Wavering Destiny

Chapter 5: Inside the Sunlit Garden

After breakfast, everyone separated. Taiki showed Ami the palace's library while Minako insisted Yaten show her the music room. When Seiya mentioned a garden, Makoto begged for a tour, leaving them walking down a stone path with Rei and Usagi, surrounded by greenery and blooming flowers of all unique shapes and sizes. The morning sunlight warmed their backs. The sweet fragrance of plants hung in the air.

"Oh Seiya, what are these called?" Makoto asked, "They're lovely!" She rubbed the purple petals between her fingers. They felt like velvet.

"Those are Lisoisas," Seiya answered. "At least, I think. Better check with Taiki."

"I wish we had these on Earth!" Makoto exclaimed. Her excitement was contagious as she bounced from plant to plant, kneeling and peering to examine them all.

"It smells so nice out here," Rei said.

"Hey, Rei! Come look at these ones! They almost look like flames!" Makoto called.

"Really?" Rei and Makoto continued on. The faint trickle of a nearby fountain added to the tranquility. One of the palace's gardeners slipped by, pulling a wagon full of bags of mulch.

Usagi bent and brought her nose to an alluring pink flower, breathing in its fruit-like scent. "Everything is so pretty! You're so lucky. I would love to live here."

"You'd probably like it here," Seiya said.

"Huh?"

Seiya smiled, though it didn't quite reach her eyes. "Nothing. Just saying."

Usagi felt very relaxed. She blamed it on the enchanting floral scent, but Seiya walking at her side again felt so natural.

Seiya knelt, then held up a flower in her hands. She offered Usagi the red rozamoku. "Here, Odango," she said. "For you."

Usagi accepted the flower. "Thank you, Seiya. It's lovely." Her voice was small.

Seiya blushed faintly. "It's nothing." She took the flower out of Usagi's hand and fastened it to one of her buns. "What kind of a person would I be if I took you here without giving you a flower?"

Usagi smiled at the ground. Why can't I look at her right now? What's wrong with me?

Seiya reached in, towards Usagi's hand, then stopped herself. "Let's catch up with them," she said instead, voice light.

Usagi noticed the almost-touch anyway. For some reason, that made her chest feel tighter than if Seiya had actually done it. "Um, Seiya?"

"What's up?"

"Nothing." Usagi looked away. "Never mind."

Seiya gave her a sidelong glance but didn't push. "Come on."

She started down the path, and Usagi followed a step behind her, staring at the hand Seiya had almost taken. It would have been harmless, wouldn't it? Friends held hands all the time. She held hands with the girls when they were excited, when they were scared, when they were dragging her somewhere she didn't want to go. That was normal.

But this had felt different before it even happened. Maybe because Seiya had stopped herself. And maybe because Usagi wanted to know what it would feel like.

Her face warmed at the thought. She hurried a little, catching up so they were walking side by side again.

"Are Rei and Mako far ahead?" she asked, mostly to say something.

"Probably," Seiya said. "Makoto looked like she was ready to adopt half the garden."

"She does that. If it grows, she wants to cook with it, plant it, or name it."