I'd like to dedicate this to my Oneechans D-chan, Usachan and my imouto Krys-chan! Also my okaasan Chibi Tenshi. hm...oh! And also Mk-chan and Poka-chan!! Have a good read!
Time Of Cosmos
Chapter 4 - Leave Taking
By: Himiko
Serenity looked at all the girls gathered on her bed, sitting, waiting for her announcement she had gathered them here for. She took a deep breath and started.
" I'm leaving."
The girls blinked, Hotura spoke up.
" What for?"
" To get away from here."
Rei slowly nodded and got up. " I'll go with you." She said and started to walk past Serenity to the door. The other girls nodded to each other.
Serenity looked off to the side, not meeting any of their eyes. " No Rei. I'm going alone."
Rei paused in mid-step and whirled around. " What?! Why?!"
" If you're going anywhere Serenity we're coming with you! At least one of us has to be here to protect you." Ami told her.
" NO!" Serenity shouted and the girls were taken back, why was she angry? " No one will come with me! I'm going alone!" her voice softened. " I'll be alright," a whisper " I'm gonna have to be." Serenity looked to the floor.
" Serenity what's going on?" Minako asked worried at the distant sounding Serenity. Rei walked slowly back to the bed never taking her eyes of Serenity." Is there a problem? You can always tell us you know! We'll always be here for you."
The others vioced in their agreements.
" Do me one favor?" Serenity asked ignoring what Minako had just said.
" What?" Hotura inquired.
She squared her shoulders and stiffened her spine. She stared straight past them to the wall behind. " Forget me."
" WHAT?!" the girls shouted in alarm.
" Forget me." Serenity repeated.
" What? Why? Serenity, what's the matter?" Ami asked in extreme worry.
" Nothings the matter. All I ask is for you to forget me." Serenity was strong in her decision.
" We can't do that." Rei jumped up, " We can't just forget you Serenity! You're our friend, fellow scout, our princess by Queen Serenity! Why don't you tell us what this is all about?!"
" I'm leaving." Serenity said again.
"But why?" Hotura asked quietly.
" Because it is my destiny." She said looking off to the side.
" Bullshit." Minako spat out and the others looked at her, Minako never used foul language, but Serenity didn't not move an inch and stood looking at the wall. " I know there is another reason. Serenity quit playing games! Just tell us what's the matter!"
" I'm leaving." Minako opened her mouth but Serenity continued. " I'm leaving…for your sakes as well as mine."
" For our sakes?" Ami asked confused. " What are you talking about Serenity? Our place is there beside you."
Serenity snapped her head to look at them with fiery eyes. " No. How many times have you died saving me? How much have you suffered in my name? How much have you lost? How many opportunities have skipped by? How much more do you have to take?!" Serenity's voice rose at each word. " No! No more! I'm giving you back your freedom minna! Take it!"
The girls were silent; they had never expected this confrontation. Her words had hit home. {Maybe now they'll listen.} She opened her mouth to say more.
" We did it all for you Serenity and we'd do it all over again if we had to." Hotura said.
The others nodded and Serenity choked on a sob.
" But you don't!" she cried out. " You won't have to! You can all have back your freedom once I leave! That's why I'm leaving! For you to be happy!"
" And you think we'd be happy with you gone?" Rei shot back at her.
" No." Serenity's voice became flat and the girls reeled back. " But you can be. And will be. You don't need me anymore. You can stand on your own," She squared her shoulders once again, " and so can I. It's is after all, my destiny to stand alone."
" Usagi…" Ami whispered.
Her heart gave a small pang! to the old name of the girl that she once was. She looked at them with bleary soft eyes.
" Take care my senshi, if we are lucky, we will never again meet." With that stars seem to circle around her and her form started to fade as a single teardrop started to fall.
" USAGI!" Rei screamed as she jumped forward to hold her.
" IIE!" Ami shouted and ran over to her as well.
" USAGI-CHAN!! COMEBACK!" Minako yelled.
" Usagi-mama, Serenity-hime, Cosmos-sama…no!" Hotura buried her face in her hands and ran out of the room weeping.
Rei and Ami were to late they reached her just as the last sparkles flew into the night air.
Minako frantically searched with her mind and she could feel her already closing up the connection they had. {IIE!! SERENITY IIE!!} She couldn't take it; she bursted into tears and followed Hotura in running out of the room.
Ami and Rei sank to their knees in horror and defeated. Ami stared in frozen shock at where Serenity should have been and Rei whispered words of denial.
" Iie…Usagi…iie" Rei choked on a sob and ran out of the room.
Ami could take it, alone in the room where sorrow now seemed to stream from every wall. She ran out as well, leaving behind an empty, sad and lonely place.
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Serenity watched them as her form solidified on the balcony two floors higher and three rooms to the right, giving her the perfect view of her room from inside her window. It was no wonder this was Heero's room. She turned and opened the balcony doors to step into Heero's room. She walked to the middle and looked around.
There was a bed on the right, cupboard on the left and a desk and chair at the far corner. There were no personal belongings or anything of significance. Serenity suspected that Heero had everything needed in a duffle bag somewhere, where he can just grab it a go any minute he chose.
The door opened and locking it behind, Heero entered his room. He turned and almost jumped in shock in seeing here there, in his room, next to his bed. But his static face showed none of his surprise and he just leaned back on the wall with crossed arms and waited for an answer.
Serenity looked over his form and bit her lip. She walked up to him and stared him straight in the eyes. She tilted her head and smiled when he didn't move, just continuing to stare at her.
" You know I loved you since I first saw you right?" he blinked, " well I did. Me; not Relena Dorlain or Relena Peacecraft but me, Serenity Moon Cosmos. But you didn't know that, didn't have to know that and don't really need to care about that anymore."
He blinked again and she took a deep breath and gave him a shaky smile. She placed her hands on his broad shoulders and stood on tiptoes. She closed the space between them and kissed him.
He blinked then his eyes widened in shock. She clenched her eyes shut tight and continued to kiss him as tears flowed down her cheeks. {Push me away, hold me close, do something Heero! Please, I need to know how you feel before I leave. Do you really hate me that much?}
Heero's arms slowly left their crossed arms position and encircled her around the waist. She wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him harder then before. He held her tightly against him as if to make sure she couldn't, wouldn't escape and then started to respond to the kiss.
He ravished her. He kissed her with passion and parted her lips with his tongue. He wouldn't slow down and she was soon out of breath. His hands moved up and down her back and she arched when he trailed his kisses down her neck and suckled her neck pulse. Her hands buried themselves in his hair and she after a while gently pushed him away.
She stood at an arms length away and breathing labored. He blinked once, twice, three times before his dazed eyes refocused. And then he stared at her, after a few seconds of silence he opened his mouth.
" I-I didn't mean to-I don't know what-don't take it in the wrong way-I" Heero was flustered, it was the first time she ever seen him like this.
" Shh…." She said as she placed a finger on his lips to silence him. " It's alright. There's no need to worry, I just needed to know how you felt before I left." She hugged him; " you don't have to worry about me from today on."
She walked past him and he heard her open the door. He blinked the whirled around.
" What?" He was too late; she was already gone. The door was swinging lightly back and forth, but there was no sign of her, not even when he checked the long lonely halls.
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Hotura ran down the halls weeping, never looking as to where she was going. She turned a left here and right there another left here, it didn't matter. All that mattered was that Serenity had left. She was gone. Serenity, Usagi, Cosmos, what ever you chose to call her, Hotura chose to call her, 'her Light'. It didn't matter though, she was still gone.
She finally collapsed somewhere. Where? She didn't know, and didn't care. She was gone; Serenity was gone. Usagi was gone. Cosmos was gone. Her Light was GONE! She sobbed.
She felt arms encircle and she looked up wanting to see Serenity, but instead it was Duo.
" Shh…" Duo said as he started to rock her. " Everything will be alright. Everything will be alright."
{No it won't.} Hotura thought bitterly, but she was to choke up to argue and instead settled for crying on his shoulder.
Duo stayed there rocking her and whispering comfort words until he realized she was asleep. He gently picked her up and she snuggled closer to him in his arms. He looked down at her tear stained face. {She looks like a fallen angel.}
He brought her to his bed and tucked her in. He tried to leave but found out that she held his hand and wouldn't let go. He smiled and pulled up a chair. He sat there all night looking at her and holding her hand. Content that she trusted him enough to sleep in his presence.
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Minako ran through the maze of the house blindly. She didn't notice that she had knocked down a vase and had tripped over a bump in the rug or that she had bumped into a concerned Quatre who was now following her through the halls.
She pushed open a door a she saw she was at a garden, which one she didn't know. She ran over to the bench and collapsed crying, heaving. She jumped up in fright when a hand descended on her shoulder. She blinked and saw the bleary figure of Quatre. She made to quickly wipe away her tears and gave him a small smile.
" Quatre! What are you doing here?" she would have succeeded in a happy voice if her voice had not wavered at the end.
Quatre looked at her with concerned eyes and saw that she was trying to hold the tears back. He grabbed her and held her close.
" It's alright. Cry, cry all you need. I'm here for you." He said in a soothing voice.
Minako couldn't hold it back any even if she wanted to and bursted into tears. She clutched at him and cried in heartbreaking sobs.
Quatre was quite surprised that she allowed him to see she was crying, he was quite surprised already that she could cry. This was Dorothy Catalina and Dorothy did NOT cry. {But this isn't Dorothy} his mind corrected. {This is Minako. The girl I love.}
He blinked. The girl I love? Where did that come from? But he did not have time to ponder this, Mina need him right now and so he devoted himself to Mina.
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Rei ran through the halls knocking over anyone in her way, unlike Hotura and Minako she knew where she was going. She reached a certain door and without knocking pushed it open and ran in. The large force used to push the door open rebounded it close when it hit the wall and bounce back. Rei paid it no mind but threw herself at the person on the bed and kissed him.
Wufei had been reading and was very startled when his door slam opened them slammed shut. The book was knocked out of his hand when Rei threw herself at him and his glasses tipped off when she kissed him. His eyes widened at the abrupt kiss and looked down at Rei who was now just crying into his shirt.
He put his glasses down and encircled her shoulders with his arms. He tried to get Rei to tell him what was making her cry but was only meet with sobs.
" Onna tell me what is the problem already." Wufei said starting to get annoyed.
" Shut up Wufei, just shut up and hold me." Wufei was taken back at the response and looked down at Rei who was now quiet and burying her face into his shirt.
" Please hold me? Just for tonight?" she asked quietly, venerable.
He stared down at the top of her head for a while before he closed the light and layback on his bed. He pulled Rei close and draped the blanket over both of them. He kissed the top of her head affectionately.
" Tonight and any night." He whispered.
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Ami ran to seek comfort from the only person she knew to. She ran to find Trowa. Like Rei when she found his room she did not knock instead she busted opened the door and slammed it shut. She threw herself at Trowa who was sitting in the chair.
When Trowa heard his door slam open and shut he turned his chair from toward the laptop on which he had been working on a report of his last mission for Une to the doorway. He was quite surprised when Midii threw herself at him and held onto him like he was her last chance at salvation.
He was in a daze but snapped out of it when he heard her sobs and ramblings.
" I know you're not exactly Makoto anymore," {Makoto? What?} " but even though you're not her I still love you." He froze, {She loves me?} " You are her and not her at the same time. Makoto gave up her powers and memories and even gender" Ami gave a small giggle through her sobs, "to be able to start fresh, to give us a chance to be able to be together. But you don't even remember me." Her voice broke and she cried. " How am I suppose to get through this. Two of the most important people to me are gone. One might even hate me." She stopped talking and just cried on him.
He held her as she cried her heart out. {Hate? Do I really hate her? No, but I should, she betrayed me.} he looked down at her heaving shoulders. {But she did it only because she had to. They held her family against her.} Trowa was starting to get a migraine.
He blinked and decided not to dwell on past affairs for tonight. Tonight, Midii or Ami as she had called herself, needed him.
{Put aside the differences for one night and just hold her. She needs you and you need her too} a voice in his head said.
And he listened. He carried the blonde girl to his bed and put her down. He tucked them both in and held her throughout the night. Even when she had fallen asleep, he laid wide-awake holding her, cherishing every moment until he became so exhausted and gave into sleep.
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{They'll never look for me here.} Serenity thought to herself as she gazed at the house in from of her.
Where was here? Her lips curved in a bittersweet smile. Japan, Tokyo Japan. More specifically, Juuban. And she was standing in front of a house that was right where hers had been before…before Cosmos…she forced her mind away from there. A young woman with long blue hair and a man with short brown hair wearing glasses came out. Both wore smiles and the man also dragged out a brown hair boy.
" Hi!" the woman said happily. " You must be the exchange student from the colonies who'll be staying with us!"
" It's nice to meet you miss." The man said politely.
" I don't like you. Can you go back?" The little by asked rudely and the man hit him on the head. " Paaa!!!"
" Don't be so rude to the guest!" he scolded the boy.
They heard a giggle come from the blonde hair, sapphire-eyed student. The woman blushed in embarrassment and the man gave a crooked smile. The boy stared at her like he had seen her before.
" Do I know you?" he asked suddenly.
" Shingo!" the man scolded.
" It's quite alright she reassured them. And maybe we have." She said with a secret smile.
" Oh dear!" the woman said startled at something. " We've been standing here for who knows how long and you don't even know our names! I'm Ikuko; this is my husband Ken and our son Shingo Tsukino. We'll be your family during your stay."
" Yes," she whispered, " my family."
" What's your name dear?"
" My name? My name's Usagi Tsukino." She tilted her head to he side and let her bangs cover her teary eyes. They blinked but didn't say anything. Then they broke out in a heartwarming smile that made her feel like she was coming home.
The Earth does not forget those who have walked on its soil, drank its water, ate its fruit. It remembers every single living animal and creature that has touched it and it remembered her. Around her the animals chirped and the trees swished. They sent out a single message.
Welcome Back.
{ Yes, welcome back.}
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Himiko: Well here's the next chap. I had thought I'd quit this fic but then it just came to me when I was daydreaming. I'm working on getting the next chap of 'The Evil Fic that Usachan Made Me write.' And don't give me a smart look as if you know I'd get he next chap out for that thing because I like to write it. Well..I DON'T! Usachan's making me write teh next chap in exchange for another fic of hers.
Hm....My graduation is coming up very soon adn I'm pretty sure I won't have much time to write..so should I just call it quits?
