Sentimental Senshi

"Are you sure about this?" Kalil asked the brunette.

"No, I'm not sure of anything anymore, but this is the only way." Tashita then turned to talk to a little girl. "Are you going to be okay?"

"Yeah, I'll be fine. Quit worrying about me," the brown pigtailed girl said.

"I'm sorry, I just won't be able to see you anymore," Tashita quickly hugged the small brown-eyed girl.

"You'll see me again. Don't worry about that," she said, pulling away from the hug.

"Is... she... ready?" Oame asked.

Tashita and Kalil nodded their heads.

"Are... you... ready?" Oame asked the girl.

"Yes."

Kalil and Tashita hugged as they watched their daughter walk away.

Nitika sat, remembering that day. And the months before. They were a family. A happy family. But she understood what was happening around them... the fall of the Jedi. She wiped a stray tear away. Her small hand reached up to her earlobe. She spun one of her black square earrings in her ear lobe. She remembered her Mom's words: "You are a senshi. These earrings will transform you, as mine do. You are Sailor Chibi Eclipse."

Nitika sighed and stared out into the endless starry night. "I love you, Mom. I love you, Dad."

Nitika yawned and rubbed the sleep out her eyes. I must have fallen asleep here last night, she thought. She slowly got up from where she fell asleep and stretched.

She headed toward the kitchen area. Thoughts streaming in... she remembered how she agreed with Mom and Dad about her future. She knew the worlds would become dangerous places, and this was the only alternative.

She reached for some food for her breakfast. She knew that she couldn't stay with her parents because they were placing themselves in danger. She knew that they didn't want her in that danger.

She sat down and started eating. She knew that this was the place for her to be because they would take care of her here. She had food, shelter, clothes, and friends. She knew she placed herself in danger often, but these situations weren't as dangerous compared to where her mom and dad were. That was what she thought anyway. Mom and Dad were working for the Dark Side. So was she, in a way, but her mom and dad had placed themselves in greater danger.

She picked up her mess after she was done eating. She smiled. She was proud of her parents. They did something that no one would have thought of, and that no one would have dared to do.

"What are you smiling about?" The voice startled Nitika.

"Oh, it's you Tera. Nothing."

Tera grinned. "Are you sure?"

Nitika raised an eyebrow. "Yeah."

"Then tag, you're it!" Tera giggled.

"Oh, no I'm not!" Nitika grinned as they both ran out of the kitchen.

They both laid on the floor, gasping for breath.

"That was fun!" Nitika said.

"Yeah," Tera grinned.

"What are you two doing?" Kyuu asked.

Nitika stuck her tongue out at Kyuu. "We were having fun."

"Oh, okay. That would explain the insane giggling." Kyuu rolled her eyes.

Tera and Nitika looked at each other, grinned mischievously, and then tackled Kyuu.

"Get off of me, you little brats!!" Kyuu yelled, as Tera and Nitika held on tight while Kyuu was trying to shake them off.

"You can't make us!" Nitika retorted as she was laughing.

After a few minutes, Tera and Nitika slid off Kyuu's back and fell to the floor, laughing harder than ever. Kyuu stormed off, mumbling something unpleasant under her breath.

"That was great!" Tera smiled.

"Yeah," Nitika said.

"What did he say?" Tera whispered to Nitika.

"He said he didn't know where they went off to," Nitika sighed as she told her friend.

Nitika thanked him in his language, then tightened her fist. "Well, now what? Where else could they be?"

Tera thought. "Well, there is one more cantina on down the road. They could be there."

"Well, what are we standing here for? Let's get going." Nitika was halfway out the door before Tera realized she was gone.

"Hey, wait up!"

Nitika and Tera, in their disguises, walked into the cantina. Nitika, once again, was glad that she had the implants that let her understand any language and communicate in any language. In a native language, unfamiliar to Tera, Nitika asked the bartender if he saw two particular men. Tera scanned her surroundings, but all she saw were drunken creatures. Tera then felt a hand on her shoulder; she looked over at the hand and on up to the face to whom it belonged. The face produced a smile. The two figures, Nitika and Tera, walked out of the cantina.

"The bartender knew something?" Tera asked impatiently.

"Yes he did. And he was very helpful." Nitika smiled.

Outside on the rooftop, the two assassins waited. Waited impatiently.

"When are they going to show up?" Tera whispered to Nitika.

"Soon. Oh, look over there," Nitika whispered back to Tera.

Tera nodded her head. The two girls took their weapons, aimed, and fired. The two men collapsed to the ground, dead. Nitika's and Tera's job was finished. They both quickly left the scene and went back to their home.

Back at the Haven, Nitika and Tera sat crosslegged on a couch and drank some rich hot chocolate.

"Do you ever regret anything we do?" Nitika asked as she absently ran her finger around the rim of her mug.

Tera sipped her hot chocolate. "Maybe." She then cocked her head and looked in Nitika's direction. "It's unlike you to question what we do. What's wrong?"

Nitika sighed, placed her half empty mug on the table in front of her, and rested her head on her hands, elbows on her thighs. "I don't know. It's just... well... sometimes I wonder if what we do is really worth it."

Tera also sat her mug down, and she scooted to where she was right next to her friend. She then put her arm around the confused girl. "Why do you ask?" She was worried about Nitika.

Nitika sighed again and closed her eyes, "Last night. You remember those men we had to kill?"

"Yes."

"Well, I looked down at the guy I shot, and he looked up at me. We made eye contact before he died... I felt his pain."

"You are just imagining things. He didn't see us - he didn't even have a clue of who shot him," Tera comforted Nitika.

"No." A tear slid down her face. "He knew. I knew he knew. Those knowing eyes..."

Tera felt Nitika shudder. "You know not to look in their eyes."

"I know, but it was an accident. I had no intention in looking down to where he fell. It just happened." Nitika burst into sobs. "He could have had a family! A loving wife, kids, friends..."

"That's enough!!" Tera got off the couch and stood in front of Nitika. She then grabbed ahold of the crying girl's shoulders and shook her. "You hear me? Enough! Now look at me." Nitika slowly opened her tear-filled eyes. Tera continued. "You have to go on - forget about it. Stuff happens, and there is nothing you can do about it. You don't think I've thought about this? I do. Not every time, but enough to ease my conscience. Things will get better. Don't think about it anymore, and it will go away on its own. Or if you do keep thinking about it, it will wear you down until you're nothing."

Nitika looked straight into her friend's knowledgeable eyes and nodded her head. She then embraced Tera in a big hug and whispered thanks in her ear.

Laying on her bed, Nitika stared at a crumpled piece of paper. "I'm sorry, but Tera doesn't get it. I don't think she really knows..." The solemn girl talked to the old paper she held. "...what happened between me and the guy, and how I feel about it."

Nitika squeezed her eyes shut; tears ran down her face. Somebody took the fragile paper from her hand.

"Hey!! Give that back, " Nitika cried.

"I want to see what's on this," Kyuu said, waving the paper around.

"Please, be careful with it," Nitika said.

"Sure, whatever you say." She grinned. "Who is in this picture?" Kyuu made a confused look.

"It's my mom and dad. Now give it back, please!! It's the only thing left I have of them!" Nitika pleaded.

"I'm sorry. Here," Kyuu said apologetically as she handed the picture back. With the picture back in its owner hands, Kyuu left the room.

Nitika yelled after Kyuu, "Thank you!" She then closed her bedroom door. "Will I ever get over this?" Nitika went on again, talking to her parents in the photograph. "Tera says that I will, but I don't know." Nitika sighed and carefully put her photo back into her desk drawer.

Outside, Nitika felt better. With a deep breath of fresh air, she looked up in the night sky. Her eyes wandered onto one of the moons in the sky. Hmm, an eclipse.

She found a comfortable seat underneath a big tree and continued watching the eclipse take place. She didn't know she was out of it until an icy hand was placed on her neck. She then was snapped into the present.

"Lamia, what are you doing out here?"

"I should ask you the same question," she smirked.

"Well, I..." Nitika began.

"Forget it. Come on inside before you catch something," she sighed as she slowly got up and walked back inside.

Of course, Lamia was right. Nitika followed her example and went inside.

Curled up on the couch, Nitika looked at her half-finished drawing and smiled. She remembered Mom teaching her to draw after she showed interest. Nitika remembered looking at her mom's drawings and wanting to draw. The brunette smiled a bigger grin; she could draw just as well as Mom. She went back to finish her picture, and the smile grew into a frown.

"Wanna play?" Tera came bounding into the room where Nitika was drawing.

"I don't feel like playing right now," Nitika told her quietly.

Tera looked at her with a questioning look, "Why not? You always want to play. What's wrong?" Tera walked over to were the other girl was. Tera then looked at the picture Nitika was drawing and gasped.

"What?" Nitika asked.

Tera pointed to the picture. "Your drawing... it's..."

"The guy I shot? Yeah, it is. He won't get out of my mind," Nitika said painfully.