KOBAN WA! MINNA! New story for all of you, don't worry, I don't think it should take me away from my other ones. Besides I'm almost done! So how are all of you doing this lovely December? Well, here you go. A little Christmas Seiya and Usagi. If you don't celebrate Christmas, I'm sorry. I'm Catholic and take a lot of pride in Christmas. If it means a lot to you that I do another Seiya and Usagi holiday story, I can. Just contact me and you and I can work it all out! ^^ So you have fun now and remember that I don't own Sailor Moon!
Seiya stared out the window of Kinmokusei's castle. There were no seasons here, like there were on earth. There was one season and it always stayed roughly the same temperature, some type of Utopian weather. He'd often heard Usagi talk about winter and autumn. Seiya wanted to see what it would be like there.
Yes, It had been about 18 months since Seiya had left Earth. When he had gotten back to Kinmokusei he asked if he could remain Male permanently. The council asked him why and he told them it reminded him of Earth and of a loved one he left there. Of course it took months for them to pass it but it was done. Seiya would remain male for all eternity. Maker had been angry and Healer had been even worse, but eventually they accepted it.
Seiya still had a few powers here and there, he had collected them after massive training. True, he couldn't transform but at least he had some power. He sighed.
Suddenly he heard the sound of nearly silent footsteps and whipped around. Healer stood there, tense as if she was afraid Seiya was going to attack her.
"Hello, Healer," he said quietly. Seiya had been awfully distant since he was granted permission to remain male. Healer sighed, knowing already that she couldn't win the argument.
"Fighter- I mean, Seiya. What is wrong?" She asked. Seiya looked up into her serene eyes. Healer had changed so much since they had returned from Earth, she was quieter, more polite, and even… more caring. It had been quite a change from her self before. She blinked, seemingly understanding this silence. "You miss it don't you?" She sat next to Seiya, "Miss being a Sailor Senshi?" She sat next to him and glanced out at the sky before Seiya spoke to her.
Seiya smiled weakly and nodded, "Hai, but only a little. I really miss… Well, I miss her, Healer." He sighed and looked out at the night sky. Healer nodded then smiled gently, understanding slightly his pains. She, too, was missing things from Earth as well, although her pains were not as strong as Seiya's.
"I can see why, Seiya. She held such warmth… such… light," Healer whispered, memories floating back into her mind. Seiya smiled, even Healer was missing her.
"I've been thinking…" Seiya began, as Healer looked up at him, "I've been thinking about asking the council to let me return to Earth."
Healer's eyes went wide and all went very quiet in the room. He couldn't be serious! He just COULDN'T! But with one look into his eyes, and Healer knew it was true. She KNEW Seiya would do anything to get back to Earth.
"Seiya… You'd… you'd be leaving home," Healer said. A tear worked down Seiya's cheek as he spoke.
"Sometimes I don't know where my home is anymore…"
Seiya, You can't leave us," Healer whispered, "It wouldn't be the same."
"Then what am I supposed to do!?" Seiya yelled suddenly, "Sit around here all day and pretend that I don't miss it!? Miss her!? Sit here and do NOTHING like I've been doing as of late!? I can't protect the princess anymore, Healer. You know it. I know it. She knows it."
Tears sprang to both their eyes and they turned away from each other, silently. Healer knew he was right. Lately Seiya had been spending time staring at the wall, or the ceiling, or the sky… thinking of things he could have done differently. How things would have ended up differently. Things he could never change.
Healer looked up and jade met indigo. "I'll talk to the council," She whispered. Seiya nodded and looked down then up into her eyes again.
"Thank you, Healer."
"Anything for you, Seiya," Healer whispered, then sadly exited the room. A sudden feeling of loneliness washed over the two simultaneously.
**Earth**
Usagi hummed happily as she cleaned the kitchen after breakfast. She was dressed in her favorite pink turtleneck sweater and a pair of blue jeans.
A long time had passed since the defeat of Galaxia. Well over a year and a half. She had matured now, well beyond her years and had done something she NEVER in a million years thought she would do: Cut her hair. It was no longer was a troublesome pool on the floor, but hung perfectly strait down her back until it reached her hips.
Usagi was now a junior in high school and things were much different then what was expected of her. She always did her homework without complaining (However, some times she didn't do it at all…), she wasn't the bottomless pit she used to be, and was in great physical condition. All in all Usagi had changed very much.
"Usagi!" Her brother said walking into the kitchen, "It's to early for Christmas carols!" He said. Usagi scowled for a moment… SOME things didn't change.
"Oh, you old scrooge! Christmas is in four weeks and three days! I think I have the right to sing carols," She said as she put the broom away.
"But there isn't even any snow on the ground," Shingo replied, laughing.
"So? There are lots of places that don't have snow and they still sing Christmas carols," Usagi said teasingly.
"Like where?" Shingo crossed his arms over his chest.
"Australia," Usagi said calmly, grinning down at him. Shingo scowled for a moment then went on with life and walked away.
Usagi loved Christmas and no one was going to spoil Christmas for her this year! Usagi was thinking about all the time her and Mamoru would be able to spend together.
{Flashback}
"Mamo-chan?" Usagi looked up at him. He simply grunted in response.
"Aishiteru, Mamo-chan," Usagi said curling up next to him.
Usagi felt Mamoru shift uncomfortably then look down on her with eyes that showed no emotion at all. Usagi slowly pulled away from Mamoru and blushed. Suddenly she felt childishly about her actions and words.
{End}
That had been a week ago. Usagi was feeling very distant from him. After Mamoru had returned there seem to be little interest in her from Mamoru. He just simply trotted on with life. Occasionally he called her. And every so often he would say he loved her but… it wasn't the same. It wasn't the passion that Usagi had felt before. He seemed as distant and cold as the snow that was threatening to fall.
And… And Usagi found herself missing the Starlights' company. After her and Yaten got things straitened out between them there were often friendly talks and good times. She missed Taiki and his occasional out-of-place out burst of zaniness. But most of all… most of all she missed Seiya. She missed Seiya and his warmth and compassion… his friendship… his voice. She'd basically burned a hole in her Three Lights CD.
She remembered him telling her that he didn't know what Christmas was. Usagi had explained it to him and Seiya said that he wished someday he could spend a Christmas with Usagi. Usagi had then blushed and quickly changed the subject. That seemed so long ago… and it was… Usagi calculated the time in her head. Eighteen months. It had been eighteen months since she last saw Seiya. What a long time to go without such an important friend.
"Aishiteru, Mamoru-chan!" Usagi said to herself. She said that everyday. It seemed to be some type of ritual for her, and yet… was there something in her changing that? Did she love Mamoru as much as she had once thought? Did she even love Mamoru at all? Her heart seemed to yearn for someone else.
"NO! I love Mamo-chan!" She said defiantly, grabbing her jacket and heading outside to finish her Christmas shopping.
Kinmokusei…
Three and a half weeks had passed since Healer had talked to the council, and now Seiya was leaving. On one hand he was so sad that he would never be back here, and on the other had he thought he couldn't have been happier at Earth.
Seiya slowly began walking to the main hall where he was to depart. Healer and Maker were buried in work and no matter how hard they tried they could come to say good-bye to Seiya. He was missing them deeply already. What would his life be like without them? They had known each other since they were little and began the training as a Senshi, they were his family…
Seiya felt hot tears enter his eyes. Blinking them back he walked on. He was a man of Earth now and nothing could change that. He silently walked into the main chamber and gasped a the sight he saw there:
Princess Kakyuu was standing there with Yaten and Taiki talking to her. Seiya stood in pure awe as he listened to the words being spoken.
"… Are you sure you want to leave, Healer, Maker?" The beautiful red-haired princess asked. They nodded in unison.
"Hai, Princess. The three of us are like a group of soldiers from an old Earth Novel: The three musketeers," Taiki said, smiling sympathetically.
"One for all-" Yaten began.
"And all for one," Seiya said, cutting in and making himself noticed. Yaten and Taiki looked over at him and smiled.
"But you guys shouldn't come, this is your home," Seiya said. Taiki and Yaten smiled and shook their heads.
"No, Seiya we're a family. A place isn't our home, we are home no matter where we go," Yaten said, surprising Seiya with his sudden need for love. "Besides," he went on, "I'm actually missing earth, amazingly enough."
"Yeah, and now we get to sing again," Taiki said happily, He had actually been missing all the concerts and music… his passion for music was still there, even if it wasn't to contact the princess anymore. Seiya and Yaten smiled, they felt the same way.
Kakyuu understood their need for Earth, they had grown and matured since they'd gone there, and she no longer wanted them to stay if it wasn't their wish.
"Just come visit," She said, whipping a tear away, and hugging each of them, "I'll miss you all." She kissed them all on the cheek before they departed for earth, and for a new life and home.
A few hours later:
"I hate you, Seiya," Yaten said as they walked down the gate. Seiya chuckled.
"I hate you too, Yaten," He said, jokingly. Yaten was bundled up from the cold weather. Seiya personally thought the weather was kind of refreshing, something new, he speculated.
"Uh-oh," Taiki said, "I forgot one thing…"
"What was that?" Yaten asked as the three of them walked out of the gate.
"YYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH WEEEEEEE LOOOOOVE YOOOOOOOUUUU!" Came the common response.
"That!" He yelled.
"Let's make a run for it!" Seiya said. He ran in the opposite direction of the oncoming crowd. The three quickly made a place and time to rendezvous and then dashed in separate directions. Seiya was running at top speed, when he suddenly tripped over something. He rolled a few times before halting, then was dragged into a small nook in the walls. His sight returned in a few seconds and he looked angrily up into a pair of laughing blue eyes.
"Oh don't give me that look," A familiar voice said, "Your head is hard enough that you wouldn't have hurt anything in there." He knew that voice… HE KNEW IT!
"Us- Usagi?" he asked. Usagi smiled happily.
"Konnichiwa, Seiya-chan!" She sat next to him on the floor.
"What happened?" Seiya asked rubbing his head.
"I tripped you," She chuckled.
"You what!?"
"You didn't notice me before hand, so I tripped you." She said as if it were common knowledge.
"That was mean."
"I know, but I did not intend on waiting hours before I was able to see you." She said chuckling. Seiya blushed. "So care to tell me why your back?" She asked, "You got your princess."
'No… you're my princess Usagi…' Seiya thought, but he said, "I missed Earth. The Princess let us come back."
"Really?" Usagi was excited. "For how long."
"As long as we want," Seiya said, sitting up. He stared at her and his mouth dropped. "You cut your hair…"
Usagi blushed, "Yeah… Do I look horribly ugly now?" She asked.
"You're beautiful, Usagi," Seiya said, reaching out and cupping her cheek. He felt Usagi blush a deep, deep red.
"Arigato, Seiya-chan."
"You're welcome!" Seiya said. He listened carefully for any strange sounds of bizarre, possessed fans and heard nothing. "Looks like the coast is clear, Let's go!" he said getting up and offering his hand to Usagi. She smiled at took it.
"So, Odango, what brings you to the airport…?" He asked with a devilish look in his eyes. Usagi blushed.
"It's not just you!" She called out, "My parents are going to Hong Kong to visit some family and Shingo and I had to stay behind. So I'm in charge."
"Oh…"
"Well, then when I heard my family was leaving the same time your flight was coming in…" Usagi trailed off. Seiya laughed.
"Couldn't resist me could you?" He winked. Usagi blushed a red that matched her sweater. Seiya looked around at the airport. "Usagi…?" He asked.
"What is it, Seiya?"
"What are all these decorations for?" He noted the pine trees and the occasional string of lights and some bows here and there.
"NANI!?" Usagi shrieked, "Haven't you…. Oh of course not. I don't suppose you have Christmas on Kinmokusei, do you?"
"Christmas… you told me about it once, right?" He said. Usagi blushed then nodded.
"Hai. These are some decorations to help you get in the Christmas spirit!" She called happily. Seiya blinked for a second then smiled.
"Will I get to spend Christmas with you?" he asked, eyes hopeful. Usagi blushed.
"Seiya, you get to spend Christmas with me!" She smiled. Seiya smiled happily down at her. Usagi took his arm and the two walked off through the airport, carefully avoiding any insane Three Lights fans.
Ami waited in her car for Usagi. Ami had bought a hunker-junker (Actually the car wasn't TOO bad) to help with toting herself all over the city. She decided to help Usagi to the airport when… hey wasn't that Taiki!
Ami jumped out of her car and waved to Taiki. "Taiki-kun!" Taiki looked up at her and his eyes went wide. He ran to her.
"Ami-chan!" he said happily, giving her a friendly hug.
"Taiki-kun, it's been so long! How've you been?"
"Good. Right now I'm dodging fans."
"I'm waiting for Usagi. She came to See Seiya."
"And here she is!" Usagi called from behind Taiki with Seiya at her side.
"Look now it's the five of us!" Yaten said, coming out of seemingly nowhere. "Now unless there's something else important we need to do here…"
"Luggage?" Usagi offered.
"Sent to out apartment," Taiki replied.
"Visas?" Ami asked.
"Hell, we got 'em! We got 'em!" Seiya said, he wanted to leave before something bad happened… or something weird.
"Now lets go before we run into any more insane fans!" Yaten said. Ami shrugged and shoved all of the three lights into the back seat where as Usagi took the front passenger. Ami hopped into her car.
"So how's ol' Hunker today?" Usagi asked the dashboard. All of the three lights sweat dropped.
"Hunker's doing great! I just filled up his gas tank before I came here!" Ami said, giggling. Usagi giggled with her at the three men in the back stared at them with blank expressions.
"Psycho…" Seiya said.
"Right on," Yaten agreed.
"Not commenting," Taiki said.
"No that's what we call Ami's car, Hunker!" Usagi said smiling. Taiki raised an eyebrow then looked at Usagi.
"You cut your hair… and lost the odangos?" He asked. Usagi blushed.
"Why does everyone find it a big deal I cut my hair!" She cried. Ami smiled over at her and laughed.
"Because, Usa-chan, you are so vain about your hair… well were anyway," She said. Usagi crossed her arms over her chest.
"Hmmm, I guess that means I can't call you Odango any more then, Ne?" Seiya asked, laughing. Usagi's eyes brightened.
"Really!?" She asked, hopefully.
"Naw, you'll always be an odango to me, with or without them in your hair!" Seiya chided, laughing. Usagi pouted.
"Oh! You're so MEAN, Seiya-kun!" She whined a little.
"Awe, now come on, Usa-chan. I'm only mean to you!" He teased. Usagi turned around and stuck her tongue out at him. Ami laughed.
"Usagi, be polite to our guests!"
"Yeah!" Seiya said, grinning at her.
"Oh, Hush up!" Usagi pouted some more.
The ride to their apartment was filled with conversation and catching up on old times. Usagi felt her heart leap for joy every time she heard Seiya's voice. 'He's back,' she thought to herself, 'He's really back.'
"So tell me why Minako didn't accompany you on your trek to the airport," Yaten asked casually. He really wondered what Minako was up to… and weather or not she had a boyfriend. But he was nowhere ready to ask anyone in that car that.
"Oh, She's out of town for a day or two. She really wanted to come, but she couldn't. She's actually a movie star now, everyone loves her to death!" Ami said, smiling. Usagi laughed.
"And to think a year and a half ago she was as ditzy as me!"
"Oh you're still ditzy," Seiya said. Usagi turned around and raised an eyebrow at him. He could still be a dork some times.
"And you're still mean," She said laughing.
"So, anyway, Minako-chan will be back tomorrow afternoon," Ami continued with the conversation at hand.
"Oh, that's good."
"Do you miss her, Yaten-kun…" Usagi asked slyly. Yaten blushed.
"NO! I was just wondering why she didn't come along! I mean I thought she would be camping outside our gate, okay!" He snipped. Usagi held in a giggle.
"Okay, Okay, I get it," Usagi said, smiling.
"Here you guys go," Ami said, pulling into their parking lot. Seiya looked around… it felt good to be back. He stepped out into the chilly weather. Yaten shivered and complained for a moment. Taiki smiled happily. It felt good to be back again.
"Thanks so much for the ride," He said, smiling at Ami. She blushed.
"It was my pleasure," She said, smiling.
"Odango," Seiya looked down on her and smiled. There was something different about her… he didn't know what it was, but it gave him the most chilling shivers up his spine. Usagi smiled up at him.
"Have a great time here!" She said.
"Odango, do you think we could do something together?" He asked. Usagi blinked in surprise, then smiled.
"Of course! In fact I've still got a little shopping to be done, so how about we make a date of it?" She asked him. Seiya smiled, happy to spend any time with her.
"That'll be great. I'll call you later and we'll set a time," He said. Then he bent down and hugged her good-bye. Usagi reveled at how good it felt to be in his arms, like she had always meant to be there. She didn't want him to let her go.
"Come on, Usagi-chan," Ami said, pulling Usagi back into reality. She let go of Seiya and blushed a little. Seiya smiled at her again. (AN: Lots of Smiles going on here. WE LOVE TO SEE YOU SMILE! Just put on a happy face! Okay I'm done now! On with the story!)
"Ja ne, you three!" The two said getting into Hunker. Usagi waved to them as they pulled out. Ami turned to Usagi as they pulled on the freeway.
"You were hugging him for an awfully long time, Usagi-chan," Ami mused.
"I- I- Was?" Usagi stammered.
"Hai." Ami said. Usagi blushed a deep red.
"Gomen… I didn't notice."
Ami laughed, "Ooo, is Usagi-chan attracted to Seiya-kun?" She teased. Usagi blushed even more and turned away.
"A-Ami-chan, that's not funny," She said burning up.
"Oh, Usagi, just calm down, I know you're in love with Mamoru!"
"But the question is… is he in love with me?" Usagi whispered under her breath. Ami had to resist the urge to slam on her breaks.
"NANI!?" She yelped, "Explain, Usagi-chan!"
Usagi blushed, "I didn't want to bring it up because I thought it was just a phase but… Mamoru isn't the same any more, Ami-chan. He doesn't tell me he loves me, he never calls any more, he doesn't talk too much and when he does it's always disconnected… I don't know what to think any more, Ami-chan. Does he still love me?" Usagi blushed a deep red again. "Gomen. I don't want to burden you with my problems."
"No, Usagi-chan, this is important. If you're not in love with hi-"
"I'm still in love with him… I think… I hope… I don't know any more, Ami-chan. I wish I could find out if he really does still love me…" Usagi sighed audibly.
"Usagi-chan…" Ami looked at her with worried eyes, "Ask him how he feels about you, and then maybe you can decide. The future isn't set in stone, you know."
"I know… but Chibi-Usa and the King and Queen…" Usagi trailed.
"Usagi, sometimes you have to make your own destiny," Ami said smiling sympathetically.
"H-Hai. I know…"
"Just ask him, Usagi-chan. It'll be okay, don't worry."
"Okay, I will… I'll call him up tonight."
"Good," Ami said, "Now for some music!" She put in her tape of Christmas carols and they sang all the way to Usagi's house.
Seiya walked into the furnished apartment. It was the one they had when they had first come to Earth. Seiya took a deep breath and sampled the sweet, cold tang in the air. Yaten was complaining about the weather yet again.
"I like it… it's something different," Seiya said as he went to the window. Yaten grumbled yet some more. The sky was covered with light gray clouds and various houses along the street were covered with all the decorations.
Seiya wandered through the rooms, vacant of the character and life it had once held. Memories were coming back to him like a cold flood drowning his mortal body. He sat on the bed that had been his only eighteen months ago, he could hear Taiki and Yaten talking in the kitchen, it was most likely about himself. He didn't care… he was back at earth, back where his other life was… where his friends were… where she was.
"Seiya?" Taiki asked, leaning against the doorframe. Seiya looked up into his cobalt eyes. His own indigo eyes were seemingly duller to Taiki.
"Hai?" Seiya asked.
"Luggage is here? Wanna unpack?" Taiki asked.
Seiya thought for a moment before he nodded. "Sure." He got up from his bed and walked out into the living room. The boxes and bags were stacked in orderly columns. Yaten had taken one box to the kitchen and began to unpack the dishes.
"It's hard to believe we're actually back," Taiki said as he took a picture from a box and hung it on the empty wall above the couch. Seiya looked over his shoulder at him. He was right, he thought as he went rummaging through a box, he never thought he'd come back here. Let alone with the three of them… but no matter what, it felt good to be back. Period.
"You're right," Seiya said, looking up.
"Are you glad you're back?" Yaten asked him, walking out from the kitchen.
"Me? I don't know… I mean it feels good to be back and it will take some adjusting too… but yeah, I am kind of glad I'm back."
"You're glad to see her, aren't you?"
Seiya blushed a bright pink. "H- Hai… I am… I mean a little…" He blushed some more. The truth was that he missed her even more now… now that he was closer to her and knew he couldn't take the beauty into his arms and hold her tightly like he always wanted to do.
Yaten and Taiki smiled at him a little before the three went back to work. It wasn't long before Seiya stopped working and went to the icy glass panels of the balcony.
The sky was dark with clouds, and in the west the sky was a pale, fading yellow. Night was falling fast and Seiya felt as though the city would fade away if he didn't see it again before the night descended upon him. He grabbed his coat and headed for the door.
"I'm heading out, you guys," he called.
"Where too?" Taiki asked.
"Just out," Seiya shrugged as he slipped out the door calling, "I'll be back in a few hours. Ja ne!"
Taiki and Yaten exchanged glances. Then went back to work.