excused her behavior and everything because I loved her. I still do, but I couldn't live like that."

 

"Mamoru?" Ramon came out from the back, " Is everything alright here?" He looked between us, " There's no problem is there?"

 

I put on a false smile, " Nothing's the matter." I said in English, realizing I had been speaking Japanese for a while, so my accent was a little thick, " May I take a break early? These are some friends of mine from home. We hadn't seen each other in a while."

 

Ramon eyed them and me before he nodded, " Very well. Ah, seeing as we won't be getting a lot of customers today, you can have an extra hour."

 

"Thank you, sir. If Raina comes by, tell her we'll be at the coffee shop down the street, please?"

 

"Of course. Ah, Marcia has found more things for the little one. I keep telling her you two must be swimming in our old things, but she won't hear a word of it!"

 

I chuckled, " Yes, well, our Roommates are starting to grumble about it all. They think it's sweet. But please try to rescue her if Marcia gives her more. I have no idea where to put it all."

 

With his blessing, I grabbed my notebook with my lecture notes in it, and headed out without looking back, " This way." I said in my native tongue, " They have rather good pastries."

 

It was a quick ten minute walk that felt longer with the two behind me. I didn't get to relax until I had my coffee, my favorite chocolate muffin, and my lecture notes out. I would've taken my book, but I had a feeling I wouldn't be able to study as much.

 

"I did everything I could for Usagi." I said again, "But she also asked me to give up my dream of studying to be a doctor at the best schools. Well, it wasn't just that. She wanted me to study at home instead of aboard. I considered it, but the way she was and how she began to push everyone away, I couldn't abide it." I looked at my coffee for a while, "I've been controlled by enough people. I won't let anyone, even someone I love more than anything, do that to me again if I can help it."

 

Haruka sighed, " I see. It's just like what the other girls had said. I thought... well I don't know what I thought." I'd looked up in time to see her scowl at her latte. " I hadn't anticipated this."

 

"She's doing better now." Michiru said, picking up her cup, "Are you sure you won't reconsider? You can get an annulment easily enough and go back. She's still waiting for you."

 

What was she even saying? I shook my head, sipping my coffee before I said, " I will not leave my wife. We're happy. I'm happy." I leveled my gaze at them, " We're expecting."

 

Haruka's eyes widen and surprisingly, Michiru cursed. Which left both Haruka and I to stare at her until a faint blushed appeared on her cheeks. She shifted in her yellow summer dress, hiding her embarrassment behind the cup. After a moment, the two seem to silently talk to each other with their eyes before Haruka sighed once more, deeply.

 

"You do work fast, don't you?" Haruka couldn't help but smile a little, "How far along?"

 

"Six months, this month." I said, casually, "The baby will be born in October." I paused for a moment then said, " I'm sorry, for not inviting you all. I just thought...you wouldn't come. For her sake. I also didn't want her to be upset."

 

Michiru shook her head, " Don't be ridiculous. We're your friends too, regardless of anything else. It is difficult but not impossible to remain friends."

 

"Still, it would be best if.. If I was the one to tell her." I said, " Eventually, I'll be moving back there anyway. My wife, Raina, wants to raise our child in the land where I was born. She wants to study there for a while."

 

"Oh?" Haruka sipped her drink, " Well, I guess we can keep a secret, though if she asks me directly, know I'm going to tell her."

 

I nodded, " It's all I ask."

 

The conversation drifted pleasantly after that. Enough so, that by the time we were done, it was nearly time for me to go back. At the door, we were saying good bye, when Raina, six months pregnant, dressed in a sundress with her hair done up in an afro puff today, came up to us with her bag.

 

"Mr. Ramon said you'd be here." She breathed a bit, smiling at Haruka and Michiru, " Hello, you must be Mamoru's friends?"

 

I moved over, pulling Raina close to me and kissed her temple, " You didn't have to walk all the way here." I told her taking her bag, " You know you should take it easy."

 

She lightly hit my shoulder, laughing, " Ru, I'm not an invalid, I'm just pregnant!"

 

"Still, you could've let Robin or Trish help you." I said before sighing a bit, "And yes, Raina, this is Haruka and Michiru. They're friends from back home. This, is my wife, Raina."

 

"It's a pleasure to meet you." Michiru said in perfect english, " Mamoru here has told us much about you."

 

"He didn't tell us how lovely you were." Haruka added, with a smile, also in english.

 

Raina shook her hand and then seemed to blush a bit when Haruka kissed the top of hers. " Ah, it's nice to meet more of his friends. I was wondering where he's been stashing all of you."

 

I felt the tips of my ears redden a little, " I didn't I hide anyone."

 

"How long will you be here for?" Raina asked, leaning into me. She does it so often when her back starts to act up. "I hope we can get together soon. Ru has summer courses to free up the fall and I've just finished half of my papers so I don't miss anything come this fall."

 

I ran a hand along her back where it hurt the most. The perks of my powers was I could soothe such pains for her. I let them talk for a moment longer before I noted how tired she seemed to be. She might act like everything was fine, but in truth, the pregnancy was taking a bigger toll on her than she wanted to admit.

 

I interrupted the chatter, saying I needed to get back to work and she needed to get home.

 

"We can take her." Michiru offered, " It's nearby where we need to be, so it won't be any bother."

 

I hesitated before nodding, " All right, just get home safe, sweetheart." I gave Raina a light kiss. Imbuing it with a little energy. She perked up a bit afterwards, smiling brightly at me.

 

"I'll be fine. See you later." She waved as Haruka and Michiru escorted her to Haruka's latest car.

 

I watched them drive off, worry still nibbling at me. I hoped she'd be ok. She'd been getting a little weaker. It worried me. I shook my head. Haruka and Michiru were good people. She would be fine.

 

And she was. I came home and they, Trish, Robin, and Raina, were talking in the kitchen while Trish cooked. They were discussing baby names and drew me into it as well.

 

"What do you think?" Raina asked, " Robin says we should mix it. Say, the baby has a Japanese middle name and an American first name? Trish thinks go all the way American."

 

"I mean, are you moving back to Japan?" Trish asked over the stove of noodles, "There's no point if you're not."

 

"I think it would be amazing if the baby has both." Robin chimed in, " I mean, it'll connect them to both their roots, you know?"

 

"And we're the baby's parents so it doesn't matter what anyone thinks but us, right babe?" Raina looked up at me, " I think the right name will come."

 

I thought of my dream. Of the child in it. "I was thinking of a name." I said suddenly, "I wondered if you'd like it?"

 

"Oh, what is it?" Raina leans against the breakfast bar, a hand on her stomach. "Hear that, baby? Your daddy's already got a name for you. I hope it's cute."

 

"Please, don't saddle your kid with a super complicated name." Trish said. "Endless teasing maybe in their future."

 

"Oh shut up!" Robin huffed at her, " I bet it'll be darling."

 

"I was thinking, Nijiko." I offered, "It means rainbow child." Roughly, at least.

 

The three women were silent for a moment until Raina nodded her head, " Nijiko sounds cute." She told me though tilted her head slightly to the side, " What if it's a boy? 'ko' is usually for a girl, isn't it?"

 

I just smiled a little, " I have a feeling that it'll be a girl."

 

"Oooh. Mister Chiba is a psychic~." Trish rolled her eyes, " There's no way he's right. My nan said that if you carry high, it's a boy-"

 

"I thought it's carry low it's a boy and high was a girl?" Robin asked.

 

The two descended into their bickering, as per normal, but Raina gave me an odd look. Considering me for a moment, before she shook her head with a faint smile.

 

"Well, I think Nijiko is a good name." She said, " And if I give birth here, I'm going to have to give her a good middle name."

 

"I leave that up to you, love." I said offering her a hand, " How about I rub your feet. It looked like you were in pain earlier."

 

"Why Mr. Chiba, are you trying to seduce me?" She teased taking up my offer, " I'm a married woman, you know."

 

"Don't worry, Mrs. Chiba, I won't tell your husband." I grinned, helping her back to our room.

​

Sleep did not come to me easily. In fact, it came in spurts and moments. Something ominous was coming but I couldn't tell what it was. I just know that the child in my dream keeps telling me that it would be here soon. I wish I could understand what it was. At times when I wake, I held them both to me, burying my face in the crook of Raina's neck, my warm draped around her over her pregnant belly as she slept. I could feel our child resettling. I couldn't shake the fear for them, but I felt better knowing I could reach them.

 

In the eighth month, Raina passed out on the way to class to turn in her last report. I got a call from the hospital she had been admitted to. They say it was high blood pressure and a few other ailments that could've been the cause for her sudden collapse. Our baby was still fine, and it didn't seem like she'd go into labor soon. Still, they kept her there overnight. The entire thing terrified me. It also made me wonder if my thoughts about this ominous thing wasn't magical at all but something more profoundly human.

 

I decided to put in for my two weeks notice early. Marcia and Ramon understood and told me I will still have a job with them if I ever needed it. I was grateful. We couldn't fly down to stay with her family, so her mother and father flew up and stayed in a nearby hotel.

 

I suppose, I wasn't the only one nervous.

 

Wanting reassurance, I waited until everyone was preoccupied before I pulled out the little glass box lined with velvet where I kept four beautiful stones inside. I took the stones with me to a nearby wooded area where most people usually use it for walks or a shortcut.

For me, I found a small stream and a quiet place to mediate. I set the box down in front of me, opening it up before I exhaled slowly. Communing with them was both a hard task and not. Coaxing their spirits to wakefulness had always been the difficult part if they were slumbering too long. This time, they had slept for more than a year.

 

When I opened my eyes, I saw them stand before me. Translucent spirits. To cement them to this realm, I called them by name.

 

"Jadeite. Kunzite. Nephrite. Zoisite." I intoned, "Are you here?"

 

They bowed their ghostly forms, each becoming more solid than before, "We're here, Master."

 

They rose, staring at me still as Kunzite asked, " What do you wish to know?"

 

"Everything." I answered. One way or another, I will get to the bottom of this troubling dream I have.

​