***Hello everyone! I´m back with a new chapter of my story... I hope you like it (and tell me about it!) ^_^ More coming soon... I have sooo much I want to happen to my favorite couple ever...! *** Disclaimer: as usual, I still not own Sailor Moon ;-) ***
CHAPTER 7: REUNION
America
Setsuna was meeting Mamoru that sunny Monday morning at the university´s canteen. She couldn´t help but always feel nervous around him… like a teenager about to see her idol. That was totally not like her, always calm and elegant, but she could not control herself when he was around. That morning, she had excitedly got ready dressing up in one of her favourite suits, not too formal but not too casual, and she had applied a little make up on her, smiling satisfied at the resulting image on the mirror.
When she entered the canteen, she spotted Mamoru sitting at a small table alone, distractedly reading a newspaper while chewing on a piece of toast. She unconsciously smiled. He was so handsome and elegant… When she realized where her thoughts were heading her, she shook her head, got a hold of herself and obliged herself to forget about it and act properly, as the assistant of the prince she was. She took a tray and queued up at the self-service breakfast line to grab something to eat.
When she was done, she headed towards where Mamoru was sitting carrying her tray. But suddenly a very strong flash passed through her head. She felt as if she had been struck by a lightning, so strong that she even fell unconscious for just one second, enough for her legs to stop supporting her, and she collapsed down to the floor letting the tray and its content crash around her.
Mamoru was beside her the second it happened, looking at her with worry in his eyes. Lots of other people that were at the canteen circled them to see what had happened.
"Setsuna! Are you ok?" he said in a low voice, just for her
"Mamoru…san…" she whispered back, taking a hold of the arm he was offering her and trying to stand up straight "Yes, I think so. Thank you very much. Oh look at the mess I have caused…"
"Don't worry about it. Just come with me and sit, I will take care of that" Mamoru said, while escorting her to a chair, where he gently helped her to sit. He then went back and helped the canteen assistant to collect all the pieces of broken glass and spilled food while Setsuna observed him gratefully, feeling bad for having him clean up her mess. When that was done, he returned and sat beside Setsuna, took a napkin and cleaned his hands.
"Are you sure you are ok?"
"Yes, I´m fine now. Thank you for your concern… and for cleaning up for me…"
"Not at all Setsuna-san. But what happened to you? Did you faint?"
"No, I just felt a little dizzy for a second. Please do not worry for me, it might still be a slight jet-lag because of the long trip here…" she made up fast in order not to worry him
"All right, but please take proper rest, don´t overdo it. Do you want us to cancel today´s activities? I can manage by myself, if you want to lie down for a bit"
"No! I mean… it is not necessary, really. I´m feeling good now, I will go with you".
And with this, they both finished their breakfast and went to run several errands together. At midday, they bought sandwiches and drinks and had lunch together at a very nice park next to their university, while they enjoyed themselves talking about their careers, their projects and the life at university. It was already well past noon when they returned and said goodbye to each other before going to their corresponding rooms.
As soon as she was alone in her bedroom, Setsuna sighed and smiled at the great day she had had with Mamoru. Then, her face turned serious: it was time for duty. She took out her mobile phone and called home. After three or four tones, a sleepy voice finally responded.
"Yes."
"Haruka? Hello, this is Setsuna" she responded, agitated
"Setsuna?... Do you know what time it is?" she only responded
"Actually, no, but I need to talk to Michiru, is she in?"
"Of course she is in. She is in bed. Early Setsuna, it is early here" Haruka said, annoyed by the wake up call from her friend abroad.
"Sorry to bother you, but please can I talk to her? This is important"
"Yes, yes." Haruka said while handing over the phone to her partner sleeping beside her "Michiru, sweetheart, Setsuna is on the phone. She says it´s kind of important or something…" Setsuna heard Haruka explain.
"Hello? Setsuna?" Michiru´s voice was heard
"Hello Michiru, sorry to wake you up"
"Don´t worry, the alarm clock is about to go off" she said, while Haruka was heard groaning beside her and babbling something about ruining her last precious sleeping minutes. Michiru giggled softly and added "Is something wrong?"
"I am not sure, but I think so… something very strange happened to me a few hours ago" Setsuna told her friend "I felt like a shock through my body, a very strong disruption"
"Disruption? What of?"
"The future"
"What? Do you mean…something is changing? Are we in a new danger perhaps?"
"I am not sure myself but… it was very strong. I had never felt something like this before. I was calling to see if you could check your mirror, maybe you can see something there. I am trying to sense something else but it is all blurred… the future I could see up to now is not showing itself, I am really concerned!"
"Ok, let´s see. I will check my mirror and call you back with what I find out"
"Fine, I may try to visit the Time Gate myself… to try to force a premonition"
"Please take care, Setsuna. I don´t like the idea of you going alone there if there is something going on…"
"Yes, ok. We will keep in contact. Goodbye" and she hung up.
Japan
Haruka was now wide awake, and looking at her soulmate with frowned forehead. She had heard all the conversation.
"I don´t like what she said. Does not look good" she stated
"No, it doesn´t. I´d better go wake Hotaru-chan up and arrange her breakfast. As soon as she leaves, we´ll check my mirror" Michiru responded
"Ok, I´ll get ready to drive her to school" Haruka said while standing up and heading towards the bathroom.
Later that morning, Usagi walked to school feeling happier than she had been for months. She had slept like a little child, and as soon as the alarm clock had gone off, she had remembered again her encounter from the previous evening, and grinning from ear to ear she had jumped off her bed. She was even early at school, which surprised her friends very much.
"Usagi-chan!" Ami was admired by seeing her friend already sitting in the class "I went to pick you up home but your mother told me you had already left… I couldn´t believe it!"
"Yeah, I woke up early today…" Usagi said, her eyes shining while she smiled
"And do you look good today, miss" Minako pointed out "What is it? New make-up? Concealing facial cream? It certainly is not a new hairdo, you always wear the same one!"
"Hey… what´s wrong with my hair? I love my odangoes" she said, pouting, while she secretly remembered last afternoon and Seiya calling her Odango again.
"So what is it then? You look… great!" Minako asked again interrupting Usagi´s sweet memories
"I don´t know, I´m just feeling good today!" Usagi responded evasively. She planned to keep today´s meeting with the Starlights a great surprise for her friends, and so she had told Seiya when he called her last night, but she could not help smiling like an idiot. "Hey, I wanted to meet this afternoon with you all. How about gathering at Rei´s temple after school?"
Seeing that Usagi was proposing a plan for the first time in so much time, they couldn´t deny it, so they all agreed.
"Fine! I´ll call Rei later to tell her we´ll be going there right after school!" Minako offered
"Great" Usagi smiled again, her plan was running smoothly
During the pause for lunch, Usagi disappeared for a while and went to call Seiya to tell him how they were meeting that afternoon. She was as excited as she could get.
"Hello?" his voice sounded like music
"Hi…Se…Seiya?" Usagi responded, feeling really nervous. It was the first time she had called him.
"Hi Odango" his smile could almost be heard in his words "How´s school?"
"Well you know… Monday… but I am so looking forward for this afternoon that I am not even noticing! She said giggling. Seiya laughed too, contented
"So how are we meeting?"
"At Rei´s temple, Hikawa shrine. We´ll be there right after school, so don´t be late! I don´t think I can keep this secret for myself any longer… It´s going to be the best surprise ever!"
"We´ll be there… YOU are the one always arriving late, not us!" Seiya teased her
She smiled. She had to admit she loved being teased by him.
"It was a mistake with the bus!" she responded happily
"Yeah, yeah…Ok then, see you in a while, Odango!" and with this he hang up
Usagi grinned, put away her mobile phone and went to where her friends were having lunch.
"Usagi! Where were you? We have looked for you everywhere!" Makoto asked
"Mmm, had to do something" She said, while opening her meal box and eating its content really fast, to make it in time before class started again.
"My... are you mysterious today…" Ami stated
Starlights' new apartment
"Well, it looks habitable now" Yaten said, putting in place one last cushion "Not thanks to you, Seiya, but it´s finally done".
"Aw come on, don´t be such a pain Yaten… I was only out for a while yesterday afternoon" Seiya replied to his comment
"Yeah yeah… and the rest of the time you were actually here, you were so absent minded singing around that you have been more a nuisance than any help at all…"
"Well sorry Mr Yaten for feeling happy…"
"Don´t start again you two, please" Taiki said, ending the discussion "So, are we meeting the girls today?"
Seiya smiled with anticipation "We are indeed… thanks to ME that offered to go and arrange everything" Seiya responded, directing a look at Yaten, who turned his face
"Well, you would have gone anyways…" Taiki pointed out, smiling
"That´s true, brother" Seiya admitted "We are meeting them this afternoon, at the Hikawa shrine… You know… I am so glad to see her again… Aren´t you guys looking forward to it too?"
"Yes, it will be nice" Taiki plainly said
"That´s it? Nice? I expected more of you, Taiki, seeing how well you understood each other with Mizuno-san…" Seiya teased, smirking
"I have no idea what you are trying to suggest. I find Mizuno-san a very interesting person, and I hope she would help us with our research, but that´s all"
"Of course, of course. And what about you, Yaten?"
"Huh?" Yaten just said, from his lying position along the couch
"Don´t you look forward to seeing a certain blonde again?"
"That crazy noisy popstar-addict? Are you kidding me?" Yaten said looking annoyed
"Yes, that one exactly" Seiya responded, not believing Yaten´s act and then told them "I am sure you are both quite excited about this, you are not fooling me!" he said, while he disappeared into his room to get ready for their meeting.
After school, the four girls went to the shrine where Rei was waiting for them with some fresh lemonade and chocolate cookies. They made themselves at home and were chatting lively when a knock in the door interrupted them.
"What is it, grandpa?" Rei asked without even standing from her sitting place. No one responded, so she insisted "Grandpa? … Grandpaaaaa! ... My…this man is getting deafer every moment…" she muttered, annoyed, while standing up to open the door after not receiving any answer for the third time.
Then, she opened the door and froze. Her eyes were showing her an image she could not believe. Seeing that she was not moving even a hair, Ami asked.
"What is it, Rei?"
Rei did not answer, just moved to one side and fully opened the door, showing the three masculine and handsome figures they all knew so well. They were all completely astonished, their mouths open and their eyes wide staring at them.
Usagi started laughing like crazy, rolling over the floor.
"AHAHAHAHAAA! You should see your faces! Isn´t it one of the best surprises ever? HAHAHAHHAA!"
The Starlights sweatdropped at the image of the rolling Usagi.
"Good afternoon. Long time no see" Taiki said first, formally.
Minako passed from stunned to excited in less than a second, her eyes started sparkling and her breath accelerating until suddenly she jumped up and ran to hug Yaten, who was caught off guard.
"Yaten!" she cried out loud. Seeing the yellow thunder that approached them, Taiki and Seiya moved slightly out of the way, but Minako caught Yaten in her arms, and they both fell down to the floor due to the big impact of Minako´s hug. She continued hugging him and laughing like crazy while on the floor, until Ami walked to where they were and pulled Minako up and away from the poor boy.
"Enough Minako! You are going to scare them!" She then turned to face Taiki and added shyly "Welcome back. It was a great surprise indeed. A pleasure to have you back" and she smiled sweetly.
"So, how have you all been? We have missed you girls, really!" Seiya said informally, while he came into the room and sat in between Usagi and Makoto, taking one of the cookies on the table.
"We have been doing great" Makoto responded smiling "Everything has been peaceful and calm"
While saying this, they all sat down around the table, and Rei brought some more glasses so they could all taste the lemonade.
"That´s great news, we´re glad" Taiki answered
"How about you? How´s your planet and the princess doing?" Ami asked interested
"We worked on it very hard, and now it´s all restored and people are happily living there again"
"That´s fantastic"
They continued talking for a while more about their home planet and explaining how things had been for the last year, while Seiya teased Usagi by gently pulling her hair or grabbing first the cookie she was going to get, to what she always reacted pouting at him and they both silently laughed. From the outside, they looked like a happy couple in love, and while listening to the stories Taiki and Yaten were telling them, the girls noticed this.
After a while, Taiki turned more serious and said
"Listen, we have to tell you something important about us and why we have come here to look for your help"
The five girls were suddenly silent, noticing how important this was by the seriousness in Taiki´s voice, and therefore paying all of their attention to what he had to tell them.
"Apparently, we are not Princess Kakuyuu´s senshi in the same way that you girls are Usagi´s" he started, and continued telling them all that Kakuyuu had told them back at their home planet several weeks ago. When he finished, they were all stunned. Usagi was looking at Seiya with concern, trying to figure out how her dear friend felt about this new discovery about his life, but he smiled back at her as reassurance while he secretly took her hand in his and pressed it, to transmit her that everything was ok with him.
"Senshi of the Stars…" Ami said thinking out loud
"It looks like it, yes" Taiki responded, smiling slightly
"It sure suits you well" Rei said and they all smiled at this comment
"So, since our princess did not know much more about this, Taiki´s idea was to come and ask you girls for help…" Yaten added
"Yes!" Minako responded excited "I will help you with all you need, Yaten!" she said, holding his arm while he tried to escape her embrace.
"And how can we help you exactly?" Ami added, looking at Taiki
"Well, we know your research capabilities are much higher than the ones we had back in our planet, and you have had contact with people around space and time that may be able to help us know more about ourselves" Taiki responded
"I see…"
"This is very important for us. Right now, we do not know who we are, where do we come from or what we are supposed to do. It is making us feel quite uneasy. As you would understand, any help you could lend us would be much appreciated" Taiki argumented
Ami nodded and said "Of course. Knowledge is the base of everything"
"Exactly" Taiki smiled at the blue-haired girl´s comprehension
"For sure Ami-chan is the best one of us to help you with this." Makoto said, both because it was true and because she saw the smiles coming and going between both of them.
"I´ll be glad to help you, we can meet whenever you like to start with it. Fortunately, even though we have our final exams coming soon, I have been preparing them thoroughly and I am ahead of schedule, which leaves me with some spare time to help you with this" Ami said while her friends sweatdropped at how different Ami was from them, which had of course much more to study for the exams and not that much time left.
"Perfect, I´ll call you so we can meet" Taiki setted
They all started to stand up and get their things to leave, when Minako suddenly said
"By the way! Please pay attention everyone because you are assisting to the birth of a star!"
They all looked at her not having a clue what she was talking about.
"I have been targeted by the superfamous popstar Tenbin and I have been chosen to sing a song with him for his new album! I am finally going to be a famous singer! Yayyyyyy!" She announced dramatically
"Oh Minako that´s fantastic!" Makoto said and they all congratulated her excitedly
"I am going to be a star just like you, Yaten-chan!" she said clinging to Yaten´s arm, who looked at her exhausted. "Be careful with me, I may end up being more famous than you!" She teased, and everyone laughed.
Taking advantage of all the shouting and laughing happening around them, Seiya slowly walked to where Usagi was and stood right behind her, at a very close distance. He bent his neck until his lips were at the height of Usagi´s ear, nearly touching it, and he softly said in a voice so low it was only audible for her "I want to see you again, Odango. Just you and me alone. Tomorrow."
Usagi´s complete body shuddered with delight when she felt his breath on her nape and she realized how close his lips were from her skin… his words did not help, they just enhanced what she was feeling for him, for having him so close. She could not respond, she could not even turn around to face him… her face had turned totally crimson. So she just nodded slightly, and she heard him sigh a contented laugh and say "Great. Call you later"
This moment lasted just a few seconds, after which Seiya backed himself up a little away from her and went to congratulate Minako himself, but for Usagi it had been as if time had stopped and that intimate moment had lasted for days. She had enjoyed those seconds so much that she could not look forward enough for them meeting again the next day.
