Title: Because of You
Author: Cheska
E-mail Address: Minnashime@aol.com
Rating: PG or PG-13
Chapter: 8

Disclaimer: I have no time for you lawyers with your expensive suits!
*lawyers glare at her*
*rolls eyes* @_@ Fine, fine...whatever....I don't own SM&/or GW. Happy?
*satisfied smirk and leaves*

Author's Notes: I'm back!! And I'm so, so sorry it took about...*glances at the date*
3 to four days since I last posted the previous chapter. I was sidetracked and still thinking
about what to write. Sucky, isn't it? *gets angry glares* Errps... O.O
*starts to run away* *sticks head out* Want to guess what happens next? ^_~
Ooh! And I loved all the comments you peeps gave me! I feel so loved!! Yeyy!! made me feel
better than icky yucky school. Practically the only thing I look toward when I feel down from
my subjects. Boy....that sorta sucks...but it's true. ^^;;
On with the story!
*************
Earth: Tokyo
*************
Eight young women and a man with two cats beside him were sitting around the Shinto Shrine
discussing the recent events that have taken place only a day ago. Their expressions were
lined with worry and agitation, each one thinking about the future of what could be or what
shall be.
"Setsuna, what does our future say since the declaration of war?"Ami silently wondered, afraid
that if she exclaimed her thoughts it would turn out for the worse.
The Guardian of Time gazed at the darkened sky in a solemn expression momentarily before
turning her face towards her companions.
"The future of what should or can be has turned to the worse. Crystal Tokyo may still exist
if only the path we choose has been carefully been made,"Setsuna voiced out.
"So there is still a chance?"Makoto uttered.
"Hai, if everything goes as it should go,"Setsuna nodded her head.
"What will happen if it doesn't? That if the war ends peacefully yet through a different
path?"Hotaru finally questioned a lingering thought that's been inside her mind ever since
the enemies' demand.
"Even I only have an opinion over that,"Setsuna's marroon eyes glinted in a mysterious way.
For the fewest seconds, everything was silent until Rei spoke up.
"The Great Fire has shown me that Usagi has a part in all of this. Great machines destroy
one another yet the dream and the fire focus solely on five large ones. I believe that those
five machines are called Gundams and that Usagi somehow ties up with them. In the dream, I
think it was her thoughts that spoke out and a beam of light shot out that could've come from
her. That was mainly it. So what will happen, can you tell us?"
Setsuna shook her head sadly and gazed at the falling green leaves and the dust that began
to gather up once more.
"Everyone everywhere has a part in life, may it be small or large. This time, our hime has
a part that could be considered by some yet it is a large part in the hands of time and
destiny. Should she choose to fail to protect Earth, all thoughts of peace ends. That is all
I can tell you, I'm sorry..."Setsuna turned around from the priestess.
"Isn't there another way of protecting Earth without having Usako involved?"Mamoru questioned.
"If only, but because of her part in our hopes of a better future this must be,"Setsuna
declared.
"And if the Tetra force wins and the negotiations of peace does not occur like the last
time?"Minako hesitantly asked.
Everyone's gaze lowered to the ground, expecting the worse.
"Eventually everything will prosper like before and life will continue as well, however,
our leader/ruler shall be different. The Tetra force isn't as bad as everyone make it to be.
They are an organization wishing to rule over us, but it doesn't come with great changes in our
course of life. However, if they do win, a long period of time of hardships will occur and more
violence will rise. And...all thoughts of ever having Crystal Tokyo will cease to exist."
"Demo...if peace could come from the Tetra foce, why should Usagi play a part in this
and that if she fails...that all thoughts of peace ends?"Luna demanded to know.
"She is our pillar of light, she plays a valuable part in all of this. I don't know
everything that could result. But she must protect Earth at all costs,"Setsuna's
eyes hardened at the topic.
(She's hiding something deep inside of her. What is it?)Hotaru wondered.
"Koneko must choose wisely if we are to hope for a good future, is that it?"Haruka summed
up.
"Hai, our hime must. If not, then that is when we must worry for all our fates,"Setsuna
proclaimed.
*********
Colony L2
*********
Quatre and Selene placed their unconscious friend onto the vacant mattress lying in the room
in front of them. As they laid him down, the old doctor stood behind them observant and silent
as he gazed at the rescued woman from the concealed base owned by the Tetra force.
"Tetra force, that is the name of their organization..."Selene murmered when they exited the
room.
"The Tetra organization has shown themselves to the public just a few minutes ago but the
leader hasn't made its name known though,"Dr. H stated.
"But their leader must show themselves to the public to see who they're up against. Isn't
that true?"Selene gave a quizzical look.
"Yes and no, it's up to them alone whether or not he/she wants to reveal themselves just
yet,"Dr. H answered.
"Then who gave the declaration of who they are?"Quatre asked.
"The leader, whoever it is, sealed its voice and its form in the shadows,"Dr. H retorted.
"Why did they show themselves now?"Selene wondered.
"I'm afraid it's because of the other pilots trespassed into their territory today and
destoyed their base. So as to get back to us, they declare war over their enemies. Meaning
Earth, the Preventers, and the Colonies.."Dr. H gave a small chafed appearance as he said those
words.
"So now we have to fight again,"sighed Quatre as he brushed his bangs away from his eyes.
A deep foreboding entered Quatre's inner body, a sense of feeling that danger will come
in the future. The only problem that made the blond haired pilot couldn't make out was what
type of danger is it? The war? Or something else?
"Are you ready, Quatre?"Dr. H asked as they entered the room that Duo and he went into
earlier that day.
"Yes, I guess I am,"Quatre nodded.
The doctor nodded to him in approvement and turned toward his computer as he began to feed
it information about the upcoming questions he'll be asking the prisoner of Tetra.
*************
Where Duo is
2 hours later
*************
A low groan came out from the braided pilot and a few minutes later his eyes fluttered open
to reveal cobalt blue orbs. At first, his vision was distorted but soon came into vision as
the blurriness went away and focus came into view.
"You're awake."
(That voice...Quatre.)Duo slowly came into focus with his surroundings as he groggily turned
around to face the blond pilot; his comrade.
"What am I doing here? We were suppose to be at the base, right? What happened?"Duo croaked
out as his voice began to operate.
"You got hurt and collapsed unconscious..."Quatre started but the sound of footsteps
disturbed the quiet atmosphere of conversation they had as a third figure came into the room.
"He's awake,"Selene murmered.
"Her name is Selene, Duo. She's the one we're suppose to find,"explained Quatre.
Duo nodded towards her and rose up from the mattress to swing his legs over a side of the
bed. His head was downcast for a moment when dizziness kicked in but as time passed on, left.
"Are you okay?"Selene inquired with worry as the silence got to her.
"Yeah, I'm okay."Duo answered as his voice lost the croak-like tone.
02 veered his head to their direction and noticed that there was only one of the two prisoners
they rescued back at the base.
"Weren't there two of them? Where's the other?"Duo wondered, trying to recall the image
in his mind.
"She's at her motel now, Duo. We were only after Selene, not the other...and she didn't seem
to go for the idea of coming with us,"Quatre murmered, his tone low.
(That night at the base....there was something about it..something important, I believe.
But it was so dark at that place I could hardly make the number of people in the cell. But
before I passed out fully, I saw...I saw...)Duo tried to disclose the event within his mind.
"Did she get to her motel okay, Q-man?"Duo asked.
"When you hit the ground, we took you to her place and...she healed you. There wasn't enough
time to make it back to the base, so her place was the only option left."Quatre informed him.
"I should say thanks to her. And maybe take her out somewhere, after all...she did nurse
me back to health."Duo grinned at the thought.
Quatre smiled and then recalled what she told him to say to Duo when he woke up.
"And there's another thing..."Quatre began.
Duo nodded his head for Quatre to continue.
"She seems to know you but I couldn't catch her name. Before I left to bring you back to the
base with Selene, she told me to tell you to be more careful next time. Also that she wishes
that you two could've met one another under better conditions,"Quatre informed him.
(Met under better conditions...knows me...careful..to be careful..)Duo listed out inside his
mind.
"You don't know her name?"Duo voiced out.
"No, I don't...but she has long golden hair done up in an odd style with crystalline blue
eyes. She was very nice too but in the end, something was bothering her and advised us to
bring you back to the base...I don't know why though,"Quatre trailed off as he pondered over
the reasons of why that could be.
"She didn't want to wait for me to wake up, so she wanted me to get away from her before I
could open my eyes...that must be why,"Duo uttered softly.
"Why though?"Quatre asked him.
"I don't know, I really don't...but I need to find her,"Duo pushed himself off the bed
and began to walk but stumbled and fell back onto the bed.
"You need to rest, Duo..."Quatre sighed and left the room.
"You know her, don't you?"Selene stated mostly than asked.
"Yeah, she was my best friend back here in Colony L2. We were both in the orphanage, the
only difference between us was that she still had a family out there somewhere waiting to be
found again while I didn't have any.."Duo smiled lightly.
"How long were you two friends?"
"Hmm...let's see...13 - 14 years now,"Duo calculated inside his mind as he leaned his head on
the available pillow.
"Most of your lifetime,"Selene smiled lightly and stepped out of the room just when Quatre
came in with a tray filled with food in his hands.
"Thanks Q-man!"Duo exclaimed as a bright smile lit up on his face once it reached him.
Quatre watched as the food he prepared for him was devoured away right before his eyes but
as time went on, he began to form a question that's been bothering him lately.
"Duo?"Quatre asked as Duo finished off the last spoonful of soup.
"Hm?"
"Who is that girl? How do you know her?"Quatre finally asked.
"She's my best friend back when we were kids. The one I told you about before we found the
base. Her name is Usagi..."Duo answered as his cobalt blue eyes began to glow with a hint of
happiness and content at the mention of his past memories of her and himself began to reveal
itself once more.
"You're...best...friend?"Quatre slowly mimicked, not really fully believing that the two
could just be friends from the way he reacts towards the girls around school back at the
Academy owned by Ririna.
"Yeah, my best friend.."Duo finalized as he shrugged off the deeper meaning of Quatre's words
as he tried to avoid it.
"Look, Q-man..I'm going to try to find her. Okay? Where is she staying at right now?"Duo
inquired.
"Duo, it's late. It's twelve o'clock for goodness sake! She's probably asleep right now.
Why don't you wait till it's a decent hour?"Quatre suggested.
"No, Q-man. I'm going there right now...if you're not going to help me then I'll help
myself."Duo said and started for the door as he put on his shoes and jacket which laid next
to the door.
"No, Duo. Wait, I'll tell you..."Quatre sighed and began to relay to him the directions
that he had memorized in a corner of his mind.
*********
Usagi let her hair loose thus it spilled out of its now-messy buns and lay loose on the edge
of the carpeted floor. The strings that once held her hair up were discarded into her pockets
while the teen's form strolled over to the windows. As she opened them up, a chilly breeze
blew in drying up any tears that were left and helped the girl calm her nerves from the day's
event.
(Wonderful...just wonderful....so tranquil despite everything that happened.)Usagi thought.
As she lazily gazed over the terrain, her crystalline blue eyes noticed a small hill in the
horizon.
"The orphanage..."
The windows closed and she picked up her jacket near the door where she placed it later on
after her guests left. After putting her shoes back on, Usagi left the motel and started out
for the streets towards the hill.
Walking off, memories flooded her mind once more. Memories that laid dormant until now, ones
that weren't too important but grateful to reflect upon in the later years. As the golden
haired teen passed a small rosebush near a small shack, the girl smirked.
(Duo used to give me roses a few times a year to cheer me up. I wonder if he'd remember...)
Strolling along, her instincts told her she wasn't too far off from the site. Picking
her way through the uncharted destination with care, Usagi finally got up to the old site.
The ruins of the building were long gone but a clear sign of the old tree was apparent to her
eyes. Letting a small smile grace her lips, Usagi went up to it. Her eyes scanned it and
noticed growth had taken place over the years since she last left its side. The tree grew
a few feet taller and its branches were thicker and stronger. Crouching down, Usagi prepared
herself to stay by its side once more...if only for a few hours or a few minutes. Her golden
mane of hair lay spooled around her lithe form and her head rested upon the trunk of the
tree facing the back of the once standing orphanage. Her back towards the tree and her
figure facing another part of the colony which was the cemetary in the distance from there.
"I can still remember...that vow, Duo. And I still recall that day...you left and I left."
Closing her eyes, she let her thoughts fly off.
************
"Quatre?"Dr. H's vocalization intruded his thoughts as he watched his braided friend walk
away from his previous instructions.
"Yes, doctor?"Quatre nodded his head in acknowledgement of his presence.
"The war is starting, shouldn't you get some rest? Starting tomorrow, you two are to go
to Colony L5.2 where your Gundams are waiting. From there, you will receive your instructions.
Do you understand?"Dr. H ordered.
"Yes, I do..."
"Good, I hope you relaid the same thing to 02."
"He knows and he'll be here tomorrow for the take-off."
The doctor nodded his head and began to turn away.
"What of the rescued prisoner? Did Selene tell you anything new?"Quatre wondered.
"She has. She told me the most likely place that the Tetra organization will go to next
for their new base is over at a distant abandoned satellite base circling Earth. Do you
know where that is?"Dr. H informed the blond haired, blue-eyed pilot.
"I do. I'll tell the others about it right now,"Quatre understood.
"I've told the doctors about it, they'll tell the pilots."
"Thank you."
"You just better be ready for tomorrow."
"I will."
As the doctor strolled off down the corridor, Selene emerged from a room adjacent from the
two figures.
"What will happen to me once all of you are gone?"Selene asked.
"You're free, you can do anything you wish to now..."Quatre stated.
"So my uses were just waved away and once you're done with me, I'll be batted away like
some pesky fly!"Selene bitterly noted.
"We're not saying that,"Quatre shook his head,"you're free, Selene. You're free..."
"Free to do what? I've lost my home, my will, and all possessions I once had. What else
is left of me?"
"....come with us, then. To the next colony. From there, wait for our return. I shall
give you a home to stay in. Will you wait?"Quatre offered.
"A home? Where?"Selene whispered out in disbelief.
"Anywhere, your choice."
After careful thought, she spoke out.
"On the moon, my previous birthplace...."Selene wistfully murmered to the blond haired pilot.
"I'll see what I can do. The moon isn't too popular a place for placing buildings in. But
I'll see if it would be possible to create homes there now."
"Arigatou, Quatre-san."
**************
As Duo hurried his way through the street and towards the motel, he could only sustain his
excitement much longer. After all these years, after everything they've been through...he was
finally going to meet her once again. Their promise, their vow fulfilled. This time, he
wryly chuckled at the thought, he would be conscious.
(Usa, I have no clue why you let me leave you...I should've been awake...damn bullet wound!
If only Usa, if only. It would've been some meeting though...)Duo smirked at the possibilites
and continued on.
Once the building came to sight, he raced up the steps leading to the second level and rapped
at the door. Minutes ticked by and he knocked again, agitation and a slight tinge of fear
entering his stystem.
(Could Tetra have captured her? What if she's hurt or worse?! No, she couldn't be. She
just couldn't.)Duo shook the negative feelings aside and began to pick at the doorknob.
Once open, Duo gazed around the room and saw no sign of struggle at all. As he walked
around the room he took in all the possessions apparent to his keen eyes. A brush was laid
down on a bureau with a diary and other materials. He grinned a bit at the diary and wondered
what his friend wrote in there.
Observing the place some more, he finally saw a small glimpse of some type of material in
the pocket of a shirt hanging in the closet and took it out. A picture of him and her together
as kids lying under the tree.
"I know she didn't forget me. Well I didn't forget about her either,"Duo convinced himself
and put it back where it came from.
(Hmm...the tree. I wonder if she's there...)Duo wondered as she went over to the window and
noticed the distant hill.
"That answers my question,"Duo shrugged and decided to head over there.
Locking the door in back of him, 02 started off for the aged orphanage ruins of the Maxwell
Church. Old memories returned to him as he passed by familiar routes and scenes and objects.
Such as the old rosebush and familiar yet aged appearances from people. Of course they forgot
about him by now, but he didn't. Passing along, he drew nearer but soon was stopped when a
form bumped into him sending him a step back. Before he could fall down, he found his footing
and balanced out.
"I'm sorry, I didn't see where I was going."a familiar voice apologized.
"That's okay."Duo didn't gaze at the person but towards the front and trying to peer over
the hill.
"Duo? What are you doing here?"
Duo spun around at the mention of his name and he finally noted whose voice is belonged to.
"Hilde,"Duo murmered at the familiar purple haired person. ((AN: I just felt like spelling
her name this way instead of Hirde. ~.~;;))
"Hey Duo, long time no see..."Hilde began walking alongside the braided pilot up the hill.
"Hey Hilde..."Duo was at a loss over the meeting of Hilde.
"You haven't called at all for the past few months. What happened?"Hilde inquired in a small
edged tone to her voice.
"Oh you know me! I'm sometimes going from place to place and other times doing small
missions with the guys..."Duo listed out.
Hilde held a suspicious glare towards the pilot but remained silent.
"What about you, Hilde? How's the junkyard doing?"
"Just the same as the last time, pretty well considering the spare parts of past mobile dolls
and loose wastes of shuttles who were blown apart are major finds."
"What are you doing in this part of the colony, Hilde?"
"What does it look like?"Hilde held out her grocery bag a few inches higher to emphasize
it to him and lowered it back to its original position.
"Didn't know you'd go all the way over here,"Duo grinned.
"How long have you been in town?"
"Just today for a mission,"Duo said and as they reached the top of the hill Duo swept a look
around the site and finally his eyes rested upon the old tree.
"Duo, what are you staring at?"Hilde inquired as she noticed him gazing at a small patch
of land with a tree.
"I'm just going to stay here for awhile, okay?"Duo murmered.
"....alright, Duo..."Hilde shrugged her shoulders and walked off, leaving the pilot to do
what he wanted.
Slowly, Duo neared the tree and noticed a hint of golden blond in the back of the tree he
was standing in front of. A grin crossed his features as he drew even nearer. Looking around,
he didn't see anything to surprise her with so he backtracked his way down the hill once more.
A few minutes later he returned and neared the form again with the surprise in hand.
**********
Opening her eyes, she noticed it got darker than it usually was. Sure it was night time in
the colony at the moment, but still....it was a bit darker than normal..meaning a shadow
crossed in front of her or near her. At the moment her crystalline blue orbs popped open,
a velvety petal fell onto her arm. Pink, lush...and soft.
Before she could pick up the petal, a rose faced her view. Following the fingertips that
held the rose to her, led her to the face of an old companion. Her eyes gazing at cobalt
blue and a grin on his facade.
"This time I found you,"he grinned.
"And in better terms, no doubt,"Usagi answered back taking the offered rose to her hands.
"I guess so,"chuckled Duo.
"Duo, I guess Quatre told you about earlier today. Didn't he?"Usagi lowered her gaze.
"Usa, it doesn't matter. We found each other, you did what you did for your own reasons.
But why did you, Usa? I've been looking for you..."a pang of hurt crossed his eyes momentarily
but vanished.
At the moment Usagi saw the hurtful appearance on her friend's eyes, she felt even worse
about her actions.
"I...don't know. After meeting my mother again and the thought of you not remembering...I
couldn't handle it anymore. I had to do something and that was all that I could think about.
My mother couldn't remember me or my father...she couldn't remember..."Usagi pulled her legs
together and rested her head upon her knees. Sadness washed over her and a tear began to fall
down her cheeks.
"Your mother?"Duo inquired.
"Hai, okaa-san...she was in the cell. Her name is..."
"Selene."the two murmered in unison.
"I see you met her,"Usagi nodded her head.
Duo sat down beside her and gazed over the horizon, dark with few patches of light from the
buildings around them.
"Beautiful colony, isn't it?"Duo commented in hopes of relieving her from the painful meeting
between mother and daughter.
"But there is no stars, just the small pebbles of light down below."
"True."
Lazily, Usagi rested her head toward Duo's shoulder and closed her eyes.
"You remember our promise years ago?"Usagi asked.
"It was right here but up on those branches."Duo nodded his head.
"It was right after church, you told me you didn't believe in God but in Shinigami. We
promised one another that we'd find one another again if we were ever to seperate,"Usagi
retold the line.
"And we've fulfilled that promise, haven't we?"Duo gazed down at her, her crystalline blue
eyes shining with happiness.
"Hai, we have..."
Gazing at one another, memories of shared moments re-occurred. Times of joy, times of pain,
and times of hope. Each moment they shared with one another were times worth to remember.
Now after their parting they met one another once more, here under their tree where all their
strength laid. Its determination to still live after everything occurred was a symbol of
their friendship. Flourishing, strong, and lasting. The rose petals loosened and some fell
to the ground being swept away but neither one noticed, each encaptured by the other's eyes.
Without even taking a moment to think, Duo began to lower his lips to capture Usagi's.
(Duo....)Usagi murmered within her mind as she tilted her head ever so lightly.
All thoughts of what the future had for them disappeared as this moment began to occur. No
sense of duty, missions, or what their moment of present would change the means of the future
passed their minds. Only now, right here...was all that mattered.
"Duo..."Usagi echoed out her thought as their lips were mere centimeters apart.

To be continued...
******************
O.O *bangs head down on the computer table* Dang, not exactly what I had planned..well
the tree meeting maybe but all the dialogue and whatnot were definately a mess. #_#
*hits head several times more* Bad, Cheska..bad..bad....bad....
*keeps on hitting herself and then goes unconscious*