A.N: First of all, I want to start by saying WOW! Holy crap guys, I can't
believe how many reviews I got! And I just wanted to say thanks to WikeD
tEnShI for reviewing to practically each one of my chapters, I'm glad you
liked them. And BunnyStar, thanks for being my 200'th reviewer! Laydee
Sakura and AbyssDemon, thanks for your sympathies (you have no idea just
how long that month seemed)! princess kidd, your review definitely made me
smile, I'm glad to see that you like my story so much. Everyone who
reviewed, I want to give you all a big huge thanks!!! It feels good to get
so much encouragement and it makes me happy to know that I seem to have at
least enough talent in writing to keep you all interested. This story is
soon coming to a close, and I just hope I don't disappoint anybody. Well,
on with the story.
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Cherry blossoms seemed to rain down from the trees as a slight breeze made its way through the park, sending ripples that spread like waves through the grass and causing the flowers to sway back and forth in a flurry of soft petals. Sunshine danced along the small paths, creating sparkles of light that shimmered in and out of existence through the tree leaves and glinted off of the water in the nearby lake. People speckled the hills and clear fields, shut out from the rest of the colony, amazed at how well the gardeners of the park had done in creating an exact replica of the simple piece of nature they now relaxed within that was so plentiful on Earth. It was something that was valued greatly on the colonies. A little piece of the home they had all originated from, and which they longed for in their hearts. Some more then others.
Laughter rang out through the park, carried through the air as if it were echoing off a wall, and brought smiles to the faces of anyone it reached, as if it were highly contagious. Soon enough, the source of the breathless giggles came hurdling into view, heading directly for the wooden bridge that spanned its way over the lake as if she were running for her life. Halfway there, the hunter emerged almost in the exact same way, closing in on his prey with an expert skill the would have left even the best runner to shame. The laughter came out in gasps of surprise as realization hit hard that if she didn't run faster she would be caught before she reached her destination, and the entire plan she had put together on a spur of the moment decision would fall to pieces. The sound of footsteps thudding heavily into the ground behind her caused her adrenaline to shoot up to an all new high, and the soon enough she lengthened the distance between them, skidding to a halt as she reached the centre of the bridge and spinning around swiftly to see how much time she had.
He had reached the end of the bridge, and was coming up fast.
Bracing her feet and leaning forward, she waited until he was within reaching distance and grabbed one of his outstretched hands in both her own, pulling him towards her and spinning on her heels once again, using his momentum to send him flying to the rail of the bridge. Before he could crash into it and earn a serious bruise or two, he planted both hands on the edge and flipped over the side, sending up a torrent of water in all directions. Just as she'd planned.
The young woman on the bridge doubled over in laughter, brushing away the small tears that formed at the corners of her shining eyes. Finally getting a hold of herself, she let a few more giggles escape and raised her face, revealing her bright smile and flushed cheeks. Cautiously walking to the railing, she placed both hands on the side and leaned down towards the lake, searching for a sign of the man, but all she saw was the reflection of her own grinning face. The water was completely still.
The grin didn't leave her face for one second, instantly catching on to the new game. He wanted her to get worried and jump in after him, thinking he had drowned or something. Her smile widened and she giggled, taking a step back, and bumping into something directly behind her. Something wet.
She gasped and immediately tried to make a run for it, but his arms were already around her, and in a matter of seconds, her clothing was soaked where they made contact. This time, it was the mans turn to laugh as he gently spun her around so she faced him, hugging her tightly to him and effectively soaking the rest of her clothes. She scowled up at him, but couldn't hide the merriment dancing in her eyes.
Her body was pulled completely against his, leaving only a few inches of space between their faces, and in that moment she felt nothing but loved and content, raising on her toes to close the distance between them and place her lips gently over his, which he immediately responded to by tightening his hold and deepening the kiss.
Eventually the two broke apart, just standing on the bridge in each others arms, before the girl sighed and lay her head against the man's chest, turning her face to watch the cherry blossoms dance along the breeze generated by the colonies weather system. "I love you, Mamo-chan." She whispered, closing her eyes and smiling warmly into his wet shirt.
"I love you too, Usako." He replied, his voice low and thick with emotion. "Forever and always."
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Mamoru awoke with a start, gasping as he shot up into a sitting position and desperately held back the cry of agony that wanted to tear out of his throat. His eyes closed and he fought to steady his breathing, running a shaking hand through his damp hair from habit. He longingly glanced to the side of the bed his Usako used to sleep on, wishing more then anything that she were there with him now to tell him it had all just been a nightmare. Tell him that she had never run away and that the entire thing had not been real.
His exhaustion had finally gotten the better of him, and against his better judgement he had decided to rest before proceeding with his plans to get Usagi back. The entire time he had been plagued by dreams of the two of them together, and every time he opened his eyes, he seemed to lose a little more of his sanity. He needed her. He needed her by his side, and it was tearing him up inside that she wasn't there.
Carelessly tossing his blankets off of him, he walked into the bathroom and turned on the shower, hoping he could relax a little. He spent a good fifteen minutes letting the water pound against him in the hope that all of his stress would just wash away, but it helped little, and by the time he stepped out of the shower and got dressed, his nerves were still frazzled. Sighing, Mamoru picked up a razor, and taking a few minutes to actually make the effort to make himself look half decent, got rid of the shadow of a beard that had begun to show on his face, looking like his old self once again when he was through.
After all, today he was leading his soldiers into Canq and reclaiming the love of his life. She belonged with him. Forever and always.
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The look on Usagi's face was priceless as she walked into the living room, only to be greeted by the sight of none other then Noin and Miliardo standing before her. Letting loose an excited shriek of surprise she threw herself into their arms happily, hugging each in turn. Noin couldn't help but laugh as Usagi jumped around excitedly, asking questions so fast all she could really catch was 'When did you get here?' and 'Why didn't you call first?'. She wasn't sure, but somewhere in there she thought she had heard an 'I missed you so much!' as well.
When Usagi had finally calmed down, Milliardo led her to the couch and sat her down, kneeling before her with a completely serious face, one that moments before had been all smiles. It immediately subdued Usagi enough for her to realize how tense and worried her friends were acting. Milliardo took a deep breath before speaking softly. "We haven't come just to visit, Usa. I'm afraid there is a very serious matter at hand."
Usagi smiled nervously. "You mean besides Mamoru trying to kidnap me again?" She had said it as an attempt to lighten the mood, but as soon as the words were out of her mouth, she realised that it wasn't funny at all. Deciding to shut up for the moment, she leaned back and waited patiently for someone to tell her what was going on.
Rei wouldn't even look at her and Haruka just simply stood there, glaring at Sally as if she were Mamoru himself. Trowa and Wufei were talking quietly between themselves off towards the kitchen, using hushed tones so that the others wouldn't hear, and Duo and Quatra sat on another couch across from her. By the looks on their faces she knew they weren't happy. Sally and Dorothy were both standing by the door, and when Usagi's gaze fell on the later, she immediately felt ashamed for snapping on her before. However, Dorothy simply nodded in her direction, letting her know silently that she understood. Relena sat with Noin, quietly filling the lutenant in on all that had happened since Usagi had come to Canq, and throwing the occasional not so subtle glance in Usagi's direction. Lastly, she glanced at Heero, blushing furiously when she saw that his eyes were on her as well. Looking away swiftly, she tried to focus her attention back on Milliardo, and with what he said next it wasn't too difficult.
"The preventors want you gone."
For a moment, she said nothing. Not believing she had heard right, Usagi shifted in her seat and frowned down at Milliardo, speaking softly. "Gone? Where do they want me to go?" Looking over to Sally, her eyes became slightly blurred and her voice wavered with fear. Not fear of what would happen now, but fear of rejection. Of being someone nobody thought worthy of protection. "What have I done wrong?"
Sally looked away from her and let her eyes rest on the floor instead, clasping her hands behind her back. "It's not you Usagi. Mamoru has killed many people in Canq trying to get a hold of you, and it was thought that with you out of Canq, we could save lives."
Usagi didn't even have time to speak before Heero had crossed the room and stood with his gun pointed between Sally's eyes, completely expressionless and obviously more then ready to kill her if she so much as blinked. "You would send an innocent to die? Even though your job is to protect people like her?" Sally said nothing. What could she say? Heero had spoken the truth, and she realized that there was nothing she could do to justify it.
Raising to her feet, Usagi rushed over to the two and threw her arms around Heero's shoulders, desperately clinging to him. "No! Please Heero, don't hurt Sally. Please." Her face was buried in the crook of his neck, and he could feel the tears starting to escape her eyes. The silence in the room seemed to be deafening, as all eyes were locked on the two, most expressions shocked and confused. Frowning, Heero hesitated before finally putting his gun away and wrapping his arms around Usagi's waist in a comforting gesture.
As much as he disliked Sally at the moment, he could deny Usagi nothing. She was his world, his angel. and he would do anything for her if she asked. He loved her.
Relena slowly got to her feet, staring at the two as if they'd grown another head. Her throat tightened and she struggled to speak, finally finding her voice. "What's going on?" In her mind, she repeatedly told herself it wasn't what she thought it was. It couldn't be. She didn't know what upset her more, the fact that Heero fell in love with someone other then her, or the fact that it didn't hurt as much as she had thought it would. Not that it didn't hurt.
Before either could answer her, the door to the room was blown open and a dozen men in black rushed inside, lead by none other then Mamoru. His gaze swept across each person there before it froze on Heero and Usagi, who still held each other, and the look on his face was enough to make a shudder pass down even Wufei's spine.
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A.N: So? Tell me what you guys think! Review, Review, Review!
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Cherry blossoms seemed to rain down from the trees as a slight breeze made its way through the park, sending ripples that spread like waves through the grass and causing the flowers to sway back and forth in a flurry of soft petals. Sunshine danced along the small paths, creating sparkles of light that shimmered in and out of existence through the tree leaves and glinted off of the water in the nearby lake. People speckled the hills and clear fields, shut out from the rest of the colony, amazed at how well the gardeners of the park had done in creating an exact replica of the simple piece of nature they now relaxed within that was so plentiful on Earth. It was something that was valued greatly on the colonies. A little piece of the home they had all originated from, and which they longed for in their hearts. Some more then others.
Laughter rang out through the park, carried through the air as if it were echoing off a wall, and brought smiles to the faces of anyone it reached, as if it were highly contagious. Soon enough, the source of the breathless giggles came hurdling into view, heading directly for the wooden bridge that spanned its way over the lake as if she were running for her life. Halfway there, the hunter emerged almost in the exact same way, closing in on his prey with an expert skill the would have left even the best runner to shame. The laughter came out in gasps of surprise as realization hit hard that if she didn't run faster she would be caught before she reached her destination, and the entire plan she had put together on a spur of the moment decision would fall to pieces. The sound of footsteps thudding heavily into the ground behind her caused her adrenaline to shoot up to an all new high, and the soon enough she lengthened the distance between them, skidding to a halt as she reached the centre of the bridge and spinning around swiftly to see how much time she had.
He had reached the end of the bridge, and was coming up fast.
Bracing her feet and leaning forward, she waited until he was within reaching distance and grabbed one of his outstretched hands in both her own, pulling him towards her and spinning on her heels once again, using his momentum to send him flying to the rail of the bridge. Before he could crash into it and earn a serious bruise or two, he planted both hands on the edge and flipped over the side, sending up a torrent of water in all directions. Just as she'd planned.
The young woman on the bridge doubled over in laughter, brushing away the small tears that formed at the corners of her shining eyes. Finally getting a hold of herself, she let a few more giggles escape and raised her face, revealing her bright smile and flushed cheeks. Cautiously walking to the railing, she placed both hands on the side and leaned down towards the lake, searching for a sign of the man, but all she saw was the reflection of her own grinning face. The water was completely still.
The grin didn't leave her face for one second, instantly catching on to the new game. He wanted her to get worried and jump in after him, thinking he had drowned or something. Her smile widened and she giggled, taking a step back, and bumping into something directly behind her. Something wet.
She gasped and immediately tried to make a run for it, but his arms were already around her, and in a matter of seconds, her clothing was soaked where they made contact. This time, it was the mans turn to laugh as he gently spun her around so she faced him, hugging her tightly to him and effectively soaking the rest of her clothes. She scowled up at him, but couldn't hide the merriment dancing in her eyes.
Her body was pulled completely against his, leaving only a few inches of space between their faces, and in that moment she felt nothing but loved and content, raising on her toes to close the distance between them and place her lips gently over his, which he immediately responded to by tightening his hold and deepening the kiss.
Eventually the two broke apart, just standing on the bridge in each others arms, before the girl sighed and lay her head against the man's chest, turning her face to watch the cherry blossoms dance along the breeze generated by the colonies weather system. "I love you, Mamo-chan." She whispered, closing her eyes and smiling warmly into his wet shirt.
"I love you too, Usako." He replied, his voice low and thick with emotion. "Forever and always."
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Mamoru awoke with a start, gasping as he shot up into a sitting position and desperately held back the cry of agony that wanted to tear out of his throat. His eyes closed and he fought to steady his breathing, running a shaking hand through his damp hair from habit. He longingly glanced to the side of the bed his Usako used to sleep on, wishing more then anything that she were there with him now to tell him it had all just been a nightmare. Tell him that she had never run away and that the entire thing had not been real.
His exhaustion had finally gotten the better of him, and against his better judgement he had decided to rest before proceeding with his plans to get Usagi back. The entire time he had been plagued by dreams of the two of them together, and every time he opened his eyes, he seemed to lose a little more of his sanity. He needed her. He needed her by his side, and it was tearing him up inside that she wasn't there.
Carelessly tossing his blankets off of him, he walked into the bathroom and turned on the shower, hoping he could relax a little. He spent a good fifteen minutes letting the water pound against him in the hope that all of his stress would just wash away, but it helped little, and by the time he stepped out of the shower and got dressed, his nerves were still frazzled. Sighing, Mamoru picked up a razor, and taking a few minutes to actually make the effort to make himself look half decent, got rid of the shadow of a beard that had begun to show on his face, looking like his old self once again when he was through.
After all, today he was leading his soldiers into Canq and reclaiming the love of his life. She belonged with him. Forever and always.
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The look on Usagi's face was priceless as she walked into the living room, only to be greeted by the sight of none other then Noin and Miliardo standing before her. Letting loose an excited shriek of surprise she threw herself into their arms happily, hugging each in turn. Noin couldn't help but laugh as Usagi jumped around excitedly, asking questions so fast all she could really catch was 'When did you get here?' and 'Why didn't you call first?'. She wasn't sure, but somewhere in there she thought she had heard an 'I missed you so much!' as well.
When Usagi had finally calmed down, Milliardo led her to the couch and sat her down, kneeling before her with a completely serious face, one that moments before had been all smiles. It immediately subdued Usagi enough for her to realize how tense and worried her friends were acting. Milliardo took a deep breath before speaking softly. "We haven't come just to visit, Usa. I'm afraid there is a very serious matter at hand."
Usagi smiled nervously. "You mean besides Mamoru trying to kidnap me again?" She had said it as an attempt to lighten the mood, but as soon as the words were out of her mouth, she realised that it wasn't funny at all. Deciding to shut up for the moment, she leaned back and waited patiently for someone to tell her what was going on.
Rei wouldn't even look at her and Haruka just simply stood there, glaring at Sally as if she were Mamoru himself. Trowa and Wufei were talking quietly between themselves off towards the kitchen, using hushed tones so that the others wouldn't hear, and Duo and Quatra sat on another couch across from her. By the looks on their faces she knew they weren't happy. Sally and Dorothy were both standing by the door, and when Usagi's gaze fell on the later, she immediately felt ashamed for snapping on her before. However, Dorothy simply nodded in her direction, letting her know silently that she understood. Relena sat with Noin, quietly filling the lutenant in on all that had happened since Usagi had come to Canq, and throwing the occasional not so subtle glance in Usagi's direction. Lastly, she glanced at Heero, blushing furiously when she saw that his eyes were on her as well. Looking away swiftly, she tried to focus her attention back on Milliardo, and with what he said next it wasn't too difficult.
"The preventors want you gone."
For a moment, she said nothing. Not believing she had heard right, Usagi shifted in her seat and frowned down at Milliardo, speaking softly. "Gone? Where do they want me to go?" Looking over to Sally, her eyes became slightly blurred and her voice wavered with fear. Not fear of what would happen now, but fear of rejection. Of being someone nobody thought worthy of protection. "What have I done wrong?"
Sally looked away from her and let her eyes rest on the floor instead, clasping her hands behind her back. "It's not you Usagi. Mamoru has killed many people in Canq trying to get a hold of you, and it was thought that with you out of Canq, we could save lives."
Usagi didn't even have time to speak before Heero had crossed the room and stood with his gun pointed between Sally's eyes, completely expressionless and obviously more then ready to kill her if she so much as blinked. "You would send an innocent to die? Even though your job is to protect people like her?" Sally said nothing. What could she say? Heero had spoken the truth, and she realized that there was nothing she could do to justify it.
Raising to her feet, Usagi rushed over to the two and threw her arms around Heero's shoulders, desperately clinging to him. "No! Please Heero, don't hurt Sally. Please." Her face was buried in the crook of his neck, and he could feel the tears starting to escape her eyes. The silence in the room seemed to be deafening, as all eyes were locked on the two, most expressions shocked and confused. Frowning, Heero hesitated before finally putting his gun away and wrapping his arms around Usagi's waist in a comforting gesture.
As much as he disliked Sally at the moment, he could deny Usagi nothing. She was his world, his angel. and he would do anything for her if she asked. He loved her.
Relena slowly got to her feet, staring at the two as if they'd grown another head. Her throat tightened and she struggled to speak, finally finding her voice. "What's going on?" In her mind, she repeatedly told herself it wasn't what she thought it was. It couldn't be. She didn't know what upset her more, the fact that Heero fell in love with someone other then her, or the fact that it didn't hurt as much as she had thought it would. Not that it didn't hurt.
Before either could answer her, the door to the room was blown open and a dozen men in black rushed inside, lead by none other then Mamoru. His gaze swept across each person there before it froze on Heero and Usagi, who still held each other, and the look on his face was enough to make a shudder pass down even Wufei's spine.
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A.N: So? Tell me what you guys think! Review, Review, Review!