First, I realize that Kira is out of character. Second, I could wish for eternity, but Setsuna and Sara will never belong to me. The great thinker of modern times, Kaori Yuki owns these characters, from Angel Sanctuary, whom I pray every night to come to life and be my friends. Except Setsuna. I pray that a medical test will prove I'm his blood sister.

Safe In The Arms of Love

By Squall's Scar

Chapter 1

Setsuna sees a figure running towards him. The weather is beautiful. A sweet, sunny warmth envelops him as the figure gets closer. The figure stands in front of him, awaiting his reaction. His heart races at his never-to-be-lover tortures him with her presence. Eternity awaits him in that figure, he knows it. He swears by all that is holy that he will not ruin that pure angel with his beastly hands. He sees her sweet angelic smile, begging him to be with her, never to let her go, to protect her. The two figures stand facing each other, breathing hard, both fighting against their yearnings. Both cursing their fate. Both end up letting love prevail over all else. Setsuna extends his hand to his forbidden lover. She takes it and allows Setsuna to pull him to her. Tears form in his eyes as he holds his beloved. As his tears trickle down his cheek, clouds move in just over them. It begins to rain. The two don't care. They look longingly into the other's eyes, letting the rain soak them. Setsuna tightens his hold on the girl. The girl does the same to him. Lightning flashes in the sky at their passion. A trembling Setsuna wipes his eyes and lifts her chin up with his finger. The cold beating rain sends shivers down their spines. They answer by keeping each other warm with tight embraces. Thunder claps dangerously close by at their touch. He sees her tears and kisses them away, in a promise to love her forever. She sees his tears and reciprocates the action. Her face in his hands invites him for a closer sense of touch. Their lips meet at a turning point in the dream. But lightning strikes the forbidden couple at their kiss…

Setsuna jolts out of bed, breathing hard after that dream, as his alarm clock goes off. The thunder and lightning were just a dream…his love wasn't in his arms. Cursing, he gets up and tries for forget the recurring dream. Realizing he's going to be late for his first day of his last year at college, he rushes to get dressed. Within minutes, he is ready for school and runs out of the door. On his way to school, he takes out a pocket watch and opens it. On one side is a clock that reads 7:45. On the other side is a picture of a beautiful, young girl with long, silky hair. The one he was dreaming about last night. His forbidden true love. Her eyes are large and shining. A pointed nose pokes out at him over perfect, kissable lips.

He lets his fingers linger a little longer on the picture before he mutters, with eyes moist, "Sara."

His heart soars on velvet wings as he thinks about the fact that the young girl loves him as much as he loves her. There is only one thing that stands in the way of their fairy tale ending. Setsuna and Sara are brother and sister, related by blood. It would be against every love law made in Heaven and Earth for them to pursue their love for each other. So Setsuna left. He left the family, the country, the life he had lead, and even his friends, except Kira. Besides Kira, he left everything. So Sara could live the life she deserved. Kira's voice disturbs his thoughts.

"Setsuna, you're going to be late for your first day."

Setsuna looks up. When he told Kira his decision to leave everything behind so Sara could be happy, Kira insisted to go with him. He knew Kira had his own problems with his father. So, Setsuna allowed Kira to come with him to America. They both enrolled at George Washington University in the capital of the United States, Washington D. C. Kira and Setsuna enrolled at the university as physics majors and took the hardest classes offered to keep Setsuna's mind off of the home and family and love he left behind. It has worked somewhat. He doesn't think about his home and family much. But Sara occupies his mind every second, every minute, every hour of every day.

Setsuna and Kira both have made the Dean's List and get invited to countless parties. Setsuna skips out on the parties, preferring to stay home and have his free time alone. But Kira goes and enjoys himself, always coming back the next morning, telling Setsuna what a wonderful time he had missed. Setsuna wakes up on those mornings, with a picture in his hand of a beautiful girl with perfect, kissable lips, who is forbidden, and tears that have dried throughout the night. Setsuna is especially proud of the fact that he has been given admission to the medical school for next year, completing four years worth of work in only three years. Kira is very proud of his friend, as well, always trying to introduce him to his female friends. But Setsuna doesn't pay attention to them, often standing silent as the girls ask him questions about himself. He only wants one girl, one moment in time to hold that girl in his arms and feel his heart truly beat. One girl to love and protect forever. But she is back home not here. He curses.

Recently, Setsuna began to notice that Kira began to hide things from him, more than normal. He decides to go through Kira's stuff to see if drugs were the problem, but he couldn't find any. Instead, there are love poems, strings of blonde hair, and unsent letters with different types of confessions. The problem is that they are anonymous. The letters aren't addressed with a name. The love poems aren't written describing someone in particular. Just a beautiful girl. Setsuna laughs when he realizes his best friend is in love. He makes a mental note to follow Kira's eyes in class to see which girl they land upon. Then, he would help him woo her.

Entering their first day of class, Setsuna takes a seat in front to keep his mind off of distractions of latecomers and the door opening, like he has been doing for the past couple of years. Kira grabs the empty seat next to him. Immediately, Setsuna smiles at him wondering where his eyes are wandering to. But Kira's eyes remain fixated on him.

"Setsuna, you missed a great party last night. The girls there were really putting out everything they had," Kira winks.

Setsuna decides this is the perfect time to find out who this girl is.

Setsuna sighs, "I'm glad you had a great time, Kira. So, did you find anyone you like?"

Kira ignores his comment, "I met this great girl for you. She's beautiful, smart, funny, serious, caring, and an all-round nice girl. When can you meet her?"

This time, Setsuna ignores his comment.

I only want one girl! Why can't the world let me be with the one girl I love! No one understands! I can't take much more! SARA!

Before class, the professor grabs her books and notes and prepares for her biology class. She is excited about her first day teaching in a new country. The only reason she left her country to teach here was because her daughter had won admission with a full scholarship at the university. She wasn't about to let her only daughter run free in a strange country without her mother. Especially after her daughter's problems with a particular boy. She shakes her head, trying to forget the past. This is a new beginning. Her daughter enrolled as a physics major to keep herself busy. She preferred arts to sciences, but didn't want to disappoint her mother, so she registered as a physics/pre-med major. Her mother knew what her daughter was doing, but she decided to let her make her mistakes. When her daughter would fail, then they could go back home and she could give her a normal education. She is also nervous because the vice-chairman of the department is going to sit through her first class to evaluate her. She steps into the classroom and sets her books down. Turning to the class, she introduces herself.

"Good morning class. I'm Professor Mudou."

Setsuna's head jerks up. Professor Mudou sees a head pop up and out of curiosity, she turns to look at the student. A moment of silence passes between them that seems to last forever. A lump forms in Setsuna's throat at seeing his mother whom he left years ago. The first emotion that races through him is fear. He is terrified that his mother will hurt him for showing his face. He is scared of what might take place if she tries to acknowledge her son in front of the class. She might kill him on the spot. He freezes waiting for his death from the woman who gave him his cursed life.

Realizing that the vice-chairman is in her class, Professor Mudou recovers and begins her lecture. She wants to jump on Setsuna and cut him into little pieces alive. She feels bile rise up in her throat, disgusted at seeing her son. Her feelings are mixed. She still loves him as his mother, but is still upset with him. He almost ruined her daughter's life. What was she going to do now? She would have to think of something before things got worse.

After lecture, Setsuna leaves with Kira, never publicly acknowledging his own mother. Kira and Setsuna head to their next class, chemistry. Just before class begins, a powerful, familiar scent touches his nostrils. His head spins, but he buries his head in his book. Kira notices the change in Setsuna. Within seconds, the professor walks in and starts lecture. Setsuna isn't able to concentrate on lecture with the familiar scent. Kira makes an exception and is sure to take good notes for Setsuna. After lecture, Setsuna and Kira head to the café for lunch. The scent has left Setsuna weak in memories. Kira pulls Setsuna out of class and asks him what's wrong.

"Nothing…actually, did you smell anything in class?"

Kira laughs, "No! My olfactory senses are not as strong as yours! Especially after all the stuff I smoke! Why? What did you smell?"

Setsuna shrugs, "Nothing."

The same scent haunts Setsuna's nose again that moment. Setsuna becomes light-headed and looks around him to see who the scent belongs to. His heart stops as a lovely vision appears before him. It couldn't be…

"…Sara…"

© Squall's Scar 2002