The elevator doors opened with a mechanic ease to them.Ami stepped out,her posture slightly slouchy,and her arms dangling freely at her sides.Even from the inside of the building,you could still hear the deafening sound of heavy raindrops splattering on the roof,making puddles on the ground below.Ami ran frenzied fingers though her hair,removing several wet tendrils,sticking to the sides of her face.She walked down the hall,her shoes leaving slight muddy footprints on the cream-colored carpet.
Ami paused in front of apartment number 212,and raised her hand to knock.Her knuckle on wood made a hard,radiating sound.Quickly,in seconds,the door was opened,and Ami was greeted by a pair of stormy blue eyes.He was certainly still tall,and broad shouldered,but the hair on his face had grown a little,and somehow,those once,dazzling blue eyes,just didn't look the same.
"Ami…",he began,his voice had become weaker somehow.Ami smiled softly,almost sympathetically. "How are you doing?"Mamoru asked,stepping to the side,guiding Ami into the room.Ami's gaze fell upon the mess of books scattered all over Mamoru's desk,and all the boxes on the floor.Aside from that,all the furniture had already been taken away.
"Fine",Ami lied,turning around to face him. "Everything's okay…everyone's okay."His eyes were red,and bloodshot,almost frighteneing. "Yeah?"He asked,moving towards his desk by the large glass window.He pulled out a chair,and brought it to Ami. "Yeah..I mean,Raye's still at the shrine,and Minako has made it a habbit to go and help her everyday with her chores."Mamoru sat down on the floor,in front of Ami. "That's good".He continued, "And Makoto,how's she?"Mamoru reclined comfortably against the wall.
"She's fine.I've heard from her a few times this month."Ami looked down at her lap,noticing that the raindrop imprints were slowly starting to dissappear.Mamoru smiled gently, barely curling the ends of his lips. "Listen,I'm sorry about the furniture,but I wanted it all to be in New York once I got there."He began. "It's less complicated that way."Ami looked at the window behind Mamoru's desk,it had a nice view of the Tokyo Tower.
"No,that's okay,you're right…"Ami trailed off,looking down briefly."It's all less complicated this way."She smiled momentarily,and then her face returned to it's solemn state.Mamoru forced a grin,and looked at up at Ami.Her already pale complexion had turned a little paler,a little less sunny.Dark eyelashes hid blue eyes that seemed to have sorrow engraved in them,and the blue veins in her eyelids were more visible. 'Must be from staying up all night,studying',he assumed.
Ami stood up and cautisouly made her way to the large glass window. Ami's eyes locked onto Mamoru's across the room,and they shared a brief moment of genuine sympathy towards one another.
"You know,I still remember…her favorite color was pink…and she loved my hot cocoa."Mamoru began suddenly,as he smiled at the memory.He walked over to the kitchen counter,and unconsciaouly ran his fingers over the marble. "And the only time when she would let down her hair,would be when she went to bed…"Mamoru's voice gradually grew lower with every word he spoke. "Whenever I made love to her",he whsipered,almost to himself.
Ami's pupils widened at the comment,but she hid it well.Mamoru chuckled embarrasedly. "I'm sorry,I shouldn't be telling you this."He chuckled a little more. "I'm sure you don't want to hear any of this."Mamoru strolled across the apartment. "It's really pathetic."He admitted.Ami shook her head softly. "No,it's fine…it's fine."Ami began,flowing out smoothly.
"I can understand."She added,projecting utter sincerity in her eyes.Mamoru smiled graciously,and she received his mental message. "Actually,I asked you to come here,because I discovered a something that Usagi wrote for you."Mamoru lifted his index finger,in a wait-a-moment gesture.He disappeared into the bedroom where he and Usagi slept in every night.
The one with the pink walls.Ami smiled,recalling how Usagi had begged Mamoru to paint it pink.Although, she never had to put much effort into her whining,Mamoru always eventually agreed to everything she wanted,simply because he loved her so much. Mamoru emerged a few seconds later,carrying a small envelope in his hands.Mamoru walked towards Ami,and handed the envelope to her galantly,with the same debonair attitude he used as Tuxedo Kamen.
Ami took the envelope from Mamoru,and tore it from the side with the sharpe edge of her fingernail.Hesitanly,she took out a letter written on sugary-pink stationary. 'Its from Usagi allright',Ami smiled mentally. Slowly,she undid the folds of the paper,and opened up the letter.It read:
Dear Ami,
I just wanted to confess to you,that I believe you to be the greatest person anyone could ever have the pleasure of meeting.You've been the same all througout,you never faltered.You were always there ,as a friend,as a teacher,and as a comrade in battle. Most if not all of my accomplishments in life are thanks,in great part,to you and you're devotion towards me.Without you motivating me through it all,I never would have reached the level where I am now:a young individual who is constantly surrrounded by wonderful friends that would sacrifice anything for her.Even their own lives.Sorry to say Ami,but if you're reading this now,it probably means that just this once,you've failed to protect me.I ask only one thing,please,for the sanctity of our friendship,don't shed any tears over me.I still exist now,just only in your thoughts.Keep me alive by thinking of me,by remembering all of the wonderful memories we shared,all of the obsticles we overcame,and all of the difficulties we surpassed.Wihtout you,none of it would have been possible,without you, my life would have never,in a million years,made sense.I have only one other request,and this one,Ami,must be carried out,for this one,is dearest in my heart.Tell Mamoru that I love him,tell him that I never stopped thinking about him…tell him that I wished nothing more than to be held in his arms.Tell him,Ami,let him,know that I've never cared about someone so deeply in my life,and I never will.All of you believed in me,supported me,and followed through with all my foolish ideas,and I'm very thankful for that,Ami.I'm thankful.Just know that your my sister,by spirit,if not by blood,and even in death,the bonds of our friendship,could never be broken.Don't cry Ami,smile for me,we'll all be together again,someday.
Love Always,
Usagi
Ami's eyes welled up instanly,and she fought to keep her tears from flowing. 'Oh,Usagi',Ami thought, as a smile crept upon her face.
"What does it say?"Mamoru asked,almost impatiently.Ami looked up into those cloudy blue eyes of his.
"She loves us."Ami stated simply,looking out the window,and realizing that the weather had cleared up. Mamoru held her gaze for a moment,and then did something that he hadn't done in a long time,something that almost felt new to him now…Mamoru smiled.