Concerning Angels
Happy times.
They were always so few and far between. Stretched out over the centuries, acting as a sort of birthday that came only once in a mortal life. Not even that. Centuries…thousands of years between them… When was the last happy moment? Ah, yes. The being remembered, smiling softly. It was the birth of a special star it had been waiting for. It was a swirl of glittering colors. No matter what those damn fools called scientists thought, it knew that stars were really a mesh of souls pulled together to create a living, singing entity.
The being sighed and lobbed a star at the swirling globe of Earth. It was so pretty…. And the blue-green orb was it's. No one else's. It's alone. The being gazed down fondly at the planets in its possession. It would never let go. Not without a fight anyways.
There had once been a time where the being had lived on the beautiful planet, but that seemed like several millennia ago… So long ago…would they even remember it? Ah, but wondering about that was pointless. The entity knew that it would not remember anything about it's past. That's just the way things worked. Seraphs were like that. Godlike creatures, larger than life. Terrible in their beauty, and awesome in their power. They carried no name, and no gender that they were aware of. They held a collection of planets and stars in their arms, hoarding them jealously. Rampant seraphs would come through and steal planets, but so far Earth's seraph, commonly referred to as the female figure Gaia, had resisted any offensive attacks.
Which, of course, was good. But it was not altogether satisfying, because every rational being knows that if there is one thing that living entities fear more than anything else, it is to be alone.
~*~
Makoto silently lit the candles and sat down. Her emerald eyes reflected the dancing flame, and then shone with unshed tears. The woman didn't move for a while. She simply sat, gazing at the beautiful cake and its flaming candles. Makoto leaned forward slightly and blew out the candles. She sat back again, and wiped away the tears that were beginning to drip down her cheeks. Without saying a word, she sliced into the wonderfully made cake and put a piece on her plate.
"Makoto? What are you doing? I knocked, but---oh…."
Rei walked in and stopped dead in her tracks when she saw Makoto sitting in front of the cake. The bad tempered woman's eyes softened, and she walked over to touch the brunette's arm gently.
"Mako-chan, she wouldn't want us to be sad like this. She'd want us to carry on, and be happy."
The other woman didn't look up. She kept on watching the smoke rise from the candles with a far-away look on her face. "Do you know what day it is?"
Rei nodded slightly. "Hai…it's June 30th."
"Her birthday. She was so happy…she was turning eighteen, finally. She was finally old enough to marry that smiling jackass, and she could finally have the marriage that she always dreamed about. Do you know what she said to me before she got into that car? She said to me: "I feel the happenings rising in my heart like a balloon, Mako-chan! I can just tell that this will be a day to remember!". She never knew what was coming. She never knew that… that Mamoru wouldn't shed a tear, she never knew about Chibiusa…she never even had a chance to live, Rei!"
Rei looked down. "Yes, that's true. But we know that she's still out there, somewhere. Someone like her can't just…die. Those people just can't disappear. I refuse to believe that. Let her go, Mako-chan. Just let it go. You're just making yourself miserable."
Makoto didn't respond. Rei bit her lip, and then got an idea. Makoto would never say no!
"Mako-chan, let's go to the mall! I heard that the Three Lights are playing!"
Makoto looked up at Rei through red eyes. "I haven't lost it, Rei. I know damn well why you want to go to the mall. You want to find out why the hell they're back."
"But I also want to cheer you up!"
Makoto sighed and stood up. "Fine. Let's go."
Rei smiled, slightly surprised by her easy victory, but took advantage of it. Grabbing her tall friend's hand, she dragged the other woman out the door. Rei nearly shivered as she walked past the room labeled 314. That had been Usagi's apartment, and Rei could swear that she could almost see the blonde sitting on the floor, watching them with her clear blue eyes.
And those eyes were sending her a clear message.
'It's not over, my friend. This game is nowhere near being won.'
~*~
"MIZUNO-SAN!!!! MIZUNO-SAN! MIKI HIT ME! WHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!"
The fourth-grader hurtled herself at the frowning Ami and sobbed into her skirt. The accused boy ran after her, screaming something incoherent. Ami stepped in-between them, attempting to avoid conflict.
"Now what happened? Saru, you first."
Saru disconnected herself from the woman's leg and stared up at her with teary eyes. "I was playing with Runa-chan and Miki came over AND HIT ME!"
Ami sighed inaudibly. Every single day Miki and Saru had a run in. It almost reminded her of…HER and Mamoru. The blue haired teacher slapped herself mentally. She could not afford to think about Usagi…. She had to devote everything to her class, and in this case, daycare.
"Why did he hit you?"
Saru glared at her. "Well how should I know? HE did it!"
So Ami turned to Miki, who was (as usual) looking like his normal insolent self. "Why did you hit her?"
"Because she was making me mad."
Ami groaned. "I've told you several time to talk it out, Miki!"
He shrugged. "I tried, Mizuno-san. She doesn't listen. Saru is REALLY good at ignoring people. So I hit her. That usually gets the point across, since she can't help but feel it."
Ami smiled. She would really enjoy doing this, as awful as it may sound. "Time out for both of you. Miki, that corner, Saru, that corner."
"WHAT?" Saru shrieked.
Miki smirked at her and sat down in his designated corner. Saru, however was not so accepting of her horrible fate.
"THIS ISN'T FAIR!" she screamed.
Ami frowned at her. "Then I suggest listening to what Miki over there has to say instead of ignoring him. If you don't, you're going to become very well acquainted with that wall over there. Now if you don't go, you'll have to spend twenty minutes over there."
Saru scowled at her and scurried to the corner. She made a face at Miki, and squealed in outrage when he returned the gesture. This was just short of an all out war when Ami glared at them.
"Faces in the corner!"
The two kids spun and stuck their noses in their corners. Ami stared hard at them, and then sat down on a bench to rest. She tilted her head back to look at the clouds, and she smiled. One of the clouds looked like a horse. There was another one that looked like a cat.
"There's one that looks like a snake, Mizuno-san."
Ami looked down and smiled at the redheaded little girl. Akemi. Ami looked back up and smiled. "Hai, I see it. And there's one that looks like a…bunny…."
A bunny. Would everything always lead back to that blonde haired woman that changed their lives? It would, if only because she had been…larger than life. Anyone that saw her would be changed, simply because her personality drew people in and changed them. The blue eyed blonde had opened Ami up, and given her the courage to be something. Be someone. Like she did every year, the woman cursed the car. She cursed the other driver, and she cursed Queen Serenity for actually allowing it to happen. She still remembered when she had found out….
**Flashback**
Ah…books. They were so soothing, really. They held countless stories, fables of triumph and glory, of disaster and heartbreak. Being surrounded by the tall shelves really made her feel safe, and at home. She knew very well that she sounded crazy, but it was true. She had always been different than everyone else, anyways. She wasn't about to change.
Ami trailed her hand across the books as she wandered down the aisles. A girl with brown hair tied up in buns walked past her, almost in a trance. The girl walked around the shelf, and out of curiosity, Ami followed her. She watched the girl walk into the restricted section, and she shook her head.
Moron.
Ami went to the register, checked out her books and began the walk home. Along the way a few boys whistled at her, but she ignored them like she always did. They were probably looking at someone else anyways. It was pure folly to take it to head. She finally made it to her apartment building, and looked up at it critically.
Ami couldn't really see why her friends made such a big deal about a silly building anyways. Yes, it was nice…but it wasn't anything *special*. She pushed through the main doors, showed her ID to the security guards, and then proceeded to her actual room. She still lived with her mother because she was spending all of her money on college. Walking inside, she dropped her books on the couch and went over to the phone to check for messages.
The phone rang that instant. Ami got an odd twisting feeling in the pit of her stomach as she picked up the phone.
"Hello, you've reached the Mizuno residence."
"Ami." the person on the other end of the phone whispered.
"Minako? Is that you?"
"Ami…" Minako's voice was strangled. She let out a sob and apparently threw the phone at someone else, crying. "I can't say it!"
Rei came on the phone, sounding no better than Minako, whose sobs Ami could still hear in the background. "Ami, you need to come to the hospital."
Ami's heart caught in her throat. "Why?" she whispered, afraid of the answer.
Rei's voice cracked when she said the black words. "Usagi's had an accident."
"Is she alright?"
"No, Ami. She's…dead."
**End flashback**
"Mizuno-san? What're you thinking about?"
Ami blinked tears away and looked down at Akemi's inquisitive face. "I was just thinking of a friend."
"Is she nice?"
Ami smiled. "She was unbelievably nice."
The little girl blinked, and then nodded. "Then she'll come back. Have a nice day, Mizuno-san!" she cried as she ran off to her parents.
Ami stared after her and then stood up to walk over to Miki and Saru. "You may get up, now."
Saru tugged on her sleeve. "What was her name?"
"Whose name?"
"Your friend that you were telling Akemi about."
Ami looked startled. "Oh! Her name was Usagi. Tsukino Usagi."
The two looked at each other, and then back up at the semi-shocked woman. "Yeah, Akemi's right. She'll be coming back."
Miki grabbed Saru's wrist and dragged her off, the latter screaming the whole time. Ami, on the other hand, was having a heard time dealing with the fact that her kids were convinced that Usagi was going to come back from the dead. She shook her head and walked inside for a drink of water. The woman went to the sink and let the water run for a while, so it would get cold. When she was satisfied, she cupped her hands under the water and drank from that. Then she splashed some water onto her face and looked up into the mirror.
And then she nearly screamed.
Usagi's reflection was standing right next to her. Ami spun, and seeing no one there, turned back to the mirror. Usagi's white face was still there, staring unblinkingly at Ami with those blue eyes. To Ami's horror, Usagi's lips began to move. She said the phrase silently, over and over.
'Remember what you always told me, Ami-chan? Be prepared. Always be prepared.'
~*~
"Will you listen to me?" he asked furiously as he spun Minako around. She looked up at him, eyes wide.
"I love you," he whispered fiercely, "and I would never hurt you! So stay here!"
Minako stared after him as he ran off, pulling out his gun. She scowled. "Bull shit," she muttered. "Don't you dare leave me here!" she shouted as she sprinted after him.
Click
Minako froze at the sound of a safety going off. This sound was repeated several times. She slowly put her arms in the air and turned around in a slow circle. She was surrounded. The man that she had been hiding from for the last three years stepped forward and touched her cheek.
"Ah. If it isn't my little spy. Do you know how much I've missed you…?"
Minako's eyes closed. She had gone in a complete circle. She had escaped this man, just to end up back in his hands. Her eyes reopened, and she stared at him with those clear blue eyes she was famous for.
"Hamashi Taka."
He smirked, and drew closer. "Delighted that you remembered my name, Aniko."
"CUT!"
Minako smiled and dropped her pose. "Thank God, I was about to crack up."
Hashi Rumi took a big gulp of his water. "Mina-chan we've got about ten clips of you cracking up already. That was supposed to be a dramatic part where the good guy, you, and the bad guy, me, face off. Meaning that it's supposed to be DRAMATIC! NOT FUNNY!"
Minako laughed and flipped her hair over her shoulder. "Take a breather Rumi-kun. At least I did it today without laughing."
"And what's so special about today? Did someone die?" he asked sarcastically.
She stopped what she was doing and stood motionless for a moment, before stuffing things into her backpack more quickly. "Actually," she said angrily, "my best friend died today, on her birthday, four years ago. Thank you very much for reminding me, Rami."
Minako stiffened when she felt the man's arms go around her waist. His breath was warm on her neck. It was ticking her ear, and she shivered.
"I'm sorry for bringing up painful memories, Mina-chan. Would you like to go out for dinner so I can make it up to you?"
Minako didn't relax. "I'm meeting my friends tonight. You know, like a girl's night out."
Rumi let her go. "Fine," he snapped. "I'll just take someone else."
She gave him the finger and stalked over to her dressing room, pausing in front of the door. Her brows knotted as she stared at her name on the door. She had achieved everything she had ever hoped to be, but she would never be happy. She knew that because all of her dreams had been based on the idea that Usagi would be there to share her success with. It was like a slap in the face when Usagi died. It was unanticipated, unbelievable, and unwanted.
So why had it happened? No one had wanted it, not even her enemies. It had been so strange…on the night of Usagi's death, Chaos, Beryl, Diamond, Ail and Ann, the Witches, the Amazons, and everyone else had all come to stand above the blonde's body. She, Rei, Makoto, Ami, and the Outers had been defensive at first, but it seemed that every single one of them was opposed to the idea of Sailor Moon, the Tsuki no Hime, die in such an dishonorable fashion.
It was an awful death for a warrior.
Rubbing her face wearily, she entered her room. Minako threw her bag onto the floor and sat down on her barstool in front of the big mirror. She laid her head on her arms and closed her eyes. Life was so…not worth it. She was harassed, used, and over worked, and she only got to see her friends a few times a month. There were, of course, some good parts. The whole acting part kicked ass…but with no real life action, it was kind of boring. No doubt about it. She was born to be a warrior.
Her thoughts were interrupted by a knock on the door. Minako stood and walked over to the door. She opened it to be faced with blue eyes almost identical to hers. The actress stumbled backwards.
"U-Usagi!"
The pale woman stared at her without any facial expression. "They're coming quickly, Mina-chan."
And then she was gone. Simply gone. No goodbye, no flashy lights. She was just gone. Minako collapsed to her knees in shock. She stared at her open door, as if willing the woman to come back. She didn't.
A cold breeze whipped through the room, and Minako spun around. There was a white rose lying on the floor. Minako bent to pick it up, the sharp thorns pricking her flesh.
"But I don't know who the enemy is," she whispered to the empty room.
Then her Shock Control Center kicked into action, and she flung herself at the door. Slamming it closed, she attacked the phone, stabbed Rei's number with tingling fingers, and waited with shot nerves.
~*~
Rei, Makoto, and Ami flinched when the phone rang. Makoto smiled wryly.
"How much you want to bet that's Minako?"
"A million dollars," Ami said witlessly. Her stomach was still churning after seeing Usagi in her mirror. That was scary as hell. Like it should have gone in a movie. A horror movie.
Rei picked up the phone.
"Hello?"
"OH MY GOD REI! I'M SO SCARED! USAGI KNOCKED AT MY DOOR AND TOLD ME THAT SOMETHING'S COMING!!!!!!!!!! BUT THAT WOULD MEAN THAT THERE'S AN ENEMY, AND I DON'T WANT TO FIGHT! I DON'T CARE WHAT I THOUGHT!! I DON'T WANT TO DIE AGAIN!" the blonde screamed into the phone.
Rei held the phone away from her ear with a pained expression. "Done?" she asked. "Good. We've all been visited. No. Only the Inners so far. I think it means that the Sailor Senshi are going to be reappearing." Pause.
Rei looked at the floor, and then up at the ceiling. "I don't know, Minako. We can try. Yeah, bye."
She hung up, and then turned back to Ami and Makoto. "Apparently we're going to have to brush up on our Senshi skills."
Makoto stood and cracked her knuckles. The bloodthirsty expression was almost frightening in it's intensity. Then again, Makoto was always the more physically inclined of the group.
"Let's kick youma ass."
~*~
Usagi sat inside the tiny coffee shop trying to warm up. She was always so cold…and it was the middle of summer. She knew that she was breaking every damned rule in the fucking book, but that didn't matter anymore. Above all, her duty was to Earth, for better or for worse. Hopefully for the better, but one can't always ensure satisfaction, right?
Star-flesh wasn't exactly the thing these days…. Looking around, she concluded that the rage was tan skin. Usagi looked ruefully at her white skin. No such luck there. She had made a spur-of-the-moment body out of a star, and had descended to Earth despite every rule.
So what if she got demoted to archangel? It sucked monkey's ass being a seraph anyways. But she wouldn't trust anyone else with the care of Earth. Ack…too many things to think about. Usagi abandoned her worries and decided to simply enjoy being alive again. Sort of, anyways.
"Hey there, what's a babe like you doing in here alone?"
Startled out of her reverie, she looked up into smiling violet eyes. The man swung his braid (braid?) over his shoulder and sat down across from her. She blinked, suddenly remembering that she wasn't quite certain she would do well in a verbal encounter with this man.
He grinned charmingly. "Hey gorgeous the name's Duo Maxwell! I may run, and I may hide, but I'll never tell a lie!"
Usagi blinked again. What an odd man. How things had changed in the millennia that she had been a seraph… "Watashi wa Tsukino Usagi. How's life?"
Duo grinned again. "It's pretty amazing, considering I'm having a conversation with probably the most beautiful girl on the planet."
She laughed. "And how many girls have you said that to?"
He put his hand over his heart and looked hurt. "I'm stunned, my lady, that you would accuse me of such a horrible thing! I'm astounded! I'm wounded! I'm hurt! I'm appalled! I'm---"
"Alright! Alright! Lord, just shut up!" Usagi said laughing.
Duo grinned lopsidedly at her. "You want to go out for dinner?"
Usagi raised her hands in protest. "I couldn't possibly!"
"I won't take no for an answer!"
She smirked at him. "Oh yeah? And what will you do about it, mister?"
Duo smirked back. "I'll…TICKLE YOU!"
He lunged across the table at her and began tickling her unmercifully. He'd be damned if he was going to let this one slip away. Nope. She was cute, funny, and spunky. She was his. He shot a glare at a group of boys that were eyeing *his* Usa-chan. HE SAW HER FIRST!
"Say yes!"
Usagi shook her head, and then broke into peals of laughter when he redoubled his efforts. Finally, after five minutes of cruel torture, she broke.
"Fine!" she squealed. "I'll go!"
Now if that wasn't fate, I honestly don't know what was, because *everything* starts there, at that table, in the eyes of a laughing blonde angel and a Gundam pilot.
~*~
Alright! Thank you a million for actually lowering yourself to read this! This is gonna be a Usa/Duo, sorry, but you can vote for the other couples. I don't own Gundam Wing, Sailor Moon, or even the one second appearance of Miaka (if you don't know her, I'm sorry [I CAN'T SPELL TONIGHT!!!]) Now. Remember!
Reading + reviewing = HAPPY ME!!!!!!
~Story of the Week~
Good Riddance, by Crazygurl70. That is a kick ass story. It's about Usagi snapping and getting shipped of to a correctional summer camp where all sorts of insane things happen to her! It's great…..
~Tip of the Week~
Live well, laugh often, love much. Oh! Here's another good one. "Dance like no one's watching, sing like no one can hear you."
~Joke of the Week~
John, Paul, and Jake all die and go to Heaven. They're met at the gates by St. Peter. He gives them a nice tour of heaven. The three are kind of freaked out though, because there are ducks all over the place. St. Peter looks at them, and very solemnly says:
"There is only one rule here. You may do whatever you want, but whatever you do, *don't step on a duck*."
Sure, okay, that sounds easy enough, they think. So. John makes it though three hours before he steps on a duck. Right away, St. Peter brings up this really ugly woman and chains her and John together.
"You will be chained together for the rest of eternity."
Paul makes it through about two weeks before stepping on a duck. St. Peter walks up with this skinny, mean looking woman, shaking his head. He chains them together.
"You will be together for the rest of eternity."
Finally, after three months, Jake hasn't stepped on any ducks. But one day St. Peter brings up this absolutely GORGEOUS woman up to him. He chains them together.
"You will be stuck together forever."
Jake looks over at the woman and smiles. Was this his reward for not stepping on any ducks?
"What did I do?"
She gives him this look, and than says, "I don't know what you did, but I stepped on a duck." = )
Happy times.
They were always so few and far between. Stretched out over the centuries, acting as a sort of birthday that came only once in a mortal life. Not even that. Centuries…thousands of years between them… When was the last happy moment? Ah, yes. The being remembered, smiling softly. It was the birth of a special star it had been waiting for. It was a swirl of glittering colors. No matter what those damn fools called scientists thought, it knew that stars were really a mesh of souls pulled together to create a living, singing entity.
The being sighed and lobbed a star at the swirling globe of Earth. It was so pretty…. And the blue-green orb was it's. No one else's. It's alone. The being gazed down fondly at the planets in its possession. It would never let go. Not without a fight anyways.
There had once been a time where the being had lived on the beautiful planet, but that seemed like several millennia ago… So long ago…would they even remember it? Ah, but wondering about that was pointless. The entity knew that it would not remember anything about it's past. That's just the way things worked. Seraphs were like that. Godlike creatures, larger than life. Terrible in their beauty, and awesome in their power. They carried no name, and no gender that they were aware of. They held a collection of planets and stars in their arms, hoarding them jealously. Rampant seraphs would come through and steal planets, but so far Earth's seraph, commonly referred to as the female figure Gaia, had resisted any offensive attacks.
Which, of course, was good. But it was not altogether satisfying, because every rational being knows that if there is one thing that living entities fear more than anything else, it is to be alone.
~*~
Makoto silently lit the candles and sat down. Her emerald eyes reflected the dancing flame, and then shone with unshed tears. The woman didn't move for a while. She simply sat, gazing at the beautiful cake and its flaming candles. Makoto leaned forward slightly and blew out the candles. She sat back again, and wiped away the tears that were beginning to drip down her cheeks. Without saying a word, she sliced into the wonderfully made cake and put a piece on her plate.
"Makoto? What are you doing? I knocked, but---oh…."
Rei walked in and stopped dead in her tracks when she saw Makoto sitting in front of the cake. The bad tempered woman's eyes softened, and she walked over to touch the brunette's arm gently.
"Mako-chan, she wouldn't want us to be sad like this. She'd want us to carry on, and be happy."
The other woman didn't look up. She kept on watching the smoke rise from the candles with a far-away look on her face. "Do you know what day it is?"
Rei nodded slightly. "Hai…it's June 30th."
"Her birthday. She was so happy…she was turning eighteen, finally. She was finally old enough to marry that smiling jackass, and she could finally have the marriage that she always dreamed about. Do you know what she said to me before she got into that car? She said to me: "I feel the happenings rising in my heart like a balloon, Mako-chan! I can just tell that this will be a day to remember!". She never knew what was coming. She never knew that… that Mamoru wouldn't shed a tear, she never knew about Chibiusa…she never even had a chance to live, Rei!"
Rei looked down. "Yes, that's true. But we know that she's still out there, somewhere. Someone like her can't just…die. Those people just can't disappear. I refuse to believe that. Let her go, Mako-chan. Just let it go. You're just making yourself miserable."
Makoto didn't respond. Rei bit her lip, and then got an idea. Makoto would never say no!
"Mako-chan, let's go to the mall! I heard that the Three Lights are playing!"
Makoto looked up at Rei through red eyes. "I haven't lost it, Rei. I know damn well why you want to go to the mall. You want to find out why the hell they're back."
"But I also want to cheer you up!"
Makoto sighed and stood up. "Fine. Let's go."
Rei smiled, slightly surprised by her easy victory, but took advantage of it. Grabbing her tall friend's hand, she dragged the other woman out the door. Rei nearly shivered as she walked past the room labeled 314. That had been Usagi's apartment, and Rei could swear that she could almost see the blonde sitting on the floor, watching them with her clear blue eyes.
And those eyes were sending her a clear message.
'It's not over, my friend. This game is nowhere near being won.'
~*~
"MIZUNO-SAN!!!! MIZUNO-SAN! MIKI HIT ME! WHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!"
The fourth-grader hurtled herself at the frowning Ami and sobbed into her skirt. The accused boy ran after her, screaming something incoherent. Ami stepped in-between them, attempting to avoid conflict.
"Now what happened? Saru, you first."
Saru disconnected herself from the woman's leg and stared up at her with teary eyes. "I was playing with Runa-chan and Miki came over AND HIT ME!"
Ami sighed inaudibly. Every single day Miki and Saru had a run in. It almost reminded her of…HER and Mamoru. The blue haired teacher slapped herself mentally. She could not afford to think about Usagi…. She had to devote everything to her class, and in this case, daycare.
"Why did he hit you?"
Saru glared at her. "Well how should I know? HE did it!"
So Ami turned to Miki, who was (as usual) looking like his normal insolent self. "Why did you hit her?"
"Because she was making me mad."
Ami groaned. "I've told you several time to talk it out, Miki!"
He shrugged. "I tried, Mizuno-san. She doesn't listen. Saru is REALLY good at ignoring people. So I hit her. That usually gets the point across, since she can't help but feel it."
Ami smiled. She would really enjoy doing this, as awful as it may sound. "Time out for both of you. Miki, that corner, Saru, that corner."
"WHAT?" Saru shrieked.
Miki smirked at her and sat down in his designated corner. Saru, however was not so accepting of her horrible fate.
"THIS ISN'T FAIR!" she screamed.
Ami frowned at her. "Then I suggest listening to what Miki over there has to say instead of ignoring him. If you don't, you're going to become very well acquainted with that wall over there. Now if you don't go, you'll have to spend twenty minutes over there."
Saru scowled at her and scurried to the corner. She made a face at Miki, and squealed in outrage when he returned the gesture. This was just short of an all out war when Ami glared at them.
"Faces in the corner!"
The two kids spun and stuck their noses in their corners. Ami stared hard at them, and then sat down on a bench to rest. She tilted her head back to look at the clouds, and she smiled. One of the clouds looked like a horse. There was another one that looked like a cat.
"There's one that looks like a snake, Mizuno-san."
Ami looked down and smiled at the redheaded little girl. Akemi. Ami looked back up and smiled. "Hai, I see it. And there's one that looks like a…bunny…."
A bunny. Would everything always lead back to that blonde haired woman that changed their lives? It would, if only because she had been…larger than life. Anyone that saw her would be changed, simply because her personality drew people in and changed them. The blue eyed blonde had opened Ami up, and given her the courage to be something. Be someone. Like she did every year, the woman cursed the car. She cursed the other driver, and she cursed Queen Serenity for actually allowing it to happen. She still remembered when she had found out….
**Flashback**
Ah…books. They were so soothing, really. They held countless stories, fables of triumph and glory, of disaster and heartbreak. Being surrounded by the tall shelves really made her feel safe, and at home. She knew very well that she sounded crazy, but it was true. She had always been different than everyone else, anyways. She wasn't about to change.
Ami trailed her hand across the books as she wandered down the aisles. A girl with brown hair tied up in buns walked past her, almost in a trance. The girl walked around the shelf, and out of curiosity, Ami followed her. She watched the girl walk into the restricted section, and she shook her head.
Moron.
Ami went to the register, checked out her books and began the walk home. Along the way a few boys whistled at her, but she ignored them like she always did. They were probably looking at someone else anyways. It was pure folly to take it to head. She finally made it to her apartment building, and looked up at it critically.
Ami couldn't really see why her friends made such a big deal about a silly building anyways. Yes, it was nice…but it wasn't anything *special*. She pushed through the main doors, showed her ID to the security guards, and then proceeded to her actual room. She still lived with her mother because she was spending all of her money on college. Walking inside, she dropped her books on the couch and went over to the phone to check for messages.
The phone rang that instant. Ami got an odd twisting feeling in the pit of her stomach as she picked up the phone.
"Hello, you've reached the Mizuno residence."
"Ami." the person on the other end of the phone whispered.
"Minako? Is that you?"
"Ami…" Minako's voice was strangled. She let out a sob and apparently threw the phone at someone else, crying. "I can't say it!"
Rei came on the phone, sounding no better than Minako, whose sobs Ami could still hear in the background. "Ami, you need to come to the hospital."
Ami's heart caught in her throat. "Why?" she whispered, afraid of the answer.
Rei's voice cracked when she said the black words. "Usagi's had an accident."
"Is she alright?"
"No, Ami. She's…dead."
**End flashback**
"Mizuno-san? What're you thinking about?"
Ami blinked tears away and looked down at Akemi's inquisitive face. "I was just thinking of a friend."
"Is she nice?"
Ami smiled. "She was unbelievably nice."
The little girl blinked, and then nodded. "Then she'll come back. Have a nice day, Mizuno-san!" she cried as she ran off to her parents.
Ami stared after her and then stood up to walk over to Miki and Saru. "You may get up, now."
Saru tugged on her sleeve. "What was her name?"
"Whose name?"
"Your friend that you were telling Akemi about."
Ami looked startled. "Oh! Her name was Usagi. Tsukino Usagi."
The two looked at each other, and then back up at the semi-shocked woman. "Yeah, Akemi's right. She'll be coming back."
Miki grabbed Saru's wrist and dragged her off, the latter screaming the whole time. Ami, on the other hand, was having a heard time dealing with the fact that her kids were convinced that Usagi was going to come back from the dead. She shook her head and walked inside for a drink of water. The woman went to the sink and let the water run for a while, so it would get cold. When she was satisfied, she cupped her hands under the water and drank from that. Then she splashed some water onto her face and looked up into the mirror.
And then she nearly screamed.
Usagi's reflection was standing right next to her. Ami spun, and seeing no one there, turned back to the mirror. Usagi's white face was still there, staring unblinkingly at Ami with those blue eyes. To Ami's horror, Usagi's lips began to move. She said the phrase silently, over and over.
'Remember what you always told me, Ami-chan? Be prepared. Always be prepared.'
~*~
"Will you listen to me?" he asked furiously as he spun Minako around. She looked up at him, eyes wide.
"I love you," he whispered fiercely, "and I would never hurt you! So stay here!"
Minako stared after him as he ran off, pulling out his gun. She scowled. "Bull shit," she muttered. "Don't you dare leave me here!" she shouted as she sprinted after him.
Click
Minako froze at the sound of a safety going off. This sound was repeated several times. She slowly put her arms in the air and turned around in a slow circle. She was surrounded. The man that she had been hiding from for the last three years stepped forward and touched her cheek.
"Ah. If it isn't my little spy. Do you know how much I've missed you…?"
Minako's eyes closed. She had gone in a complete circle. She had escaped this man, just to end up back in his hands. Her eyes reopened, and she stared at him with those clear blue eyes she was famous for.
"Hamashi Taka."
He smirked, and drew closer. "Delighted that you remembered my name, Aniko."
"CUT!"
Minako smiled and dropped her pose. "Thank God, I was about to crack up."
Hashi Rumi took a big gulp of his water. "Mina-chan we've got about ten clips of you cracking up already. That was supposed to be a dramatic part where the good guy, you, and the bad guy, me, face off. Meaning that it's supposed to be DRAMATIC! NOT FUNNY!"
Minako laughed and flipped her hair over her shoulder. "Take a breather Rumi-kun. At least I did it today without laughing."
"And what's so special about today? Did someone die?" he asked sarcastically.
She stopped what she was doing and stood motionless for a moment, before stuffing things into her backpack more quickly. "Actually," she said angrily, "my best friend died today, on her birthday, four years ago. Thank you very much for reminding me, Rami."
Minako stiffened when she felt the man's arms go around her waist. His breath was warm on her neck. It was ticking her ear, and she shivered.
"I'm sorry for bringing up painful memories, Mina-chan. Would you like to go out for dinner so I can make it up to you?"
Minako didn't relax. "I'm meeting my friends tonight. You know, like a girl's night out."
Rumi let her go. "Fine," he snapped. "I'll just take someone else."
She gave him the finger and stalked over to her dressing room, pausing in front of the door. Her brows knotted as she stared at her name on the door. She had achieved everything she had ever hoped to be, but she would never be happy. She knew that because all of her dreams had been based on the idea that Usagi would be there to share her success with. It was like a slap in the face when Usagi died. It was unanticipated, unbelievable, and unwanted.
So why had it happened? No one had wanted it, not even her enemies. It had been so strange…on the night of Usagi's death, Chaos, Beryl, Diamond, Ail and Ann, the Witches, the Amazons, and everyone else had all come to stand above the blonde's body. She, Rei, Makoto, Ami, and the Outers had been defensive at first, but it seemed that every single one of them was opposed to the idea of Sailor Moon, the Tsuki no Hime, die in such an dishonorable fashion.
It was an awful death for a warrior.
Rubbing her face wearily, she entered her room. Minako threw her bag onto the floor and sat down on her barstool in front of the big mirror. She laid her head on her arms and closed her eyes. Life was so…not worth it. She was harassed, used, and over worked, and she only got to see her friends a few times a month. There were, of course, some good parts. The whole acting part kicked ass…but with no real life action, it was kind of boring. No doubt about it. She was born to be a warrior.
Her thoughts were interrupted by a knock on the door. Minako stood and walked over to the door. She opened it to be faced with blue eyes almost identical to hers. The actress stumbled backwards.
"U-Usagi!"
The pale woman stared at her without any facial expression. "They're coming quickly, Mina-chan."
And then she was gone. Simply gone. No goodbye, no flashy lights. She was just gone. Minako collapsed to her knees in shock. She stared at her open door, as if willing the woman to come back. She didn't.
A cold breeze whipped through the room, and Minako spun around. There was a white rose lying on the floor. Minako bent to pick it up, the sharp thorns pricking her flesh.
"But I don't know who the enemy is," she whispered to the empty room.
Then her Shock Control Center kicked into action, and she flung herself at the door. Slamming it closed, she attacked the phone, stabbed Rei's number with tingling fingers, and waited with shot nerves.
~*~
Rei, Makoto, and Ami flinched when the phone rang. Makoto smiled wryly.
"How much you want to bet that's Minako?"
"A million dollars," Ami said witlessly. Her stomach was still churning after seeing Usagi in her mirror. That was scary as hell. Like it should have gone in a movie. A horror movie.
Rei picked up the phone.
"Hello?"
"OH MY GOD REI! I'M SO SCARED! USAGI KNOCKED AT MY DOOR AND TOLD ME THAT SOMETHING'S COMING!!!!!!!!!! BUT THAT WOULD MEAN THAT THERE'S AN ENEMY, AND I DON'T WANT TO FIGHT! I DON'T CARE WHAT I THOUGHT!! I DON'T WANT TO DIE AGAIN!" the blonde screamed into the phone.
Rei held the phone away from her ear with a pained expression. "Done?" she asked. "Good. We've all been visited. No. Only the Inners so far. I think it means that the Sailor Senshi are going to be reappearing." Pause.
Rei looked at the floor, and then up at the ceiling. "I don't know, Minako. We can try. Yeah, bye."
She hung up, and then turned back to Ami and Makoto. "Apparently we're going to have to brush up on our Senshi skills."
Makoto stood and cracked her knuckles. The bloodthirsty expression was almost frightening in it's intensity. Then again, Makoto was always the more physically inclined of the group.
"Let's kick youma ass."
~*~
Usagi sat inside the tiny coffee shop trying to warm up. She was always so cold…and it was the middle of summer. She knew that she was breaking every damned rule in the fucking book, but that didn't matter anymore. Above all, her duty was to Earth, for better or for worse. Hopefully for the better, but one can't always ensure satisfaction, right?
Star-flesh wasn't exactly the thing these days…. Looking around, she concluded that the rage was tan skin. Usagi looked ruefully at her white skin. No such luck there. She had made a spur-of-the-moment body out of a star, and had descended to Earth despite every rule.
So what if she got demoted to archangel? It sucked monkey's ass being a seraph anyways. But she wouldn't trust anyone else with the care of Earth. Ack…too many things to think about. Usagi abandoned her worries and decided to simply enjoy being alive again. Sort of, anyways.
"Hey there, what's a babe like you doing in here alone?"
Startled out of her reverie, she looked up into smiling violet eyes. The man swung his braid (braid?) over his shoulder and sat down across from her. She blinked, suddenly remembering that she wasn't quite certain she would do well in a verbal encounter with this man.
He grinned charmingly. "Hey gorgeous the name's Duo Maxwell! I may run, and I may hide, but I'll never tell a lie!"
Usagi blinked again. What an odd man. How things had changed in the millennia that she had been a seraph… "Watashi wa Tsukino Usagi. How's life?"
Duo grinned again. "It's pretty amazing, considering I'm having a conversation with probably the most beautiful girl on the planet."
She laughed. "And how many girls have you said that to?"
He put his hand over his heart and looked hurt. "I'm stunned, my lady, that you would accuse me of such a horrible thing! I'm astounded! I'm wounded! I'm hurt! I'm appalled! I'm---"
"Alright! Alright! Lord, just shut up!" Usagi said laughing.
Duo grinned lopsidedly at her. "You want to go out for dinner?"
Usagi raised her hands in protest. "I couldn't possibly!"
"I won't take no for an answer!"
She smirked at him. "Oh yeah? And what will you do about it, mister?"
Duo smirked back. "I'll…TICKLE YOU!"
He lunged across the table at her and began tickling her unmercifully. He'd be damned if he was going to let this one slip away. Nope. She was cute, funny, and spunky. She was his. He shot a glare at a group of boys that were eyeing *his* Usa-chan. HE SAW HER FIRST!
"Say yes!"
Usagi shook her head, and then broke into peals of laughter when he redoubled his efforts. Finally, after five minutes of cruel torture, she broke.
"Fine!" she squealed. "I'll go!"
Now if that wasn't fate, I honestly don't know what was, because *everything* starts there, at that table, in the eyes of a laughing blonde angel and a Gundam pilot.
~*~
Alright! Thank you a million for actually lowering yourself to read this! This is gonna be a Usa/Duo, sorry, but you can vote for the other couples. I don't own Gundam Wing, Sailor Moon, or even the one second appearance of Miaka (if you don't know her, I'm sorry [I CAN'T SPELL TONIGHT!!!]) Now. Remember!
Reading + reviewing = HAPPY ME!!!!!!
~Story of the Week~
Good Riddance, by Crazygurl70. That is a kick ass story. It's about Usagi snapping and getting shipped of to a correctional summer camp where all sorts of insane things happen to her! It's great…..
~Tip of the Week~
Live well, laugh often, love much. Oh! Here's another good one. "Dance like no one's watching, sing like no one can hear you."
~Joke of the Week~
John, Paul, and Jake all die and go to Heaven. They're met at the gates by St. Peter. He gives them a nice tour of heaven. The three are kind of freaked out though, because there are ducks all over the place. St. Peter looks at them, and very solemnly says:
"There is only one rule here. You may do whatever you want, but whatever you do, *don't step on a duck*."
Sure, okay, that sounds easy enough, they think. So. John makes it though three hours before he steps on a duck. Right away, St. Peter brings up this really ugly woman and chains her and John together.
"You will be chained together for the rest of eternity."
Paul makes it through about two weeks before stepping on a duck. St. Peter walks up with this skinny, mean looking woman, shaking his head. He chains them together.
"You will be together for the rest of eternity."
Finally, after three months, Jake hasn't stepped on any ducks. But one day St. Peter brings up this absolutely GORGEOUS woman up to him. He chains them together.
"You will be stuck together forever."
Jake looks over at the woman and smiles. Was this his reward for not stepping on any ducks?
"What did I do?"
She gives him this look, and than says, "I don't know what you did, but I stepped on a duck." = )