Chapter 1
-Tokyo Japan-
March 2000
----------------
"I'll see you tomorrow in class." Usagi called as she waved to her friend Naru. As they parted ways, she knew she was happy. For once everything was going how she wanted it. She was in collage and engaged to the most wonderful man in the world and would be married to him some time the next year. Yes, her life was doing great.
As she walked along she spotted her one and only love. Her heart jumped when she saw the tall dark haired man emerge from the arcade. The presence of Mamoru Chiba made her breath catch in her throat every time she saw him; it had been that way ever since she had been in junior high. Although she was a college senior now, just the site of him made her body clench and her heart and breathing speed up as it had years ago.
"Hey Usako," Mamoru said while looking at her through the black lenses of his sun glasses. "We, umm, we need to talk."
Usagi tilted her head to the side and then nodded, a small frown playing over her lips. Mamoru seemed nervous about something. He wrapped an arm around her shoulders then and smiled slightly down at her as she snuggled into his side as they walked. They headed into the park across the street, a place that held so many memories for them. It was where they had spent so much time with their friends and where they had shared their first kiss. She smiled softly at the thoughts of good memories that coursed through her.
Mamoru led her to a bench and sat her down. He kneeled in front of her and took both of her hands in his. He looked at the gentle bone structure and tried to memorize how well they fit into his. His glance only lasted a second. Then he pulled his shades up over his eyes, so that they rested on his head, in order that he could have a good look at her.
"Usako," he paused, and then took a deep breath before dropping her hands like they had burned him. He stood then and turned his back on her before beginning again. "Usako, I'm leaving Tokyo. I don't know if I will come back. I think," he paused again and took a shuddering breath as if he were trying to hold back tears and then continued, "I think it would be best if you just forgot about me. It would be best for us both." He didn't wait for a reaction or response. He just walked off with his head bowed in cowardness. Had Usagi not been so utterly heartbroken she might have heard Mamoru's own sobs of sadness, but her own heart shattering made her oblivious to the world.
Usagi didn't know how long she sat staring at the lake, tears falling silently from her eyes. However, soon her sorrow turned to anger and then to straight fury. She shrugged off the lurking ache in her heart as she pulled the emerald engagement ring from her finger and stood drawing her hand back to throw it into the water. Yet something stopped her though at the last minute. She pulled the necklace that Mamoru had given her off and slipped the ring onto it before replacing the clasp and tucking the necklace and ring under her shirt. The ring would be a permanent reminder that men were pigs and couldn't be trusted. She looked around the park, then turned and made her way toward the apartment she shared with Minako. In that brief moment she decided she was leaving. There was nothing left in Tokyo for her. She didn't know where she was going but she needed to get away for a while.
She moved into the apartment and looked at the spotless and over organized rooms. She had become a perfectionist at some point in her life, but she planned to change that. She knew somewhere in her heart that she had only learned all this so that when she and Mamoru were married she would be able to keep their home clean like he liked it. Her breath caught at the thought of Mamoru and tears threatened to spill out, but she shook them off and grabbed the memo pad she and Minako left by the phone instead. She scrawled two lines on the top sheet.
Mina,
I'm leaving. Don't try to find me. I don't know if I'm coming back.
Usa
Then she went into her room to pack. She refused to look at the numerous pictures of her and Mamoru with the gang as she placed clothes in a small suitcase. When finished, she grabbed her purse and tucked her passport and ID into it and quickly shut the door. She only hesitated a second before turning and walking out of the apartment. She took one more glance back and saw the light beneath Minako's bedroom door. In that moment her fate was sealed and she turned and walked out of the apartment.
Soon she found herself at Tokyo international airport staring at the departure times and trying to decide where to go. She closed her eyes and randomly pointed a finger at a line on the screen. When she opened her eyes once more the words under her finger were. 'Phoenix Arizona.' She smiled softly and moved toward the ticket counter.
"Looks like I'm going to America," she muttered.
Shortly she had bought her ticket and was making her way onto the plane. She craned her neck trying to find a place to sit on a plane that was crammed with bodies. Her flight was like most others; it was the typical over booking of most flights. Suddenly, a hand reached out and grabbed the strap to her purse causing her to jump almost a foot in the air.
"Easy babe," a soft musical voice said with a laughing undertone.
Usagi turned to see a pretty young woman about her age, with short curly red hair and emerald green eyes staring at her over a pair of wire rimmed glasses, "sorry ... you startled me," She said giggling nervously.
The girl smiled, "I didn't mean to. I was just going to offer you a seat. You seemed to be slightly lost."
Usagi nodded gratefully and tucked her purse into the over head compartment before settling next to the girl. "Not lost, well not anymore. Just starting over."
The girl offered Usagi her hand while smiling." The name is Ices, and it seems that we both need to start over. I'm actually going home to live with a friend."
Usagi smiled and shook Ices' hand. "Usagi; but most people call me Usa."
Ices smiled softly. She settled the book she had been reading on her lap and looked at the girl next to her. Usagi looked just like her namesake. She was a bunny; a very scared and lost bunny without a direction in her life. Ices pushed the short curls that fell over her face back and grinned as an idea suddenly struck her. "Well if you don't have a place to stay in Arizona, then you're welcome to stay with Cel and I. The more the merrier," she said with a teasing light in her eyes.
Usagi grinned shyly. She wasn't used to people this open. It worried her, but she liked the girl. I would like that, but just until I find my way," she added quickly.
"Sure ... we all have to find our way at some point." Ices said before opening her book once more.
Usagi agreed with Ices. Everyone had to find there way. Here was hoping she could find hers....
-Tokyo Japan-
March 2000
----------------
"I'll see you tomorrow in class." Usagi called as she waved to her friend Naru. As they parted ways, she knew she was happy. For once everything was going how she wanted it. She was in collage and engaged to the most wonderful man in the world and would be married to him some time the next year. Yes, her life was doing great.
As she walked along she spotted her one and only love. Her heart jumped when she saw the tall dark haired man emerge from the arcade. The presence of Mamoru Chiba made her breath catch in her throat every time she saw him; it had been that way ever since she had been in junior high. Although she was a college senior now, just the site of him made her body clench and her heart and breathing speed up as it had years ago.
"Hey Usako," Mamoru said while looking at her through the black lenses of his sun glasses. "We, umm, we need to talk."
Usagi tilted her head to the side and then nodded, a small frown playing over her lips. Mamoru seemed nervous about something. He wrapped an arm around her shoulders then and smiled slightly down at her as she snuggled into his side as they walked. They headed into the park across the street, a place that held so many memories for them. It was where they had spent so much time with their friends and where they had shared their first kiss. She smiled softly at the thoughts of good memories that coursed through her.
Mamoru led her to a bench and sat her down. He kneeled in front of her and took both of her hands in his. He looked at the gentle bone structure and tried to memorize how well they fit into his. His glance only lasted a second. Then he pulled his shades up over his eyes, so that they rested on his head, in order that he could have a good look at her.
"Usako," he paused, and then took a deep breath before dropping her hands like they had burned him. He stood then and turned his back on her before beginning again. "Usako, I'm leaving Tokyo. I don't know if I will come back. I think," he paused again and took a shuddering breath as if he were trying to hold back tears and then continued, "I think it would be best if you just forgot about me. It would be best for us both." He didn't wait for a reaction or response. He just walked off with his head bowed in cowardness. Had Usagi not been so utterly heartbroken she might have heard Mamoru's own sobs of sadness, but her own heart shattering made her oblivious to the world.
Usagi didn't know how long she sat staring at the lake, tears falling silently from her eyes. However, soon her sorrow turned to anger and then to straight fury. She shrugged off the lurking ache in her heart as she pulled the emerald engagement ring from her finger and stood drawing her hand back to throw it into the water. Yet something stopped her though at the last minute. She pulled the necklace that Mamoru had given her off and slipped the ring onto it before replacing the clasp and tucking the necklace and ring under her shirt. The ring would be a permanent reminder that men were pigs and couldn't be trusted. She looked around the park, then turned and made her way toward the apartment she shared with Minako. In that brief moment she decided she was leaving. There was nothing left in Tokyo for her. She didn't know where she was going but she needed to get away for a while.
She moved into the apartment and looked at the spotless and over organized rooms. She had become a perfectionist at some point in her life, but she planned to change that. She knew somewhere in her heart that she had only learned all this so that when she and Mamoru were married she would be able to keep their home clean like he liked it. Her breath caught at the thought of Mamoru and tears threatened to spill out, but she shook them off and grabbed the memo pad she and Minako left by the phone instead. She scrawled two lines on the top sheet.
Mina,
I'm leaving. Don't try to find me. I don't know if I'm coming back.
Usa
Then she went into her room to pack. She refused to look at the numerous pictures of her and Mamoru with the gang as she placed clothes in a small suitcase. When finished, she grabbed her purse and tucked her passport and ID into it and quickly shut the door. She only hesitated a second before turning and walking out of the apartment. She took one more glance back and saw the light beneath Minako's bedroom door. In that moment her fate was sealed and she turned and walked out of the apartment.
Soon she found herself at Tokyo international airport staring at the departure times and trying to decide where to go. She closed her eyes and randomly pointed a finger at a line on the screen. When she opened her eyes once more the words under her finger were. 'Phoenix Arizona.' She smiled softly and moved toward the ticket counter.
"Looks like I'm going to America," she muttered.
Shortly she had bought her ticket and was making her way onto the plane. She craned her neck trying to find a place to sit on a plane that was crammed with bodies. Her flight was like most others; it was the typical over booking of most flights. Suddenly, a hand reached out and grabbed the strap to her purse causing her to jump almost a foot in the air.
"Easy babe," a soft musical voice said with a laughing undertone.
Usagi turned to see a pretty young woman about her age, with short curly red hair and emerald green eyes staring at her over a pair of wire rimmed glasses, "sorry ... you startled me," She said giggling nervously.
The girl smiled, "I didn't mean to. I was just going to offer you a seat. You seemed to be slightly lost."
Usagi nodded gratefully and tucked her purse into the over head compartment before settling next to the girl. "Not lost, well not anymore. Just starting over."
The girl offered Usagi her hand while smiling." The name is Ices, and it seems that we both need to start over. I'm actually going home to live with a friend."
Usagi smiled and shook Ices' hand. "Usagi; but most people call me Usa."
Ices smiled softly. She settled the book she had been reading on her lap and looked at the girl next to her. Usagi looked just like her namesake. She was a bunny; a very scared and lost bunny without a direction in her life. Ices pushed the short curls that fell over her face back and grinned as an idea suddenly struck her. "Well if you don't have a place to stay in Arizona, then you're welcome to stay with Cel and I. The more the merrier," she said with a teasing light in her eyes.
Usagi grinned shyly. She wasn't used to people this open. It worried her, but she liked the girl. I would like that, but just until I find my way," she added quickly.
"Sure ... we all have to find our way at some point." Ices said before opening her book once more.
Usagi agreed with Ices. Everyone had to find there way. Here was hoping she could find hers....