Title: Rekindled Passions
Chapter Five
Author: KissThis
Disclaimer: Once again, I don't own anything...except the plot, of course.
Summary: AU. Even after Usagi left her two years ago Haruka is still passionately in love with her. Will their relationship be rekindled when Usagi returns to Tokyo as a famous model?
A/N: Woah! It's been like TEN days! Scary...But it wasn't entirely my fault - seeing as how I was forced to get my chapter of a co-write I'm doing out ASAP! Anyway, who's complaining! I've done it - I wrote - Here it is...
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Usagi knew it was coming, but when the tsunami of icy water slammed into her the frigid waves made her gasp despite herself. That simple reflex might have been her death. The clear waters filled her mouth and flooded her nostrils, threatening to suffocate her, as she was tipped end-over-end and pulled forward by the current. She couldn't seem to pull herself upwards because she no longer knew which way was up. The water trickled down her throat and into her lungs and stomach.
White spots began to form behind her eyelids and she squeezed them shut in order to block them out. Her limbs felt heavy as the oxygen left her body and shadow crept across her line of vision. The waves rolled beneath her pushing forward until her head, mercifully, broke the surface.
Spluttering and coughing violently as she forced the water from her lungs she kicked her frozen legs as fast as she could muster in order to keep her head above water.
Another cresting wave sent her body crashing into something hard. It was a building. Her hands struggled to hold on, but her frantic fingers found only the cool glass of the display window. Usagi opened her eyes wide beneath the water as her frozen body was dragged along the wall of buildings. The water pushed her up long enough for her to get a breath of air and then she was swallowed in blue.
It was pure luck that her body managed to hit the light pole outside of the arcade. Instinctively, she wrapped her arms about the circular metal, but the violent current made it impossible to do anything with her legs other than let them be pulled out behind her. Vibrations shook the water around her and thudded faint and dull in her ears. Ever so slowly, Usagi managed to turn her head to face the window.
Setsuna was banging violently against the window - threatening to break through the glass. Vaguely she saw Haruka's own desperate form overlap Setsuna's, but then she blinked and the vision disappeared. Visible behind her was Minako trying, in vain, to restrain her rampant lover. If Usagi was scared before, it was nothing compared to the feeling that was rising inside her now as she watched Setsuna, breakdown and cry. For as long as Usagi had known the woman, she had never seen anything faze her calm and placid mask. And it frightened her. Mamoru was yelling, but at who or what for she had no idea because the blue haze of water kept her from seeing everything in front of her.
Oh, how her ribs ached. She could already feel the bruises from the brutality exhibited by the dam waters. The waves rolled again and Usagi greedily gulped in air - never loosening her grip on the pole even as her fingers screamed in exhausted protest. Lightening flashed illuminating her sodden head peeking over the waves...not that there was anyone to see it. It was getting closer and a thought popped into Usagi's head that she hadn't allowed herself to think before:
What if it hits the water?
Even if her life was a bit torn at the moment she didn't feel like being turned into a "crispy critter". Wrapping one arm tighter around the pole she stretched her arm out against the flow and wrapped on the window. I Setsuna stopped banging, but continued to cry. Usagi's lungs burned as they ran out of oxygen and her arm ached as she slowly moved it against the water. She pointed to Setsuna, and then her eyes, before laying her palm over her heart; praying that her friend understood.
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Setsuna had never felt as scared and powerless as she did now. The tears that ran down her mocha cheeks weren't new, simply a forgotten reaction. The almost-foreign wetness trickled down the curves of her cheeks and fell onto the ceramic tabletop of the booth. She watched the woman that had become like a younger sister struggle violently to hold onto the light pole. And when Usagi hit the window she forced her tears to slow in order to see clearly.
Watch over my love...she mimed. Setsuna choked back another strangled cry, but she couldn't stop the shouted words that spilled from her mouth, "NO DAMNIT!" She shrieked, launching herself at the window, "Don't you DARE give up, damnit!" Then she was back to banging at the glass; her face contorted in anger. "I MEAN IT USAGI - hold on to the DAMN POLE! Don't you fucking leave me!"
Usagi stared resignedly back at her - even now Setsuna could see her fingers slipping off the metal. The tears started up again - damn them. The rest of the group could only watch in apprehension as Setsuna's anger and hysteria turned to despair. "Haruka needs you..." She whispered, "I need you."
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Usagi's eyes burned from the water and her body slowed down. The cold had seeped in her very core and she vaguely understood that her body was shutting down - hypothermia. Her legs were already numb and the only reason they were moving at all was because of the current - which even now was slowing down. She forced her blue eyes open, again, without even known she'd closed them, and looked at Setsuna.
I know you need me...I'm trying, Setz-chan.....but I'm just so...tired...
She didn't even know she'd let go until her body rammed into a building and she finally surrendered to mind-numbing oblivion.
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Haruka screamed her lover's name in anguish as the wave crashed down on Usagi and buried her beneath crushing azure waves. Tears flooded down her cheeks and her heart burned, but no matter how hard she tried the men and women behind her would not release her. She screamed as if it was all that she could do fueled by a rapidly growing sense of loss. People backed away from her in fear.
And when she had no more voice with which to scream...she cried.
Her merciless captors released her and she sagged to her knees. Hunched over, her sandy hair almost grazing her knees, normally dormant emotions racked against her body with such suddenness and force it left her shaking.
"Michiru..." She whispered hoarsely.
Her cousin was instantly crouched by her side, and when Haruka lifted her head to meet her eyes she found that her turquoise orbs were shining with tears, as well. "I have to see if she's still alive...Help me, Michi..." Haruka begged.
Michiru nodded quickly and told her in hurried whispers of the roof access ladder in the back room. "I'll hold them off, go!"
Haruka nodded and reached out to snag Michiru's hand. Michiru turned back and looked down in surprise at their intertwined hands.
"Thank you." Haruka whispered, and gave her hand a squeeze before releasing it.
Michiru took a deep breath and smoothed out her dress rising gracefully from the floor. She was a better than average actress, having excelled in all forms of the arts, but she didn't need to fake the emotions inside her nor the tears that finally poured down her cheeks.
"I can't believe you would just let her die!" She shouted before turning on her heel and running to the front door.
In the back of the café an elderly woman screamed in fear.
That was all the rest of them needed to leap at Michiru and tackle her to the ground. The throng of life-fearing customers completely blocked Michiru from Haruka's sight as they piled themselves on top of the aqua-haired woman, pinning down legs, arms, and any body part they could get a hold of. It was immensely unnerving to see what lengths fear would drive some people.
Haruka silently thanked her cousin again before leaping to her feet and slinking off into the backroom.
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Haruka's hands clenched the side of the roof so tightly her knuckles were turning white. The wind was violent up so high that if she didn't maintain her grip she would be thrown over the side and into the rolling waves making her rescue of Usagi impossible.
She knew she must have outdistanced Usagi by observing the speed of the current, and all she could do now was wait and hope to spot the blonde through the driving rain.
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Usagi was vaguely aware of her body leaving the water, but she was too tired to care...too tired to focus on the voices calling her name...
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Sorry it took me so long! It might be a lil bit before the next chapter 'cuz I have three other stories going at the same time and I have a creepy desire to start another one o.O
KissThis