Cycle of Our Souls: Heart's Thunder (1/?)
by M is for Mars
E-Mail: MCW717@hotmail.com
Rated: PG-13
Disclaimers and the like: The characters mentioned in this story do not
belong to me, and I'm not making any money with this.
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The reason I'm releasing a new version of this is because I'm an idiot.
Completely *ignoring* the events of "Heart's Love," I wrote Serena into this
section talking and laughing and teasing Lita about Neil Forrester. GEEZ!
If *I* can't even keep up with what I write, is there any hope for you, my
poor, confused reader? Anyway, this is redone with *no* Serena. Sorry for
the confusion. :(
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Yeah, I know I said it would be a while before this came out, but here it is
anyway. You aren't complaining, are you? As promised, it's about Lita.
And, yes, once again my inspiration came in the form of a song, this time by
Del Amitri. It'll be in here somewhere later on.
This section is really, really angry... and Lita's language isn't exactly
pristine. I'm almost ashamed to admit that this is because I wrote it when
I was particularly pissed at this guy I know who is a lot like Neil
Forrester. Coincidence? Damn it... probably not. Another reason is
because the other two were so sweet and sappy almost from beginning to end,
and that isn't usually how I write. I got sick of everyone being so happy
all the time, so I decided to shake things up a bit. Life offers a variety
of spices, as Mina would say. :)
Oh, almost forgot... per usual, text between the lines of "*" symbols is
Lita's thoughts and takes place in the present, right between SMR and SMS.
Anything else is a few weeks in the past.
Anyway, I hope y'all stop by and see me on the web at
www.oocities.org/area51/8809. And write me, too! I love letters letters
letters! Thanks. :)
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Cycle of Our Souls: Heart's Thunder (1/?)
It was such a beautiful day, the type that makes the heart ache with
longing... longing to be a part of it, longing to share it with someone. The
latter was most prevalent in Lita Kino's heart as she stared out the window
of her apartment. She sighed and ran a hand through her long brown hair,
down from its ponytail for once, and turned back to stare at the Post-It
stuck to her refrigerator. "Freddy..." she whispered, the name calling up
images she had been struggling to forget for years.
There had been a message from him that afternoon on her answering machine,
and she had written his number down and stuck it to the door of her fridge.
She told herself a thousand times not to call him, but she couldn't keep her
eyes away from the yellow square of paper. "He broke your heart, you idiot!"
she muttered. "He left you standing in the rain! He told you he didn't like
tall girls. You're still tall, stupid... even taller now!"
It was no use. She knew the moment she heard that familiar voice on her
machine that she was going to call him back. She knew she would agree to
meet him if that's what he wanted. Hell, despite what she kept telling
herself, she knew she'd never really gotten over Freddy. Weren't her friends
always complaining that she compared every cute guy she saw to him?
With a sigh, Lita picked up the phone and dialed the number written on the
Post-It.
*******************************
Freddy, Freddy, Freddy... the bane of my existence, honestly. I don't know
if I was in love with him. I mean, I barely knew him and I was so young...
but what I felt, I felt strongly. He broke my heart, and here I was stupid
enough to let him possibly do it again. Why did I call him that day? Why
did I agree to have lunch with him?
Gods, Lita Kino, you are an idiot! A true, honest-to-Kami-sama idiot! But
he was so cute! Even during that brief phone conversation, even through the
recording on my answering machine, the way he said my name sent shivers up my
spine. Isn't everyone allowed to be a fool on occasion?
Since this whole thing with Serena began, I haven't been able to think about
anything clearly. I laugh at something, and feel guilty about it... who am
I to laugh when Serena is dying? I cry over a movie, and feel guilty about
*that*, too... why should I be wasting my tears over something silly and
fictional? And why should I be wasting my time going to meet Freddy when I
should be looking for a way to help my best friend?!?
I suppose I shouldn't be *too* angry about it, though. I mean, if it hadn't
been for my own stupidity, I never would have met Neil. And Neil is so much
more kawaii than Freddy could ever be! Too bad he hated my guts... we hated
each *other's* guts.
*******************************
"Freddy?" she questioned, although she knew it was. She would recognize him
anywhere, truth be told.
He turned around, a smile lighting up his handsome features. "Lita! Wow,
you look great! How long's it been?"
She shrugged slightly. "A year, maybe?" Two years, three months and fifteen
days, but she sure as hell wasn't going to let him know she'd been counting!
He smiled again and suddenly she felt vaguely sick to her stomach. This had
been a mistake, an incredibly stupid mistake. "Hey, look, I'm real sorry
about how I acted when we knew each other before. I was a real jerk, ya
know?"
Lita answered his smile with one of her own. "It's ok. Things happen."
"You're probably wondering why I called you after all this time, ne? Well,
you're friends with that girl who works at Sendai Hill Temple, aren't you?
What's her name, Raye?"
She frowned, but nodded. "Yeah, Raye's one of my best friends. Why?"
His grin was sly. "Do you think you could introduce us? She's so damn hot!
I was up there the other day with my sister - she wanted to get a charm or
something - and I nearly fell over when she looked at me."
Lita's green eyes widened in shock. "You want me to introduce you to Raye?!"
she repeated blankly.
"Yeah! Come on, be a pal!"
She took a step back from him. "I'm not your pal, Freddy. You haven't said
word one to me in the two years since you broke my heart, and now suddenly
you call to ask me to introduce you to someone?!"
"Hey, chill! It's not that big a deal. I know you don't mind, Lita."
"But I do mind! You hurt me, and I thought when you called maybe it was
to... to apologize or something. I mean, I know it's been ages, but I
thought maybe you'd come to your senses!"
"Wait a minute... you thought... you thought this was a date, didn't you? I
told you before, Lita, I don't like you that way. You're just too... too
masculine or something."
"*Masculine*?" she asked, incredulous and angry. "I'll show you masculine!"
Pulling her arm back, she sent her fist flying into that smug smile on his
face. He hit the ground and Lita towered over him. "Raye has a boyfriend,
Freddy, someone she loves very much. Besides, she wouldn't go out with a
jerk like you anyway. Don't ever call me again, alright?" With that, she
turned and made her angry way through the park.
How *dare* he?!? What an ass! How could he do something like this?!
Finding a fairly secluded area, she began picking up rocks and throwing them
at the trees with all her might. "Damn him! Damn him, damn him, damn him!
And damn me for being so stupid!" One particular big rock went flying into a
bush, and Lita was startled to hear it make an exclamation of pain... and a
crash that sounded suspiciously like breaking glass.
"Kuso!" the bush seemed to cry. "What the hell are you doing throwing rocks
around in here?" A man stood up from his place behind the shrub rubbing his
shoulder angrily.
"What are you doing spying on me?!" she challenged.
"I wasn't spying! I was looking for a good place to put my telescope!
There's a meteor shower tonight and I intend to watch it."
"You should have told me you were here!"
"You shouldn't have been throwing things!"
"You shouldn't have been spying!"
"I told you-"
"I know. Meteor shower. Where's your telescope?"
"You broke it, baka! That was a two-thousand dollar telescope, and you and
your stupid rocks shattered it!"
"How the hell can you find a place for a telescope while hiding in a bush?!
And who are you calling idiot, idiot?"
He looked as though he wanted to strangle her. "You called yourself stupid
not five minutes ago. I was just going by your word!"
Now it was Lita who wanted to strangle him. "Look, Mr...?
"Forrester. Neil Forrester."
"Mr. Forrester, I'm sorry about your little telescope. I didn't mean to
break it, but if you had only told me you were here, I wouldn't have bothered
you."
"You were too busy cussing and throwing!"
"Oh, and you were what, *afraid*?!" she taunted.
He had the height advantage by almost a foot, and he decided to use it,
leaning close to her in what was meant to be a frightening manner. "You
don't scare me, little girl, not even when you're armed with rocks."
Her spine stiffened and emerald eyes narrowed to slits. "Don't call me
'little girl'," she hissed.
He laughed derisively. "Nai, I guess someone as tall as you are couldn't
exactly be called 'little'!"
It was decidedly the *wrong* thing to say. "I should have aimed that rock at
your big, stupid head! Why don't you go away and leave me alone, Neil
Forrester? I didn't ask you to be hiding in that bush, or playing with your
stupid telescope, or looking out for stupid meteor showers!"
"I was here first!" he defended.
"Fine. Then I'll leave!" He grabbed her roughly by the arm as she turned to
go, and a hint of panic flashed in her eyes. "Let me go!" she cried, trying
to twist free. He only held on tighter.
"Relax, little girl, I just want your number so I can call you about
replacing the telescope," he said with another mocking little laugh.
"Why should I replace it!?"
"You broke it."
"You... damn it! Fine!" Jerking her arm from his grasp, she reached into
her bag and emerged with pen and paper. "Here! Happy now?" she
demanded, handing the information over.
"You're lucky I don't file charges," he replied.
"You're lucky to be alive. Goodbye, Forrester-san, and I hope to never see
you again!"
"Yeah, well, the feeling's mutual!" he called after her, reaching up to rub
at his sore arm.
It wasn't until she was halfway home that it struck Lita how gorgeous he was.
Long, thick, wavy auburn hair... eyes like sapphires... tall... broad
shoulders... "But a big zero in the personality department. I sure know how
to find 'em, ne?" she muttered to herself.
-----------
"I'm sorry, sir, but I just don't think we can fix this. The lens was
specially ground-"
"I know that," Neil Forrester snapped to the store clerk impatiently.
"That's why I brought it here. Are you saying I'm going to have to buy a new
one?"
"I'm afraid so, sir."
"Fine. Thank you for your help," he said, his voice heavily laced with
sarcasm. Storming from the shop, Neil slammed the door angrily behind him.
That stupid girl! It wasn't the money he cared about, it was the telescope
itself. It was his design and he'd had it custom built for this particular
shower. Now he'd have to use one of his older ones, and that defeated the
whole purpose.
She was certainly spirited, though, he found himself grudgingly admitting.
There was a moment when he thought she might full-out attack him. He could
have dealt with her easily, of course, but still... that takes guts.