"Finding the Warmth", a Pretty Guardians' Love Force Fanfic

By: AlexInWonderland

CHAPTER 1: Izumi Could Only Lay

Izumi could only lay on the roof, staring up passively at the few stars still visible over Sapporo's distant light. Izumi could only lay and think about how close the Forest Demon came to finishing off the Love Force today. Izumi could only lay weighted down by guilt that she was powerless to stop it. Izumi could only lay.

The demon had pinned her against the tree effortlessly, every one of her water and ice attacks getting absorbed into the wretched thing's leafy torso. She had no control, she was powerless. Just like in the rest of her life. It ended up being Hotaru who finally exorcised the demon, not her. Hotaru burnt it to a crisp without a second thought. She didn't have a plan - she just rushed in and DID it. Why is she the only one who can get away with that sort of thing? Why can she do anything she sets out to, but Izumi could only... could only... well, Izumi could only lay and think about what this all meant.

She reasoned that she should talk to Hotaru tomorrow about what happened. Clear the air. Make sure that it doesn't look like she just flubbed a major demon battle and then pretended that nothing was wrong. That's the responsible thing to do. Besides, how could she face Hotaru again if she kept lagging behind the other Guardians? This needed to be done if she were to have any hope of improving things. She couldn't bear the thought of not being able to talk to Hotaru again...

A chill fell over the town as nighttime marched on. Frosty fog sapped the warmth out of the few remaining pedestrians still out at this hour as they scurried into their warm homes. But Izumi? Izumi did not shiver or fidget. The frost maiden merely could only find the concentration to look up into the stars as she drifted off to sleep in the comforting cold. Any reasonable person would head inside, but Izumi could only lay.

CHAPTER 2: "Dancing"

The Kousai High School bell rang crisp in the morning air as the students start off their new day. Izumi stared out the window from her homeroom desk, pondering her upcoming chat with Hotaru. Hotaru was always so friendly to her, so surely she didn't have anything to worry about, right? Even if she was often blunt and crass, she always seemed like she genuinely liked being around her, so she shouldn't be fussing about this, right? Then why in the galaxy was she getting so flustered? Oh no, here she comes!

Hotaru stumbled in, still clearly woozy from expending so much soulfire at the demon fight yesterday. But her face still bore that good old Hotaru smirk - the one that makes you absolutely certain that she could still burst into a hotheaded enthusiasm at any moment if the situation called for it. Hotaru noticed Izumi sitting by her lonesome over near the window and her eyes lit up. Well, no getting out of this now, I suppose.

"Hey there, Zoomy, how're you feeling, girl? I'm sure you're still wiped after the demo... I mean 'party' last night, right? Yeah, party! No demons here!" Hotaru chirped with a goofy grin on her face.

"Hotaru... may we talk about that, erm... 'party' soon? There's something about it which has been troubling me."

The hothead's grin morphed into a puzzled expression.

"Uh... sure? You wanna do this outside?"

"Hotaru, class begins in 5 minutes - we don't have nearly enough time."

"Okay, so now what?"

Izumi paused, glancing away from her friend.

"I just... last night at the 'party'... I feel as if I wasn't a satisfactory... 'dancer'. I feel I let you and everyone else down. I was incapacitated at the... 'punch table' and couldn't help anyone while the Forest Demon continued to attack and nearly eliminated us all and...!"

"Whoa, wait, whoa! Keep it down, Zoomy!" Hotaru exclaimed, grabbing Izumi's shoulder.

"I apologize, I just... feel as though I'm not a valuable member of the Force. Everyone is constantly cleaning up after my mistakes. Maybe I can't 'dance' after all. Maybe I should leave the 'stage'."

"Zoomy... c'mon, you don't mean that, right? Haha! You're such a kidder, girl! Hahaha...ha."

Izumi sat defeatedly in her desk, unable to bring her silent eyes up to see her friend.

"...Okay, so. First thing? Just... no. Stop telling yourself you're not valuable to the Force. You know that's dumb, so cut it out!"

"If it were that simple, I would have done so already, Hotaru."

The two girls waited in silence, the weight of the situation bearing down on them.

"...Izumi. When I joined the Force, I didn't know what the heck I was getting into. Everyone else - you included - seemed like you knew your stuff, though. I didn't have a plan, I just jumped in headfirst, like what happened at the magma pit. But it still worked out, 'cuz I trusted my gut."

"But that's the thing. How does that devil-may-care attitude of yours always work out for you? Why am I always the one who plans everything out and still manages to fall apart at the seams?"

"You really think that? That headspace has gotten my butt kicked more times than I care to count! That's nothing to be proud of if you ask me!"

"You say that, but your experiences tell the opposite story."

"Izumi, I don't think I say this enough, but I really look up to you. I have ever since I saw you first take on that nasty pack of Serpent Demons. I LIKE the way you think through everything. You're super-smart and kind and capable, and... y-you've just got a really nice head on your shoulders, you know?" Hotaru stammered, her cheeks beginning to take on a reddish hue.

"I'm guess, uh, I'm just saying... um" The poor hothead was losing her composure as she continued.

"Y-you're a really good dancer. I... wouldn't think of having anyone else as my dance partner."

Izumi looked up wide-eyed in astonishment at her friend.

"Hotaru, do you really mean that?"

"D-do I have to spell it out for you?! You're way cooler than you think and I like being around you!!" The rambling firey elemental's face was bright red as her head emitted a trickle of smoke.

Izumi stood up calmly from her desk, moving around towards Hotaru with the subtle grace of an ocean tide.

"Thank you, Hotaru. If you feel that way, then I'll always be here to dance with you."

Izumi grabbed Hotaru in a sweet embrace, her cool, soft skin balancing out Hotaru's boiling body. The two girls held each other for some time, enjoying their little moment together.

"Girls? Would you please take your seat? Class started 2 minutes ago." The homeroom teacher remarked in an annoyed tone.

"Sorry, teacher!" The girls recited in unison as they bolted back to their seats in embarassment.

CHAPTER 3: "Where Do We Go From Here?"

The clock ticked slow as Izumi went from class to class thinking of her friend...
or maybe friend was the wrong word.
Or maybe she had misinterpretted Hotaru?
Maybe she had gone too far, too fast.
Maybe...
No, there were too many maybes to bother thinking about; she had to talk to Hotaru about what she'd said as soon as she could.

Finally, after three periods that seemed to each last an eternity all their own, the lunch bell rang. Now was her chance to find Hotaru and clear the air about what happened. To answer some of those maybes and make a plan.

Izumi hastily gathered her things into her bag and walked with the urgeny only a Guardian could possess.
But, right now, demons were the last thing on Izumi's mind; no, her mind dwelled on something far more pressing than any Demon attack.

"Hotaru!"

She heard the name slip from her lips before she even thought to call to her 'friend' who, for her part, was sitting at the table near the tree she usually occupied for the Lunch period.

"sup, Izumi?"

"About earlier, I --"

"Oh, yeah, earlier."

Hotaru's flamey demeanor seemed to flicker low.

"I didn't mean to come off so strong, I think"

Izumi felt as though all the blows she took the night before were catching up with her in that moment.

"I mean, you're such a big part of the Force, and I really do look up to you, and I'm so lucky to have you as a friend, --"

"but you'd rather find someone else to dance with."

"No! I mean..."

Through all the demon fights they'd been through together, Izumi had seen Hotaru take on all aspect of the flames she controlled, but never had she seen her face turn such a fiery red.

"What I'm trying to say is that I'm sorry if I said anything inappropriate to you. You're the best friend I have, and I would never want to do anything to risk that."

"Hotaru, what you said was beautiful. I would love to be your dance partner any day."

Suddenly, Izumi felt Hotaru's warm arms wrap around her. Her embrace was so sudden and impactful, that both girls tumbled down into the grass still holding one another as they started laughing, with equal parts surprise and glee.

"So, Ms. master planner, where do we go from here?"

She tried to think of what they were to do, but, there in the grass with the sunlight shining, Izumi could only lay and bask in the warmth and uncertainty she held in her arms.