Disclaimer : I don't own Sailor Moon etc. etc.
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A Stroll Through Your Dream
By Artemis
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PART FOUR
Michael sat in his car, wondering if he should wait for Usagi
or go home. He glanced at his watch. It was six. He had already
waited for an hour and he didn't know what he was doing. His
eyes were fixed on the door of the hospital. Suddenly, he heard
a knock on his window. He saw Grace standing there, by the
passenger seat side. He opened his window.
"Grace?" he frowned.
"What are you doing here Haybert?" she asked, her voice as tense
as usual. "Are you going to go home or wait for your little blonde
friend?"
Michael blushed, half from embarrassment that Grace was right and
half from anger. He didn't need to hear this from her.
"Leave me alone," he muttered. "If you can't say anything nice,
then don't say anything at all."
Grace opened the door and let herself in. She sat down, but left
the door open.
"You know Haybert, you're only going to get to see her tonight
and tomorrow until noon. Why are you sitting in this car?"
Michael looked at Grace, a little surprised and impressed that
she was being nice.
"She doesn't want to be involved with anyone she works with.."
"Well she doesn't work with you."
"I'm close enough, apparently. She didn't even agree to let me
take her out to coffee."
"Maybe she thinks you're a little too old for her? Ever thought
of that?" Grace pointed out, making Michael cringe.
"I'm not that old," he mumbled. "I'm only 26.."
"Well, she's 22.. You're older than her," she shrugged.
"Maybe I'll try seeing her after we get back to base..."
"In the mean time, get some sleep. And you'd better write up
you're 'I'm so sorry' speech for the Head of Operations.
Let's just say he's not pleased that those astronauts are still
here," Grace grinned. "Good night Haybert."
She left his car and walked over to her own car. Michael started
up his car and decided maybe he should start writing and practising
a speech.
Usagi saw Michael's car finally leave the parking lot. She moved
away from the window and walked back over to Mamoru's bed. He was
asleep again. She sat down beside him and held her head in her hands.
She watched Mamoru sleeping, his breathing relaxed. She wondered
if she had done the right thing to Michael. She had to talk to Ami
later about that.
Mamoru slipped into his dreams again. He was no longer injured.
His head didn't hurt as much either. He wondered when he would stop
dreaming like this.
"Darling, you look much better," a voice thin and sweet whispered.
The princess appeared in front of him.
"I feel better," he agreed with her.
"That's good. Now promise me you'll let me stay here," she smiled,
her feet moving gracefully towards him.
Her thin fingers reached out towards him. Mamoru watched as she
walked closer and closer. Her finger curled up in front of him.
Mamoru felt sharp pains behind his eyes again. He squinted, hoping
the pain would disappear. The princess slipped her hand into his
chest and pulled out what looked like a rose. It was dying, wilting
and lost much of its rich, blood red colour. But in the center of
the bud was a pink glow. The princess shook her head and clicked her
tongue.
"This isn't what I want," she murmured, looking at him as if waiting
for him to tell her what she wanted. "It used to look so beautiful..."
She raised her other hand and in her slightly curved hand, appeared
a beautiful red rose. She held both roses in front of his eyes.
"Everything dies eventually..." she whispered, mimicking how he had
told the little girl with blonde pigtails. "But which do you want to
save? The beautiful, living rose? Or the fading, dying rose?"
"If I could save it, you mean," he frowned.
The princess frowned, upset.
"Fine, we'll have it your way," she told him simply and threw the old
tattered rose away.
"What are you doing!?" Mamoru shouted, reaching out to grab it.
The princess pushed him down onto the ground.
"Were you trying to save it?" she asked him, demanding an answer.
"You were throwing it away!" he argued.
"That's not the real reason is it?"
The princess pointed to something behind Mamoru. He turned, to see
the little blonde haired girl. Her pigtails bounced happily. And when
he turned to the princess, she was gone. And where she used to be,
were scattered red rose petals.
"Did you want this?" the little girl asked him, holding his old
tattered rose.
"Yes, thank you," Mamoru smiled gratefully and took it.
The thorns on the stem pierced his skin and blood flowed out.
Mamoru let go of the rose, startled. Before it reached the ground,
the little girl picked it up. She took his hands and wrapped it
around the petals.
"Even if it hurts, don't let it go," she smiled. "Because it's almost
dead. And you might never see me again."
Then she ran away, her golden pigtails bouncing. Mamoru watched her
running and then looked at the rose. The pink glow in the centre of
the bud shone brightly. The petals that had been brown and torn,
were bright red from his blood. Mamoru could almost remember what
this all meant, but he felt a stabbing pain everytime he tried to
think. He held the rose in one hand, feeling the smooth velvet petals
in his hand. Mamoru closed his eyes. He felt tired.
When Mamoru woke up, he still felt something soft and smooth in his
hands. He jolted up and looked at his hand. It was Usagi's hand.
She was fast asleep, but held his hand gently. He smiled. He wondered
what she was dreaming of. Mamoru slipped his hand out of hers and
brushed his fringe out of his eyes. The room was dark and grey.
He looked out the window and saw twinkling stars. Mamoru heard Usagi
stirring. He turned to her and saw her rubbing her eyes. For a moment,
she looked like the little girl. Mamoru stared at her. Usagi noticed
him.
"What is it?" she asked.
"Nothing," he shook his head and lay back in the bed.
"You'll be leaving tomorrow afternoon," she told him.
Mamoru nodded. She smiled.
"What did you dream of this time?" she asked. "Maybe you can tell me
what your strange dreams are about."
"Well.." Mamoru murmured, his head hurting when he tried to remember.
Usagi watched him patiently.
"In the first dream I had... There's this little girl," Mamoru told
her. "She's got blonde hair and bouncing pigtails. She asks me something
and I tell her I'm hurt. I can't remember what happens next.. That's right.
Something about her mother.. And a brother... Then she aks me if I can
have a rose. Then she smiles and leaves."
Usagi heard the story of his dream and somehow, she felt that she could
visualise it. As if she had that dream before.
"And she reminds me of someone... It's like I've seen it all before,
but I can't remember," Mamoru frowned.
Mamoru closed his eyes.
"Every time I think about it, my head starts to hurt," he whispered.
"I'm sorry I made you tell me," Usagi murmured and pulled his blankets
up to his chin.
He could smell the rose again, but his head hurt too much to worry about it.
Usagi placed a cool towel on his eyes. He felt better.
"Are they like nightmares?" Usagi asked him.
"No... Well.. I hate them, but they're not nightmares.." he yawned, feeling
tired again. "They're just confusing and make me feel funny.."
Usagi squeezed his hand.
"Do you want to go to sleep now?" she whispered.
"Maybe... I don't want to see those dreams though.."
"I'll sing you a lullaby."
And she hummed softly, the same tune she had sang to him before. Usagi watched
Mamoru sleeping.
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END OF PART FOUR
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A Stroll Through Your Dream
By Artemis
------------------------------------------------------------
PART FOUR
Michael sat in his car, wondering if he should wait for Usagi
or go home. He glanced at his watch. It was six. He had already
waited for an hour and he didn't know what he was doing. His
eyes were fixed on the door of the hospital. Suddenly, he heard
a knock on his window. He saw Grace standing there, by the
passenger seat side. He opened his window.
"Grace?" he frowned.
"What are you doing here Haybert?" she asked, her voice as tense
as usual. "Are you going to go home or wait for your little blonde
friend?"
Michael blushed, half from embarrassment that Grace was right and
half from anger. He didn't need to hear this from her.
"Leave me alone," he muttered. "If you can't say anything nice,
then don't say anything at all."
Grace opened the door and let herself in. She sat down, but left
the door open.
"You know Haybert, you're only going to get to see her tonight
and tomorrow until noon. Why are you sitting in this car?"
Michael looked at Grace, a little surprised and impressed that
she was being nice.
"She doesn't want to be involved with anyone she works with.."
"Well she doesn't work with you."
"I'm close enough, apparently. She didn't even agree to let me
take her out to coffee."
"Maybe she thinks you're a little too old for her? Ever thought
of that?" Grace pointed out, making Michael cringe.
"I'm not that old," he mumbled. "I'm only 26.."
"Well, she's 22.. You're older than her," she shrugged.
"Maybe I'll try seeing her after we get back to base..."
"In the mean time, get some sleep. And you'd better write up
you're 'I'm so sorry' speech for the Head of Operations.
Let's just say he's not pleased that those astronauts are still
here," Grace grinned. "Good night Haybert."
She left his car and walked over to her own car. Michael started
up his car and decided maybe he should start writing and practising
a speech.
Usagi saw Michael's car finally leave the parking lot. She moved
away from the window and walked back over to Mamoru's bed. He was
asleep again. She sat down beside him and held her head in her hands.
She watched Mamoru sleeping, his breathing relaxed. She wondered
if she had done the right thing to Michael. She had to talk to Ami
later about that.
Mamoru slipped into his dreams again. He was no longer injured.
His head didn't hurt as much either. He wondered when he would stop
dreaming like this.
"Darling, you look much better," a voice thin and sweet whispered.
The princess appeared in front of him.
"I feel better," he agreed with her.
"That's good. Now promise me you'll let me stay here," she smiled,
her feet moving gracefully towards him.
Her thin fingers reached out towards him. Mamoru watched as she
walked closer and closer. Her finger curled up in front of him.
Mamoru felt sharp pains behind his eyes again. He squinted, hoping
the pain would disappear. The princess slipped her hand into his
chest and pulled out what looked like a rose. It was dying, wilting
and lost much of its rich, blood red colour. But in the center of
the bud was a pink glow. The princess shook her head and clicked her
tongue.
"This isn't what I want," she murmured, looking at him as if waiting
for him to tell her what she wanted. "It used to look so beautiful..."
She raised her other hand and in her slightly curved hand, appeared
a beautiful red rose. She held both roses in front of his eyes.
"Everything dies eventually..." she whispered, mimicking how he had
told the little girl with blonde pigtails. "But which do you want to
save? The beautiful, living rose? Or the fading, dying rose?"
"If I could save it, you mean," he frowned.
The princess frowned, upset.
"Fine, we'll have it your way," she told him simply and threw the old
tattered rose away.
"What are you doing!?" Mamoru shouted, reaching out to grab it.
The princess pushed him down onto the ground.
"Were you trying to save it?" she asked him, demanding an answer.
"You were throwing it away!" he argued.
"That's not the real reason is it?"
The princess pointed to something behind Mamoru. He turned, to see
the little blonde haired girl. Her pigtails bounced happily. And when
he turned to the princess, she was gone. And where she used to be,
were scattered red rose petals.
"Did you want this?" the little girl asked him, holding his old
tattered rose.
"Yes, thank you," Mamoru smiled gratefully and took it.
The thorns on the stem pierced his skin and blood flowed out.
Mamoru let go of the rose, startled. Before it reached the ground,
the little girl picked it up. She took his hands and wrapped it
around the petals.
"Even if it hurts, don't let it go," she smiled. "Because it's almost
dead. And you might never see me again."
Then she ran away, her golden pigtails bouncing. Mamoru watched her
running and then looked at the rose. The pink glow in the centre of
the bud shone brightly. The petals that had been brown and torn,
were bright red from his blood. Mamoru could almost remember what
this all meant, but he felt a stabbing pain everytime he tried to
think. He held the rose in one hand, feeling the smooth velvet petals
in his hand. Mamoru closed his eyes. He felt tired.
When Mamoru woke up, he still felt something soft and smooth in his
hands. He jolted up and looked at his hand. It was Usagi's hand.
She was fast asleep, but held his hand gently. He smiled. He wondered
what she was dreaming of. Mamoru slipped his hand out of hers and
brushed his fringe out of his eyes. The room was dark and grey.
He looked out the window and saw twinkling stars. Mamoru heard Usagi
stirring. He turned to her and saw her rubbing her eyes. For a moment,
she looked like the little girl. Mamoru stared at her. Usagi noticed
him.
"What is it?" she asked.
"Nothing," he shook his head and lay back in the bed.
"You'll be leaving tomorrow afternoon," she told him.
Mamoru nodded. She smiled.
"What did you dream of this time?" she asked. "Maybe you can tell me
what your strange dreams are about."
"Well.." Mamoru murmured, his head hurting when he tried to remember.
Usagi watched him patiently.
"In the first dream I had... There's this little girl," Mamoru told
her. "She's got blonde hair and bouncing pigtails. She asks me something
and I tell her I'm hurt. I can't remember what happens next.. That's right.
Something about her mother.. And a brother... Then she aks me if I can
have a rose. Then she smiles and leaves."
Usagi heard the story of his dream and somehow, she felt that she could
visualise it. As if she had that dream before.
"And she reminds me of someone... It's like I've seen it all before,
but I can't remember," Mamoru frowned.
Mamoru closed his eyes.
"Every time I think about it, my head starts to hurt," he whispered.
"I'm sorry I made you tell me," Usagi murmured and pulled his blankets
up to his chin.
He could smell the rose again, but his head hurt too much to worry about it.
Usagi placed a cool towel on his eyes. He felt better.
"Are they like nightmares?" Usagi asked him.
"No... Well.. I hate them, but they're not nightmares.." he yawned, feeling
tired again. "They're just confusing and make me feel funny.."
Usagi squeezed his hand.
"Do you want to go to sleep now?" she whispered.
"Maybe... I don't want to see those dreams though.."
"I'll sing you a lullaby."
And she hummed softly, the same tune she had sang to him before. Usagi watched
Mamoru sleeping.
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END OF PART FOUR
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