Kon'wa! Here is Laz, back from a long vacation of not writing. Gomen nasai, minna-chan, but I HAD no computer. As you see, this is labeled chapter five. I can hear you now..."What!! I thought I already read chapter five!!" You did. I just pulled it out, though, and decided to re-write it. I hope that you enjoy this chapter much more than the last. SM=Naoko-sama. Hidden Secret Chapter Five by:Lazuli Mamoru stared around at the broken remains of the house. It held a vague connection to him, but already he could tell that it did not hold the same power over him as Usagi had with the Demeter house. Instead of seeming like he had come home, it was more like a refuge. Where he could escape. Fleeting images traced themselves along his memory, but he could not catch them, not even a glimpse at what they might be. Usagi waited for Mamoru to emerge, wondering if he was living the past again in the house. She wanted to go into the house. She knew that she should leave Mamoru alone, though, to deal with his past. He came with her, but she did not spend her afterlife in the Demeter house, guarding it as Mamoru had guarded this forest. She frowned for a moment, though, realizing that something wasn't quite right. She knew that when she had been with Mamoru in the past, there was a certain quality about the house that welcomed Mamoru. She concentrated on what it could be. She knew it was very important. She stared at the ruins of the house, and it suddenly came to her. The house! It was still in ruins! Mamoru had made it come alive, whole again. It was the spirit of Mamoru that did it. She didn't know how it happened, but something was very wrong here. Mamoru met Usagi as she was walking towards the ruins. Both of them looked at eachother, and saw what the other was thinking. Mamoru spoke first, though, and his eyes were sad as he looked at her. He didn't want to hurt her, and he was afraid that this might hurt her badly. "Usagi...I have a feeling that I am my own person, and was never Mamoru of the past. I don't feel the same connections that you do. I feel a weak connection to these ruins, but nothing past that. Usagi's grave, and the graves of the family that died here do hurt, but not in the way if it was my own family, even one from a previous life. There is only one grave here, that strikes a chord in my mind, and makes my heart ache. I wish that it *had* been Usagi's. Then it might make more sense." Usagi stared at Mamoru while he was rambling on. She understood what he was saying. It was strange though, to hear these words spoken by a man who she had grown up with, talk this way. Apologizing for not being sad that Usagi Demeter's grave had been there, and another instead took it's place. She felt as if she should be betrayed almost, but in another sense, she felt relieved. She gripped the journal in her hands tighter, and let Mamoru lead her to the grave that had been hidden *under* the house. It wasn't even a grave. It was just a sign, a cement block. Sort of a memorial stone. 'Dedicated to the brave soul who helped the Hoshi family escape. Yuukan Tsuyoi.' Usagi stared. That name meant nothing at all to her, but the look on Mamoru's face was incredible. "Usagi, this is what I feel a connection to. This name...and I don't get it. I never believed in all this past life stuff in the first place, and now I could swear that I know this person. This Yuukan." Usagi was silent. If Mamoru wasn't *her* Mamoru...then who was he? Could he be this Yuukan who had his name on this stone? And if he was, where was Mamoru? The Mamoru that Usagi of the past knew. She needed to know now. She clutched her journal tighter and tried to take comfort in that link to her past. Mamoru.. the boy she had grown up with and thought she had knew, suddenly seemed like a stranger to her. He had a far away look in his eyes, and she couldn't get close to him. She put a hand on his shoulder, and he just looked at her, and then smiled, as if just coming to a conclusion of a problem that had been the bane of his life. "Usagi... now I know who you remind me of, why I thought I may have been Mamoru. It's because of you. Who brought us here... who your never-ending ray of life reminds me of. Does the name Unmei ring a bell?" Usagi frowned. It did actually! Unmei! Unmei the small girl that had brought her and Mamoru back together. Who tried to protect her when she was...when she was...Usagi struggled to recall it, but it was like a gentle hand was restraining her, and she slowly relaxed, and gave up searching for the thought. "I remember her. You are saying that I remind you of Unmei Hoshi? Was that the girl that you loved?" Usagi couldn't help her voice raising a little. She felt like she was going to lose it any second. It was insane, and it was finally catching up to her. Talking to Mamoru like this! Of all people! The girl that he loved...it was such a strange concept, but not as strange as some other things that had come up in the past few weeks. Mamoru didn't comment on her tone, but simply nodded quietly. "Usagi... I think we both need time to think this through at what happened. Alone." There was a strange quality in his voice, and Usagi recongnized the emotion in herself. Longing... for the ones that they loved, and did not have with them. Usagi left Mamoru alone after that, as he had requested. She held the journal loosely in her hand, and sat aganist a tree, and let the tears slip down her face. She felt gentle arms wrap around her, and she relaxed into the embrace. She figured that Mamoru had come back, and was telling her in his own way that he was sorry for what had been said. That it was a mistake. She looked up, though, and was met by empty air. Her eyes widened, and the feeling of comfort increased, relaxing her with it's efforts. She wasn't sure what was going on, but she was feeling very relaxed. As if she had found something very precious to her, and was snuggling up to it. She leaned aganist the invisible body and fell asleep, cradled by air. I know its confusing, minna..but it will all make sense, soon!! I would LOVE feedback!!