Exhale

Mamoru looked around. His feet stood on nothing, on air. The landscape receded to blackness, a cool, foreboding coal. He felt lonely here. In this dimension, a hazy, unclear one, he felt cold. Chills went up and down his spine as a figure slid from the darkness and came closer.

"Usako…" The words crept from his mouth in a light whisper. Usagi, dressed in her school uniform, was sort of rolling slowly forward, her feet unmoving, through the eerie mist. Her eyes, oh, her eyes, they pierced his heart, held him, strangled him with their ambience. Their ice blue gaze burned into his eyes, as she slipped closer, keeping her eyes on his, and pulled her arms around him.

Usagi smiled as she pulled her hand up and laid it gently on his cheek. He breathed deeply, taking in her presence, the sweet smell of her skin, her touch. Mamoru felt so overwhelmed. A tear fell from his eye and slid down Usagi's hand. He opened his eyes and wrapped her in his arms.

"Usako...oh, Usagi…" He repeated her name over and over, holding her close and stroking her hair. Mamoru never wanted to let her go; she may disappear again, leave again without warning, and he would never be able to get her back. The thought made him sob, whispering her name repeatedly.

Usagi pulled back, staring into the depths of his eyes. She pulled down his head gently and lightly kissed his lips, then was released from his arms. She pulled her locket off the red bow in the front of her uniform, and grasped Mamoru's hand as she placed it in his palm. It opened, the tiny silver crystal in the middle glinting with a supernatural light. The lullaby-like symphony played, slowly and dreamily.

The music was haunting, chilling. Its chords plucked at the air with silver notes, a silent melody traveling through his head. It was so enchanting, and maddening, and sorrowing and horrible and wonderful at the same time. Memories flooded his head, the music easing his mind.

Usagi stood, and walked off, leaving Mamoru holding the locket, unable to move. He tried to call out after her, but his voice was frozen. She looked behind her slowly, blankly and ghost-like, and ran off into the darkness, as Mamoru fell, abandoned, tumbling…

Mamoru awoke, feeling like he had just been slammed back into his body. Rain poured outside, making small drumming sounds on the roof of his apartment. He gasped for air and sat up in bed. The loneliness of his bedroom set in, like lead weighing down his body. He caught his breath, breathed deeply and slowly. It was a dream. All a dream.

A dream. Nothing more…

A small cry escaped from his lips. Where was she..? Was she okay? These things tumbled into his mind. Say it wasn't so; he could throw on his coat, run through the pouring rain, and she would be there. Sit by the phone, and she would call him, she would be there, she would know the sorrow that he was going through.

Did she miss him as much as he was missing her?

Did she feel this empty feeling? Did she…did she…

Alone. Mamoru was getting accustomed to this feeling every day. He fell back onto his pillow and listened to the rain, the lonely sound of the rain.

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A/N: Latest edition of 'Exhale'! What will happen to Mamoru? What is going on with Minako, and will she pull through? What about the fears that Ami, Rei, and Makoto each live with? Check out the next chapter of Exhale soon ^.^