Yaten walked over to the refrigerator and opened it up.
"How is it that there is NO food in this house?" Yaten asked as he inspected the contents of their almost empty fridge. He sighed as he saw a half-gallon of bad milk, a carton of baking soda, and an old jar of mustard.
Yaten slammed the door shut and cursed under his breath. As he turned around, he walked straight into Taiki. Yaten looked up at him in surprise.
His look of surprise suddenly turned into one of anger. "Why do you always have to show up like that?"
Taiki kept his face straight and he looked deep into Yaten's emerald eyes.
Yaten felt Taiki's dark violet eyes peering into his own, and Yaten's breath was caught in his throat as he tried to formulate more words, but couldn't.
"We need to talk, Yaten. And I need to apologize, what I said was out of anger. And I promise you I will give Usagi-san a chance."
Yaten's voice choked in his throat a moment and then he whispered "Why the sudden change?"
"A very wise priestess told me something that I had failed to see before this. You need to understand that looking for the Princess has taken a toll on all of us, and I didn't mean to act the way I did." Taiki gently placed his hands onto Yaten's shoulders. "Can you ever forgive me?" He asked, tears leaking out of the corners of his eyes.
"Of course I can forgive you, you can make mistakes too, you know." Yaten slugged him gently in the shoulder.
Taiki pulled Yaten into a hug, and Yaten blushed as he felt Taiki's heart beat near his ear.
"No matter what," Taiki whispered, "We always have each other through this."
"Hai," Yaten took a deep breath. "We will always have each other."
Taiki pulled away from the hug and smiled. "I'm ready to retire for the evening, how about you?"
"I need something to eat." Yaten's stomach growled.
Taiki laughed. "I'll go to the store and pick something up for you, okay?" Taiki walked out the door.
"Nothing with mustard!" Yaten called after him.
"Hai!" Taiki shut the door behind him.
Yaten walked over to the couch and sat down rather unceremoniously. Just as he turned on the television, Seiya walked into the house, soaked with rain.
"Where have you been?" Yaten inquired.
"Walking . . . in the rain." Seiya stated, matter-of-factly.
"Well I could have deduced THAT myself," Yaten scoffed.
Seiya peeled off his wet coat and hung it on the coat rack. "What have you been up to?"
"Oh same old, same old." Yaten flipped the channel. "Taiki went to go and get some food for us to eat."
"Well, that's good." Seiya started to walk into his room. "Call me when he gets back."
"Sure," Yaten commented.
Seiya sat in his room and then after a minute of thinking, changed into drier clothes. He then went into the kitchen and picked up the phone and carried it back into his own room. With a decided nod, he started to dial numbers on the phone.
"Mushi-mushi?" Ikuko answered the phone.
"Is . . .uh, Usagi-san there?" Seiya asked, nervously.
"May I ask who is speaking?" Ikuko wanted to screen Usagi's calls.
"Oh, tell her it is Oku Aysei, from school. I need to ask her about an assignment."
"Alright, Oku-san, I'll get her for you." Ikuko set the phone down and walked over to Usagi's door and knocked gently. "Usagi, the phone is for you."
"Who is it?" Usagi squinted at her last math problem.
"Someone from your school, a boy name Oku?" She asked.
"Oku?" Usagi was surprised, she had never heard that name before. "What did he say his first name was?" Usagi asked.
"Aysei. He said he wanted to ask you about an assignment."
'Why would anyone want to ask ME about an assignment?' Usagi thought to herself. "I'll get it in here!" Usagi got up and picked up her phone. "I have it!" She yelled and heard her mother hang the phone up on the other end.
"Gomen, Oku-san, I don't know who you are, but if you are in my class then I can tell you the assignment all the same."
"It's me, Odango."
"SEIYA?" Usagi whispered loudly into the phone. "What are you doing calling my house?" Usagi slumped down into her chair.
"I needed to talk to you, Odango. I couldn't bear the thought of another night without hearing your sweet voice."
"If my parents find out you've called, then they might take away my phone!" Usagi was worried.
"Calm down, Odango." Seiya grinned. "Whenever I call I'll always say I'm Oku."
"But why that?" Usagi was confused.
"It's an anagram of my name, Odango! I just rearranged the letters."
"Oku . . .Kou." Usagi said quietly to herself. "OH! I get it! How clever!"
"Well, I had a lot of time to think about it, in jail and all."
"Yeah . . ." Usagi went quiet for a moment.
"Anyway, Odango, I wanted to ask you if you could meet me somewhere tomorrow."
"But the restraining order . . ."
"We need to talk . . ." Seiya went quiet a moment. "And I need to see you."
Usagi felt her face flush. "Seiya . . .I . . .I . . ."
"Onegai, Usagi." Seiya pleaded.
"I'll try." Usagi smiled into the phone.
"I'll meet you at the park after your school gets out. I'll be in disguise, just to be safe, but if you sit on a bench, I can find you."
"Okay, Seiya." Usagi felt her heart grow warm and fuzzy.
"I'll see you then." Seiya smiled.
"Ja," Usagi nodded.
"Ja," Seiya hung up.
Usagi slowly brought the phone down to the receiver until she heard a click. She sighed and looked over her last math problem and quickly found the answer. She changed into her pajamas and crawled into her bed.
Upon lying there for a while, she found she couldn't sleep so she looked out her window and quietly prayed.
'Starlight that shines above me, please protect Seiya in all of his doings. Help him to cope with everything I've put him through. And please help me to do everything I must do, Starlight, please stay by my side.' Usagi soon closed her eyes and drifted off to sleep.
~~~~~~~~~~
Seiya got off the phone with Usagi and felt a new high in his life. His heart felt full and bright, and he felt like he could take on the world. He walked out into the living room and saw Taiki walk in the house carrying two bags of groceries.
"Evening, Seiya." Taiki shut the door behind him.
"Good evening, Taiki." Seiya took a bag from Taiki's arms and brought it into the kitchen and helped unload it.
"Arigato, Seiya." Taiki set the bag down on the counter. "You seem like you're walking on air, any reason?"
Seiya shrugged as he opened a cabinet and place a box of cereal inside. "Not really, I'm just plain happy for a change, and it seems like I haven't felt that way for a long time." Seiya smiled to himself. "It feels refreshing, you know?"
Taiki nodded as he opened the fridge and put away some eggs. "Are you busy tomorrow?"
"I have a fitting for a shoot, I think." Seiya shrugged. "I better call Takashi."
Suddenly, as if on cue, the phone rang.
"I'll get it," Seiya picked up the phone. "Mushi-mushi?"
"Is Kou Seiya there?" A female's voice asked from the other end.
"This is he." Seiya was worried it was a crazed fan . . .again.
"Oh, I'm Kaiou Michiru."
"Kaiou-san?" Seiya asked. "Wow, I didn't expect YOU to be calling me." Seiya laughed.
"Oh, well gomenasai if I interrupted anything, Kou-san." She sounded worried.
"No, everything is fine." Seiya smiled.
"Well, Takashi wanted us to schedule a practice for the joint concert coming up in a few weeks, and I was wondering if next week would be okay?"
"Uh, I think that we could all make Tuesday of next week, if that is fine with you?"
Seiya heard giggling in the background and was confused. "Is there someone else on the line, Kaiou-san?"
Michiru laughed. "Oh, that is just my niece, Hotaru. She was all excited that I got to call you." Michiru looked at Hotaru.
Hotaru was sitting on a leather couch next to Michiru. She was sitting on her knees and leaning forward expectantly, her dark eyes shining brightly. Her short black hair fell around her face as she giggled softly.
Michiru shot a look to Haruka who was sitting on the other side of the room, reading a magazine.
Seiya laughed on the other line. "I suppose she's a fan then?"
"Not really," Michiru said.
"Nani?" Seiya was confused.
"Well, she told this girl at school that she knew the Three Lights to get her jealous, and so now she actually wants to KNOW you." Michiru laughed.
Seiya sweat dropped.
"Michiru-san!" Hotaru blushed. "Don't give me away!"
Seiya laughed, but then remembered he had to get back to business. "What time would you like the rehearsal scheduled for, Kaiou-san?"
"Oh, maybe one? Will that do for you?"
"That would be fine." Seiya nodded and scribbled it down on a note pad that was hanging on the wall next to the phone.
"Ne, are you going to let me talk, Michiru-san?" Hotaru eagerly asked.
"Stop it, Hotaru, I don't think Kou-san wants you to waste his time." Michiru batted at Hotaru's hand.
"Oh, I wouldn't mind, Kaiou-san." Seiya grinned.
"Okay, fine, Hotaru, you win." Michiru handed the phone to her.
"Mushi-mushi?"
"Hotaru-chan?"
"Hai. Can you talk into this tape recorder?" Hotaru held a tape recorder near the phone.
Michiru could be heard in the background, "Hotaru! That is rude!"
Seiya laughed. "You really are a girl of your word, huh Hotaru-chan?" He asked.
"Well, I just wanted to prove her wrong, Kou-san. Is that such a bad thing?"
"Well, I guess at times it can be a good thing, but you shouldn't get into fights with people about stuff like that. It is petty, and you don't want to live your life knowing you fought over stupid things like that."
"I guess you're right." Hotaru blushed. "I guess I'll have to start tomorrow, ne?"
Seiya laughed. "Hotaru-chan, at least it's a start."
"Well, it was good talking to you, here is Michiru-san." Hotaru handed the phone back to her.
"Your niece is nice, Kaiou-san." Seiya smiled.
"Arigato, Kou-san." Michiru smiled. "And you can call me Michiru." She purred.
"Well, you can call me Seiya then."
"I look forward to seeing you then, Seiya-san." Michiru said softly.
'Is she trying to flirt with me?' Seiya thought. "Hai, I'll see you later." Seiya hung the phone up and looked at Taiki.
"Why was Kaiou-san calling us?" Taiki asked.
"I scheduled a practice for the joint concert next Tuesday at one."
"That's fine then." Taiki started making some food.
Seiya picked up the phone and dialed Takashi.
~~~~~~~~~~
Yaten sat in his room, a blank piece of canvas in front of him. He slowly picked up the canvas and set in onto an easel. Opening a small canister of paint, he slowly dipped the brush inside and spread it across the easel. A vibrant red colored the easel as Yaten spread the paint all along the canvas.
Soon a red covered a portion of the canvas and Yaten continued, slowly adding a peach colored paint near the red and the picture started to take shape. The picture of a woman with long red hair, billowing in the wind, her dark dress blowing in the breeze of an alien planet.
Yaten soon started adding another color, a yellow to the other side of the canvas and soon the picture started taking shape. The woman with the red hair, standing back to back to a girl with long blonde hair, both women's hair was blowing in the breeze and the landscapes behind them were as different as could be, but both women had one thing in common. A small red ring around both of their ring fingers, sparkling as their hands were clasped together joining the two landscapes into one.
Yaten was so focused on his painting he didn't hear his name being called.
Finally Seiya poked his head into the door and said, "YATEN! Are you deaf?"
Yaten's focus was broken and he looked at Seiya. "Seiya, oh, gomen. I must have been too focused to hear your voice." Yaten stood up and went out for dinner.
***
Usagi awoke the next morning and dressed for school. After she had eaten breakfast she trotted out the door on her way to school. She felt rather heavyhearted as she went to school, even though she knew that she had the opportunity to see Seiya, she was worried about his safety.
"USAGI-CHAN!" A voice called out from behind Usagi.
She turned around and saw Minako and Makoto running towards her.
"Ohayo, minna!" Usagi said, rather cheerfully.
"Do you have my picture, Usagi-chan?" Makoto asked, excited.
"Hai, I almost forgot." Usagi reached into her briefcase and pulled out the signed picture. "Here you go, Mako-chan."
"Arigato, Usagi, it's better then I could have ever dreamed!" Makoto exclaimed.
"It would have been better if you would have gotten a kiss with it," Minako winked.
"Minako!" Usagi scolded, but couldn't help blush.
"I'm just teasing you, Usagi-chan." Minako laughed. "Well, come on, I don't want to be late for school."
"Hai," Makoto agreed and the three girls continued their walk to school.
~~~~~~~~~~
At long last for Usagi, the school day was over, and she sighed as she stuffed her homework into her briefcase and took her shoes and slowly slid them onto her feet.
"Usagi-chan?" A quiet voice asked.
Usagi looked up to see Ami standing next to her.
"Hai, Ami-chan?"
"Are you feeling alright today, Usagi-chan?" Ami sat down on the bench next to her.
"I'm feeling fine, why do you ask?" Usagi closed her shoe locker.
"Well, you've been pretty quiet lately," Ami said. "And you haven't been eating as much as you normally do at lunch, are you having some problems with Mamoru-san?"
"We broke up," Usagi picked up her briefcase
"I know that," Ami said gently. "Demo, are you having a hard time getting over it?" Ami prodded gently.
"Iie, Ami-chan. I know you want to make sure nothing is wrong, but there really isn't anything wrong, okay?" She smiled. "I'll talk to you later, Ami-chan."
"Can I walk you home then?" Ami asked.
Usagi stopped. "Uh, I'd like to walk by myself if that's okay. I'd like to think a bit."
"As you wish, Usagi-chan." Ami nodded.
Usagi quickly left the school and found herself running towards the park. Once she got there, she sat down on a bench and caught her breath.
A man came over and sat next to her on the bench. "Hello." He said as he took a seat.
"Hello." Usagi looked at the man. 'Is it Seiya? He said he'd be in disguise.' Usagi thought to herself.
"What brings you here this evening?" He asked.
"Oh, I'm meeting a friend." Usagi looked away.
"Well then, I better leave so you can meet your friend." The man stood up and walked away.
Usagi was confused. She watched the man leave and saw another man approach her. He had short blonde hair and was wearing a T-shirt and jeans.
"Evening." The man bowed.
"Seiya?" Usagi asked.
"Uh," The man blushed.
"Seiya, you know you should have worn a mask if you wanted to be totally incognito."
"I'm not Seiya," He laughed. "I'm Aysei."
"Okay, are those contacts you are wearing, AYSEI?" She giggled.
He sat down next to her and took her hand. "I just wanted to make sure that we'd be able to be alone for a change."
Usagi smiled. "We have the whole afternoon to be together, at least, for today." She smiled and he pulled her into a hug. "I've missed you so much, Odango."
"I've missed you too." She squeezed him tightly. "How did you get your hair that short?" She asked.
"It's a wig." He winked.
"But where did all your other hair go?"
"Ah, that is a secret for you to find out." He pinched her cheek.
"Aysei . . ." She shook her head. "It's weird calling you that."
"Come on, Odango." He pulled back out of the hug and stared her in the eyes. "It's just for a little while."
"Okay," She looked into his eyes, the same ones she had loved for a long time.
Seiya leaned forwards and gently kissed her. Usagi felt his lips touch hers and a surge of lightning seemingly surged through her body. She felt weak and put her arms around him for support.
As he broke the kiss, he pulled back and looked into her eyes. "Odango, arigato for meeting me today."
Usagi felt like her breath had been taken away as she felt a small blush cover her face. "Don't mention it."
Seiya stood up and put his hand out to hers. "Today is ours," He exclaimed as they both started walking out of the park, hand in hand.
~~~~~~~~~~
First they went to a movie and then out for ice cream. Soon the sun was setting and the two walked out of the ice cream shop.
"Come on, Odango, I have something special for you."
"For me?" She giggled.
"Hai, Odango, come on." He grabbed her hand and brought her down the street. He hailed a taxi and as the two go inside, he turned to her. "Okay now Odango, you need to trust me," He held up a blindfold.
"No way." She shook her head.
"Come on, onegai," He pleaded and made his saddest puppy dog face.
Usagi sighed. "Okay, fine." He placed the blindfold around her and kissed her gently on the cheek.
After a while of driving, Seiya helped Usagi get out of the taxi. Usagi could hear waves and she could smell the salt of the ocean. Seiya led her slowly along what felt like grass, and soon he stopped.
"Odango, I want you to sit down here." He helped her sit down onto a blanket spread over the grass. "Now close your eyes, I'm going to take off your blindfold."
"Okay." Usagi closed her eyes and felt Seiya take off the blindfold.
"Okay, now look." Seiya backed away from her, and Usagi opened her eyes and blinked a little until they came into focus. In front of her was a small grassy area and a portion of sparkling ocean. Straight ahead of them was the sunset and the grass they were seated at was next to a tall lighthouse.
"It . . . it . . . is so beautiful." Usagi finally said. She turned back around and looked at Seiya. "Even with that goofy blonde hair and those color contacts, I still feel the same way about you, Seiya." She smiled as tears came to her eyes.
"And what is that, Usagi?" Seiya sat down next to her.
"I still care for you." She whispered, tears running down her face.
"You do?" Seiya asked, rather surprised. His mind was racing with a million thoughts. "After all I did to you . . .after everything," He took a deep breath, "You still care for me?"
Usagi smiled although the tears still ran down her face. "Of course I still do. I cared for you the first moment I met you, even though I didn't know it yet." The tears didn't stop and Usagi felt herself gasping for air. "And I always . . .will . . .no matter . . .what."
Seiya felt a large pain go over his heart as he pulled Usagi into a hug. "Usagi, I . . . I've been through so much with you, and even when I told you that I had loved you before, I thought it only a dream to hear you say such things. The first moment I saw you I knew . . .I knew you were a perfect angel that I never could have." He felt tears escaping the corners of his eyes. "And now that I have you, I feel . . .this utter joy." He turned her chin up towards his own. "Usagi, I love you with all my heart." He kissed her, gently as he felt the river of hot tears fall down his face as well.
Usagi kissed him back, her fear and pain about everything melting away as the colors of the sunset and the kiss on the grass seemed to melt away into one brilliant shade of red, behind her closed eyes. After what felt like perfect eons, they both pulled back, and their eyes met.
"What are we sitting here crying about?" Usagi tried to laugh.
"I don't know." Seiya smiled and wiped her cheeks.
"Seiya," Usagi smiled. "I want to be like this forever."
"Me too." Seiya held her for a moment as they watched the tail end of the sunset, perfectly comfortable in each other's arms.
Suddenly, Usagi felt a hot heat on her chest, and she looked down the see Kakyuu's ring seemingly aflame with red light. Usagi quickly flew to her feet and turned around and faced Seiya. "What does it mean?" She asked him.
"Maybe Kakyuu wants to give us a message?" Seiya quickly stood up and looked at the ring intently.
Usagi nodded and quickly took the ring off the necklace and slid it onto her finger.
A large wave of light covered the two for a moment, and Kakyuu stood where Usagi once did.
Usagi's golden hair was turned red; it appeared that Kakyuu was there in her own body, except wearing Usagi's clothes.
"Seiya?" Kakyuu turned and looked at Seiya wildly.
"Princess," He knelt before her for a moment and then stood up. "Princess, you seem to be in the flesh."
"I don't know what has happened, but suddenly the ring around me seemed to be on fire!" Kakyuu was surprised as she inspected her own arms. "And it would seem that I am here right now, this doesn't even feel like Usagi's body."
"If . . . you are here, then where is Usagi?" Seiya worriedly asked her.
"I'm sure Usagi is still here, just in the ring while I am out here." Kakyuu sighed with relief.
"Is there anything urgent that you needed to tell me?" Seiya asked.
"Not really, but it seems that part of the spell must be broken if I can appear in the flesh." Kakyuu quickly pulled Seiya into a hug. "It is so good to be able to touch you again, Seiya." She smiled.
"Princess, I am honored with your presence as always." Seiya hugged her back.
Kakyuu pulled away and looked at Seiya. "You aren't happy to see me?"
"Iie," She shook his head. "Of course I'm happy to see you, why wouldn't I be?"
Kakyuu looked almost hurt. "So then, you are happy to see me?"
"Hai, Princess. Of course I am." Seiya nodded.
Kakyuu nodded slowly.
"Do you think that Usagi has revealed a way to break the spell then?"
Kakyuu was quiet a moment. "I think she's on to something." She said quietly. Without warning, another wave of red light cascaded over Seiya and when he opened his eyes, Usagi was standing there. Her eyes closed a moment and she started to faint.
"Odango!" Seiya exclaimed as Usagi fell down into his arms. "Odango?" He asked repeatedly as she was quiet in his arms. He shook her gently for a moment and then suddenly, her eyes fluttered open.
"Seiya?" She asked. Tears were in her blue eyes.
"Hai, Odango?"
Usagi smiled weakly. "I think it took a lot out of me, that time."
"It's okay." Seiya pulled her into a hug. He squeezed her tightly as Usagi closed her own eyes.
After a little while, Seiya brought Usagi back to her home and walked her to the steps. "Are you going to be okay?" Seiya asked.
"I'm going to be fine, I'm just tired, you know, school work." Usagi smiled as she put her hand onto her doorknob.
"Goodbye then." Seiya held her hand a moment longer.
"Goodbye." Usagi smiled and went inside of her house and Seiya got back into the taxi and drove home.
Usagi slid off her shoes and warily walked to her room.
"USAGI!" Her mother called.
Usagi sighed and walked into he kitchen. "Hai, Oka-san?"
"Where have you been, Usagi? I was almost about to call the police!" Ikuko sat at the kitchen table.
"I was out with a friend." Usagi started out of the room.
"Well, it wasn't any of your friends *I* know!" Ikuko fumed. "I called every one of them!"
"I was out with Aysei." Usagi thought happily that Seiya had come up with that name.
"Aysei?" Ikuko asked.
"Oku Aysei." Usagi explained. "He called last night and asked for the assignment. He took me out for ice cream and a movie, that's all." Usagi shrugged.
"A boy? Usagi, that's great." She smiled and then frowned. "Demo, next time . . .call me, okay? I worry."
"Hai," Usagi started out of the room, ready to flop into bed.
[Author's Note: Well, the site was down for a pretty long time, and that gave me extra time to write, so I have a 14 page chapter for you. I hope you'll all review, I think I have the end of this story planned out in my head! Yay!
Oh yes, the chapter title, it's the title of a Queen song, just thought I'd enrich all of my fan's lives. *huge grin* This chapter is personally dedicated to Raven Haired Light and Stephanie-san. Arigato minna! Onegai, review!]