All I have to do is whisper 'stay' and every single one of them would.
There are 14 of us crowded into Makoto's apartment - myself, Seiya, Yaten, Taiki, Kakyuu, Haruka, Michiru, Makoto, Ami, Minako, Rei, Hotaru, Setsuna, and my Mamo-chan. Of course, Luna and Artemis are here too.
I stand in the front door, watching my friends. They haven't noticed me yet. I just got out of a dance class, which was why everyone else was already here.
I can see Haruka glaring at Seiya across the room with Michiru next to her, and Seiya trying to avoid Haruka's gaze. I smother a giggle. I just want to stand here, and watch my friends for a little while.
Minako is trying to sneak some food off the table, and every time Rei intercepts her. Ami and Taiki are in a corner talking - about college, I bet.
Yaten is talking with Seiya and Kakyuu. Hotaru and Setsuna are standing with Michiru and Haruka, and Luna is in Hotaru's arms. I look for Artemis, and find him draped over Minako's shoulder. Makoto and Mamoru are in the kitchen preparing the rest of the food.
This time tomorrow, the Starlights will be on their way to Kinmoku and the rest of us will be on our way to other places, except for a select few.
Ami's finally going to Germany for that program she was supposed to be in so many years ago. Makoto's going to America to go to a prestigious cooking school, and Minako's going to Hawaii to record a music video with Rei. Hotaru will be busy studying for her high school entrance exams, and Setsuna will be busy helping out at Mrs. Mizuno's hospital. Michiru has a four-month tour, and Haruka is, of course, going with her.
Me? I'm staying here, with the cats and Mamoru. I got a full dance scholarship for Tokyo University. Yes, I'm a dancer! Can you believe it? Me, who used to be so clumsy. I'm becoming more like Neo-Queen Serenity every day.
Rei spots me and calls out to me. "Usa-chan!" I giggle and wave to everyone, shaking off a wave of sadness. Minako walks over and tugs me into the room admist a chorus of "Hello, Odango"'s and other such phrases. Mamoru comes up behind me and hugs me around the waist. I turn, and give him a light kiss. "Hello, Usako." he says.
I smile up at him. "Hi, Mamo-chan."
"Can we eat now?" Minako whines. Makoto laughs, and we gather around the table. It's a buffet-like thing, and after we fill our plates, we find seats in the living room and talk and laugh. After a recount of a story that makes Ami blush like crazy, we settle down into silence. Sadness once more envelops me, and I pick at my food. Seiya notices first.
"What's the matter, Odango-hime?"
I look up, and he sees the tears in my eyes. "This is the last night we'll all be together."
Everyone looks sad when I say that. Mamoru hugs me tight, and I bury my head in his shoulder. I hear someone sniffle - Minako. I pull away from Mamoru slightly and look at everyone. "Promise me" - my voice cracks - "that we'll do this again someday."
"We promise."
I know that if I whisper 'stay with me - keep me happy', that they all would. But I can't. I can't keep them from their dreams.
"I have an idea." says Rei. "Why don't we sing our song, Usa-chan?"
I nod. The others give us puzzled looks. "Song?"
"Me & Usa heard this song, and it made us think of tonight when it would be the last time we'd all be here, and we decided to sing it." Rei explained. "Ready, Usa?"
"Hold on." I dig through my bag and hand Makoto a CD, which she takes to her CD player and puts in. As the opening notes of the song begin, Rei comes and sits beside me on the couch and we sang the song for our friends.
"So denied, so I lied, are you the now or never kind?
In a day and a day, love I'm gonna be gone for good again Are you willing to be had, are you cool with just tonight?
Here's a toast to all those who hear me all too well
Here's to the nights we felt alive Here's to the tears you knew you'd cry Here's to goodbye Tomorrow's gonna come too soon
Put your name on the line along with place and time Wanna stay, not to go, I wanna ditch the logical Here's a toast to all those who hear me all too well
Here's to the nights we felt alive Here's to the tears you knew you'd cry Here's to goodbye Tomorrow's gonna come too soon
All my time is froze in motion Can't I stay an hour or two or more?
Don't let me let you go, don't let me let you go Here's a toast to all those who hear me all too well
Here's to the nights we felt alive Here's to the tears you knew you'd cry Here's to goodbye Tomorrow's gonna come too soon
Here's to the nights we felt alive Here's to the tears you knew you'd cry Here's to goodbye Tomorrow's gonna come too soon."
I break down again before I can sing the last two verses, and Rei sings on by herself. Unknown by us, Makoto has her video camera out and recorded the entire thing. When Rei finishes, everyone has tears in their eyes. For a long moment, the only sounds in the room are my sobbing and the others sniffling.
*Tomorrow's too soon... don't let me let you go...* I kept hearing over and over in my mind. I don't want them to go. I want to stay like this, forever.
Haruka clears her throat. "Now it's my turn for an idea."
Makoto puts the song on repeat, and turned it down a little so that it's still in the background.
"What's your idea, Haruka-papa?"
"Why don't we each tell our favorite memory of all of us?" she suggests.
I perk up. "Okay!" I agree.
"You start, Mamoru."
He thinks for a little while. "Meeting Usako and Chibi-usa." He gives us a rueful grin, and we laugh.
"Okay, now we're going from Mamoru's left, so that means it's your turn, Minako."
"Meeting Usagi." she answers without hesitation. "Everyone else thought I was a joke. When I met her, I realized those people didn't matter." Tears slid down my cheeks.
"You're turn, Ami."
Ami took a shaky breath before answering. "Meeting all of you. Especially Usagi. If it wasn't for you all... I don't know what I'd do."
"Makoto."
"Meeting Usagi. She was the only one that wasn't scared because of the rumors about me. That, and she just wanted some of my yummy-looking muffins!" she ended, laughing.
"Rei."
"Usagi. People feared my powers until she came along."
"Michiru."
"Being able to meet such wonderful people... and my Ruka-chan."
"Haruka."
"Getting to be with Michiru again. And meeting my princess."
"Hotaru."
"That's easy! Meeting Chibi-usa. She was my first friend, after all."
"Setsuna."
"Chibi-usa for me as well."
"Seiya?"
"Meeting Odango." he grinned. Haruka glared. Everyone laughed.
"Taiki?"
"Being able to come here."
"Yaten?"
"Meeting all of you, and being able to study about the Earth."
"Kakyuu-hime?"
"Being able to see something besides Kinmoku!" This caused another round of giggles.
I picked up the remote, and forwarded the CD to the next track and started singing softly, by myself.
"When I think back on these times And the dreams we left behind I'll be glad 'cause I was blessed to get to have you in my life When I look back on these days I'll look and see your face You were right there for me
In my dreams I'll always see you soar above the sky In my heart there'll always be a place for you, for all my life I'll keep a part of you with me And everywhere I am there you'll be And everywhere I am there you'll be
Will you show me how it feels to feel the sky within my reach?
And I always will remember all the strength you gave to me You'll have made me make it through Oh I owe so much to you You were right there for me
In my dreams I'll always see you soar above the sky In my heart there'll always be a place for you for all my life I'll keep a part of you with me And everywhere I am there you'll be
'Cause I always saw in you my light, my strength And I want to thank you now for all those ways You were right there for me You were right there for me Always
In my dreams I'll always see you soar above the sky In my heart there'll always be a place for you for all my life I'll keep a part of you with me And everywhere I am there you'll be And everywhere I am there you'll be
There you'll be."
I realized that Makoto was recording me again, and I blushed. Everyone clapped and then Makoto's clock chimed midnight.
That made more tears well up in my eyes. "All of you will be gone in a few hours... I love you all."
Everyone came over to me, and we shared a tearful group hug. The remaining five hours were spent in memories. In five hours, Minako, Rei, Ami, Michiru, Haruka, & Ami's planes would be leaving. They planned their flights so that we could all say good-bye at the airport. Then, the Stars would leave.
My friends... will we ever all be together again?