SEVENTEEN
(c) rikki-chan (lady bundtcake) 2004
CHAPTER SEVEN - A NEW ADVENTURE
===
"Will you slow down already??"
"You're just mad that you're so slow!"
"Look, running isn't really my thing," Yaten Kou said, slowing his pace to a walk and taking several deep breaths. He smoothed his long bangs back from his flushed face, fanning himself with his hand. "Plus, it's insanely hot out here. And I hate sweating."
Several feet ahead of him, Aino Minako had slowed, turning around so she could jog backwards while talking to the disgruntled boy. "Sweat's good for you. It will put hair on your chest," she laughed, pushing her sunglasses up on the bridge of her nose. Her face was gleaming with a healthy sheen, and Yaten had to admit she looked even better than he remembered, with her long, toned legs and her athletic build. Minako was every inch the stellar athlete; in fact, it annoyed Yaten at how good she was at so many things. She didn't have the impressive intellect of Ami or Taiki, or the maturity and grace of Rei and Michiru, but Aino Minako had always shone the brightest in Yaten's eyes. Now the lovely idol had stopped jogging and was bending forward to touch her toes, arching her back and stretching out her muscles.
"Hair on my chest, huh?" Yaten drawled, folding his arms. "Oh, that's a huge incentive."
"Isn't it?" Minako beamed, stretching her arms above her head. "Think how tough and hairy and manly you'll be after a little exercise."
"In that case, you must have the hairiest chest in the world."
"And you only wish you could verify that, I'll bet."
Yaten grinned. "You're too fast for me, Aino. And I mean that literally. Can't we just walk?"
The pair had made their way into a hedge maze, and it had been Minako's idea of fun to run through it, dodging around corners and blazing through it as swiftly as possible. Of course, Minako loved physical exertion in ways that the non-athletic Yaten couldn't fathom, and before he'd realized it he was panting desperately and trying to keep up with her.
Minako smiled at him, grabbing him by the hand. "Sure, we can walk," she said happily, leading him forward through the maze.
It was nice, Yaten admitted, being there with her. The hedge maze was so tall that the greenish walls rose several feet above their heads, and it seemed as though they were closed off from the rest of the world. Overhead, the sky was a beautiful blue with only a few puffy clouds decorating it, and the sun felt lovely and warm on their faces. Yaten laced his fingers through Minako's as the two walked on through the maze, their feet crunching softly on the gravel path.
"Imagine if there were cameras around right now," Minako whispered mysteriously. "They would be capturing all of this on tape. Minako and Yaten, caught in the act! Young idols in love, news at eleven."
"On our next edition of 'Celebrities in the Wild', we see two young pop stars emerging from their natural habitat. We'll uncover what goes on beneath all that foliage," Yaten added.
"Better hope it's not mating season," Minako giggled.
"It's not? Oh, well in that case, I'm out of here."
"No, don't!" Minako laughed, grasping Yaten's arm firmly as he turned to walk away. He glanced over his shoulder and gave her a raised eyebrow.
"Give me a good reason to stay," he said loftily.
"Because…because I'm so pretty!"
"That's not good enough."
"It's not?" Minako narrowed her eyes. "How about because I'm the only person willing to tolerate your attitude for any length of time, and because you'd die alone and bitter without me."
Yaten stroked his chin with his hand, looking thoughtful. "Hm, I'll think about it. Leave a memo, I'll have your people talk to my people and we should reach a decision by the end of the week."
"Oh fine!" Minako said, releasing his arm. She tossed her hair back and looked down her nose at him. "I, the beautiful Aino Minako, can always find other young men who will appreciate a talented and popular star like me!"
"True, but can those other men do this?" Yaten grabbed her by the shoulders and pulled her against him. With one deft movement, he removed her sunglasses from her nose and tossed them aside. He shoved his own sunglasses up on his head and Minako felt herself melt under his piercing olive gaze. Before she had time to react, Yaten had lowered his mouth to hers and pressed his lips against her own in a heated kiss.
Minako wrapped her arms around his neck and allowed Yaten to push her gently against one of the maze's walls. She felt the leafy brush prickle against her arms as she sank back into the greenery, Yaten's body covering hers as he slowly wrapped his arms around her small waist. The sun continued to warm them, flushing their skin with heat as they kissed each other slowly, savoring the feeling.
The sound of giggling caused Yaten's head to snap up abruptly. Still clinging to Minako's waist, he craned his neck around to catch sight of whoever was approaching.
A split-second later, Rei, Makoto, and Hotaru walked around the nearest hedge, laughing and talking. Hotaru was eating an ice cream, but her eyes grew round and wide as she caught sight of Yaten and Minako embracing against another piece of foliage. She choked momentarily, attracting Rei and Makoto's attention.
"Huh?" Rei asked, turning around. Her eyes practically bulged out of her head when she saw Yaten in the act of pinning Minako against the hedge wall.
"Uh, did we interrupt something?" Makoto asked.
Yaten pulled away immediately from Minako and fluffed his hair agitatedly. "We were just talking," he huffed.
"He wanted to make sure I could REALLY hear him," Minako added.
Makoto coughed a laugh into her hand, and the corner of Rei's mouth was twitching. "Sounds like a pretty intense chat!" she smirked.
Yaten glared at Minako, who smiled innocently at him. He straightened his shirt and pulled his sunglasses down on his face. "Anyway, what are YOU doing here?" he asked sharply.
"We just got done going through the zoo. Hotaru-chan wanted to see the peacocks," Rei said.
"There was a big male peacock trying to woo a female peacock," Makoto added.
"You should have seen the way he pranced around and showed off. Fluffing his feathers, trying to look all manly and important."
"When he realized we were watching him, he kind of got annoyed and tried to act like nothing was happening," Hotaru said.
"Yeah…men are funny like that," Rei giggled.
Yaten glowered at them. "I get it, already!"
Minako giggled and looped her arm in his. "It's okay, Yaten-kun. They're harmless, really," she said, winking at her friends. "Where are you girls going next?"
"Well, we thought we might check out some of the rides," Makoto said. "We passed by the bumper cars earlier, and that looked like fun."
"Haruka-papa and Michiru-mama were riding them. Haruka-papa kept driving into Michiru-mama's car, and she was getting REALLY mad," Hotaru giggled.
"Hope your papa doesn't have to spend tonight on the couch," Minako said.
"Oh, she wouldn't punish her with that," Hotaru said. "Michiru-mama would just make her go share the extra room with Seiya-kun."
"Speaking of Seiya," Yaten said, "I haven't seen him since we got here. Has he finally convinced Usagi-chan to run away with him, or is he off crying somewhere?"
Minako punched him in the arm. "You're so cold!" she said, but she was laughing in spite of herself. "You don't know what it's like to experience the pain of unrequited love!"
"That's because the girls I like always like me back," Yaten said, grinning. Minako flushed.
"We can always ride the bumper cars by ourselves," Rei said, catching the look. "Don't let us interrupt this touchingly romantic moment."
"No, we'll go. We'd be happy to," Minako said. "Hey, where are Ami-chan and Taiki-san?"
Makoto and Hotaru started giggling and Rei smirked. "They're over by the pond, talking about BOOKS. It figures, doesn't it? A beautiful day at the amusement park, and those two are just sitting there talking about BOOKS."
"They're probably the only two people in the galaxy who would do that," Yaten scoffed.
"So it's lucky they happened to meet each other at all," Minako said.
"Why don't we walk by the pond on the way over to the bumper cars?" Makoto said. "It's on the way, and that way we can invite Ami-chan and Taiki-san to go with us, so they'll actually have a chance to remember what adolescence is supposed to be like."
"Good plan," Rei said. "They could stand to do something FUN for a change."
The small group of friends began their trek of winding their way out of the maze, with Minako and Yaten bringing up the rear. Minako smiled and clung tighter to Yaten's arm.
"Hey, not so tight! You'll cut off my circulation," Yaten complained.
"You shouldn't mind having such a pretty girl wanting to be so close to you."
Yaten rolled his eyes, but he slid his arm down to meet Minako's hand and laced his fingers with hers. "Whatever you say, pretty girl."
===
"I'm the king of the world!"
Usagi lunged forward in alarm, grabbing Seiya by the ankle and trying to pull him down. "Seiya, stop it!" she screamed, tugging on his pant leg. "You're going to tip the boat over!"
Seiya looked over his shoulder, down at a very flustered Odango clinging to his leg with one hand and the side of the tiny rowboat with the other. He wiggled slightly, causing the boat to rock sharply. Usagi gasped and released her death grip on his ankle, clutching the sides of the boat with both her hands.
"Odango, stand up!" he laughed, stretching his arms out wide. The boat rocked dangerously. "You can feel the ocean breeze on your face!"
"This isn't an ocean, it's a pond. And if you don't SIT DOWN right now, I'm going to push you out of the boat!"
Seiya stopped waving his arms. "Really?"
"Better you than me!"
He grinned at her, before collapsing abruptly into a seated position. The boat took a final swaying lunge before settling, little ripples of water spreading out from the impact. Usagi was still clinging to the sides, her face slightly green.
"Now isn't this idyllic?" Seiya teased. "A beautiful day on the pond with my best girl."
"I'm not your girlfriend!" Usagi spluttered.
"What? So cold!" Seiya said dramatically, clutching a hand to his chest. "Odango, I'm afraid I simply can't go on without you!"
He jumped to his feet again and perched himself on the edge of the rowboat, leaning out as though he were preparing to jump. Usagi squealed and once more grabbed his leg. "No, Seiya, don't!"
"Goodbye, cruel world. Goodbye to the beautiful woman I can never have!" Seiya said, putting his hand to his forehead in a pained gesture. "This is the end!"
"Seiya!" Usagi yelled, laughing at the same time. "Get your butt back in this boat!"
"Oh, so you only love me for my butt. I see how it is. Goodbye, cruel, heartless world!"
"SEIYA!"
With a mighty heave, Usagi yanked on Seiya's leg. He hadn't expected that, and with great surprise he found himself toppling backward as the boat rocked dangerously once more. He fell, landing on something rather soft and yielding.
"Mmph. Seiyamph!"
Seiya rolled off to one side, and Usagi rolled out from under him in the opposite direction, groaning. Immediately, Seiya was crouched on his knees, pulling her into a sitting position.
"Are you all right? Did I hurt you? Are you okay? Is anything broken??"
Usagi gave him a lukewarm smile and rubbed her shoulder gingerly. "You're not THAT big of a guy, Seiya."
"I'm still a lot bigger than you, Odango," Seiya said, his face concerned. "Are you sure you're all right."
"I'm all right," she said, grimacing as she felt her shoulder. "I just think I whacked my shoulder a little hard on the way down."
"Turn around," Seiya said, sitting down behind her. He placed his hands gently on her hurt shoulder and began to rub, very tenderly.
Usagi felt herself relax almost immediately and she leaned backward so that she was sitting between Seiya's legs. Seiya gulped and willed himself to think about anything other than the fact that she was so near him, and that he was technically caressing her, and that he could occasionally feel her wonderfully soft hair brush against his knuckles.
"Odango, how have you been?" he asked, desperate to keep his mind off the fact that he was touching her.
"How've I been?"
"You know…just this past year, and everything. Since the last time I saw you."
"Well, I ended up passing my classes last year," Usagi giggled. "Minako-chan, too. You should be proud to know such a pair of geniuses. We're all in second year of high school now, and the work is even harder and more boring than before. But at least it's much easier to stay focused in class, since you're not there to kick the back of my chair."
"Hey, I never kicked the back of your chair!"
"Well, since you're not there to whisper at me and poke at my hair," Usagi insisted.
Seiya bit his lip. Hadn't she even missed him? He slowly ran his fingers across her delicate shoulders, gently massaging her knotted muscles, allowing his index fingers to brush over the back of her soft neck.
Usagi shivered, and a warm feeling swept over her. She tilted her head up, craning backwards to see his upside-down face.
"Of course, class isn't as fun anymore, now that you've gone," she said, smiling.
"Oh?"
"Sure. No one's there to be a popular, arrogant teen idol that all the girls are crazy about. It's much less exciting."
Seiya snorted. "So that's what you think of me?"
"No," Usagi said, bringing her head down again. She gazed off across the pond, watching the sun dance against the water. "No, you're actually really caring, and really kind. And you're one of my dearest friends."
He hated that word. Seiya gave an almost inaudible sigh and allowed his hands to move down from her shoulders and rove lower on her back. Usagi leaned forward.
"How is…Mamoru?" Seiya asked, and almost immediately cursed himself for it. The last thing he wanted to hear about was Odango's darling Mamo-chan, but at the same time he couldn't stand NOT knowing.
Usagi was silent for several moments.
"Odango? Still with me, or should I stop the massage before you fall asleep right here in the boat and I have to carry you home?"
"No, I heard you," she said softly. She stiffened slightly. "Mamo-chan is fine. I guess you know he's gone overseas again for more studying."
"I heard. I guess that's pretty hard for you, since he left and it's so close to your birthday."
"We celebrated it the other night, at dinner," Usagi said. She brought her knees up to her chest and hugged them. "Seiya?"
"Yes?"
"Have you ever…loved someone because you thought you were supposed to, but then you realized that maybe you don't have to after all?
Seiya gently rubbed her lower back, moving his hands in small circles. "I guess I don't know what you're asking," he said vaguely.
"When I met Mamo-chan, I thought he was a real jerk," Usagi gave a small laugh. "He was always picking on me, and making fun of my grades, and my hair. He used to call me odango-head."
"He did? Well, I guess I'm not so original after all," Seiya said lightly. Inside, he felt more than a little jealous. Did Mamoru have to beat him at everything?
Usagi laughed. "No, and Haruka called me Odango before you, too. I think you're all secretly just jealous of my beautiful hair."
"Oh yes, Sailor Star Fighter would strike fear in the hearts of millions, with her raven locks trussed up in pigtails," Seiya said sarcastically.
Usagi giggled. "Let me finish what I was telling you. Anyway, I thought Mamo-chan was such an annoying guy. But then…" she paused, fiddling with one of her shoelaces. "Then I got the ginzuishou. You know, it's the powerful moon crystal, and it's also my star seed. And all these memories just came flooding back to me."
Moving his hands back up to her shoulders, Seiya listened to her intently. He knew what the ginzuishou was, of course, but apart from knowing what it looked like he really had no idea what it meant for Usagi.
"After that, I knew Mamo-chan was actually Prince Endymion, the prince of earth," Usagi explained. "And in our past lives, in the Silver Millennium, we had fallen in love. It was kind of an ill-fated love, since the princess of the Moon wasn't supposed to love a man from earth. Actually, no one thought it could work. But it did, and we were very much in love. I died…I died because I couldn't bear to live without him."
Usagi sighed and stretched out her legs, leaning back against Seiya. "My memories came back to me over a period of time, stronger and stronger. And because of who I was, because I had been Princess Serenity of the Moon Kingdom, I felt I should love Endymion. Mamo-chan. And I did love him, I really did."
"But?" Seiya asked.
"But lately…things have been so different. Mamo-chan does love me, I know that. And I love him. But he…he doesn't always make time for me. I guess he thinks since we know how the future will be, that we will be married and have a child together, he doesn't have to worry about what will happen in the meantime. We know how the story ends, so what difference does the middle make?"
"But it does make a difference!" Seiya said fiercely. "The ending isn't nearly as important as the journey, Odango. The ending is just the capstone; the journey is what makes a great life. That's where you learn, and grow, and have adventures, and feel passion and excitement. The journey is the fun part!"
"Seiya, you're hurting me!"
"But it's the truth!"
"No, I mean…you're squeezing my shoulder too hard!"
Seiya glanced down and saw his hands were clenched to her tiny shoulders. He released his grip immediately. "Ah, sorry, Odango!" he said, rubbing the sore spot lightly.
"It's all right. Your massage made me feel a lot better. I guess you've made it up to me for falling on me like that," she said, tilting her head around to give him a wink.
"Hey," Seiya said, indignant. "If you hadn't pulled on my leg so hard, none of this would have happened!"
"Well maybe you should just sit in a boat like a normal person, instead of always trying to be Mr. Cool!" snapped Usagi.
Seiya smirked. "But I AM cool, Odango."
"Yeah, yeah. You're SO cool. And we're getting close to shore."
Seiya shielded his eyes with his hand and looked out at the approaching shoreline. "Oh, no," he muttered.
"What?"
He pointed. "Look, my fans have arrived."
Usagi squinted at the pond's edge. A small group of girls had gathered and were looking eagerly out at all the boats, searching for their missing idol, Seiya Kou.
"Guess you'll have to play my girlfriend again," Seiya gloated. "It's the only way they'll stay away from me."
"No, I've got a better idea," Usagi said, digging through her purse.
"What? What could be a better idea than dating me?" Seiya asked, rather pointedly.
"Here!" Usagi said proudly, holding up a small pen.
Seiya eyed it suspiciously. "What is it?"
"It's the Luna Pen. It will transform you into anything, all you have do is shout 'Moon Power' and what you want to be disguised as!"
"Cute toy," Seiya said, turning it over in his hands. An evil grin spread on his face.
"Seiya, hurry! We're almost there!"
"Moon Power! Turn me into a beautiful, fashionable girl!"
"WHAT?"
In a quick flash of light, Seiya had transformed into what looked very much like Sailor Star Fighter wearing designer shorts and a tight top.
Usagi sweatdropped. "S-seiya?"
"Admit it, I have gorgeous legs," Seiya said, eyeing her own calves with delight.
"Seiya…"
"What?"
"Nothing," Usagi said, rubbing her neck. "I just didn't think you would turn yourself into a GIRL."
"But I AM a girl, originally. Of course, I normally wouldn't wear anything like THIS. When I said 'fashionable', I didn't mean slutty," Seiya griped, tugging her shirt away from her chest.
"You look different. You know, without all the vinyl."
Seiya grinned. "You just wish your boobs were as big as mine."
"Ugh, Seiya!" Usagi said, hitting her in the arm. Seiya cracked up laughing as Usagi rolled her eyes. "We're almost to shore, moron. We've got to get out of the boat."
They arrived at the dock, and Seiya hopped out to tie up the boat before giving Usagi a hand. "Now act casual," Seiya whispered in her ear as she tugged the smaller girl up onto the dock. "I'm NOT Seiya Kou. I'm just a pretty woman who happens to resemble him. A lot."
Usagi giggled, and the two walked stealthily down the dock. A couple of stray fans approached them in a hurry.
"Seiya-kun!" one girl was yelling, before she stopped short after getting a good look at the dark-haired woman on the dock. "Y-you're not Seiya-kun!" she said.
"Seiya? You mean the talented and handsome Seiya Kou? Oh, I get that ALL the time," Seiya said airily, fluffing her bangs. "Come on, Odango, let's go get ice cream!"
"Ice cream?" Usagi perked up, following at Seiya's heels.
"But I swear, she looks EXACTLY like Seiya Kou!" a fan whined, staring at Seiya's feminine face.
"Can we have YOUR autograph?"
"Uh-oh. Run for it, Odango!" Seiya shouted, sprinting off down the dock and onto the grass.
Usagi ran after him, panting. "We'll never make it!" she giggled.
"The life of an idol is short and dangerous!" Seiya yelled. "Hurry!"
Usagi leapt forward and grabbed Seiya's hand. The taller woman looked down at her with surprise and clutched Usagi's hand tightly, grinning broadly. They dodged across the grass, heading back to the more crowded areas of the park, and ran by a familiar-looking pair seated by the lake's edge…
Taiki's eyes went wide with shock. "Seiya?" he called. Beside him, Ami was looking over the top of a poetry collection, her mouth gaping.
Seiya whirled around, her long ponytail flying out behind her. "Emergency! Fans on the loose!" she shouted before dragging Usagi off with her.
Taiki snorted, shaking his head. "Honestly, the way Seiya acts, you KNOW he's just doing it to get even more attention. Erm, she."
"Were they holding hands?" Ami asked, her blue eyes wide.
Taiki sweatdropped. "I'm sure it was just a precaution!"
Inside the main area of the park, Seiya and Usagi slowed to a walk, Usagi panting heavily. Seiya tossed her hair and grinned. "You need to work out more!"
"Trust me, I'm getting all the exercise I need hanging around YOU!" Usagi gasped, plopping herself down on the ground.
"I guess I can de-transform from this now," Seiya said. "Although I'm kind of going to miss this shirt."
She closed her eyes and reversed the transformation, leaving a boyish Seiya once more in place. He grinned, his deep blue eyes glinting.
"You can't say you don't have an interesting time with me!" said Seiya, sitting on the ground next to Usagi.
She smiled, still breathing heavily. "Never a dull moment with you, Seiya Kou. And you promised me ice cream."
"That's right. You sure are an expensive date."
"Seiya! We're not on a date!" Usagi said, giving him a shove.
"What? You sat on my lap in the car ride over here. You rode all the rides with me, not with anyone else. You went on a romantic boat ride with me, and since I'm such a great guy I gave you a massage while you had an intimate conversation. And now I'm buying you ice cream. Do they not call that a date on your planet?"
Usagi opened her mouth to say something, but Seiya cut her off. "Back on Kinmoku, if I did all that for a girl, she'd be falling all over me! Oh Seiya, you're the best date I've ever had! And so romantic and attractive!"
"And so full of yourself!" Usagi said.
"And so full of…love!" Seiya shot back.
"Well, since this is such a special date for you," Usagi started, giving him a sly look, "I suppose I'd better make it worth your while. I mean, you've gone to all this trouble."
She brushed a loose strand of Seiya's hair behind his ear and planted a tender kiss on his cheek.
Seiya's jaw dropped open slightly, and he blinked a few times before clamping it shut. He was unable to keep his face blank when she pulled away from him, and Usagi was met with a mixed expression of shock and gleeful joy on his boyish face.
He pulled himself together, and gave her a cocky smirk. "Not bad, for a start."
"Like you said…the journey is the interesting part, right?" Usagi said softly. She bit her lip hesitantly and met his eyes.
Seiya smiled at her.
"So, what happens next?"
(c) rikki-chan (lady bundtcake) 2004
CHAPTER SEVEN - A NEW ADVENTURE
===
"Will you slow down already??"
"You're just mad that you're so slow!"
"Look, running isn't really my thing," Yaten Kou said, slowing his pace to a walk and taking several deep breaths. He smoothed his long bangs back from his flushed face, fanning himself with his hand. "Plus, it's insanely hot out here. And I hate sweating."
Several feet ahead of him, Aino Minako had slowed, turning around so she could jog backwards while talking to the disgruntled boy. "Sweat's good for you. It will put hair on your chest," she laughed, pushing her sunglasses up on the bridge of her nose. Her face was gleaming with a healthy sheen, and Yaten had to admit she looked even better than he remembered, with her long, toned legs and her athletic build. Minako was every inch the stellar athlete; in fact, it annoyed Yaten at how good she was at so many things. She didn't have the impressive intellect of Ami or Taiki, or the maturity and grace of Rei and Michiru, but Aino Minako had always shone the brightest in Yaten's eyes. Now the lovely idol had stopped jogging and was bending forward to touch her toes, arching her back and stretching out her muscles.
"Hair on my chest, huh?" Yaten drawled, folding his arms. "Oh, that's a huge incentive."
"Isn't it?" Minako beamed, stretching her arms above her head. "Think how tough and hairy and manly you'll be after a little exercise."
"In that case, you must have the hairiest chest in the world."
"And you only wish you could verify that, I'll bet."
Yaten grinned. "You're too fast for me, Aino. And I mean that literally. Can't we just walk?"
The pair had made their way into a hedge maze, and it had been Minako's idea of fun to run through it, dodging around corners and blazing through it as swiftly as possible. Of course, Minako loved physical exertion in ways that the non-athletic Yaten couldn't fathom, and before he'd realized it he was panting desperately and trying to keep up with her.
Minako smiled at him, grabbing him by the hand. "Sure, we can walk," she said happily, leading him forward through the maze.
It was nice, Yaten admitted, being there with her. The hedge maze was so tall that the greenish walls rose several feet above their heads, and it seemed as though they were closed off from the rest of the world. Overhead, the sky was a beautiful blue with only a few puffy clouds decorating it, and the sun felt lovely and warm on their faces. Yaten laced his fingers through Minako's as the two walked on through the maze, their feet crunching softly on the gravel path.
"Imagine if there were cameras around right now," Minako whispered mysteriously. "They would be capturing all of this on tape. Minako and Yaten, caught in the act! Young idols in love, news at eleven."
"On our next edition of 'Celebrities in the Wild', we see two young pop stars emerging from their natural habitat. We'll uncover what goes on beneath all that foliage," Yaten added.
"Better hope it's not mating season," Minako giggled.
"It's not? Oh, well in that case, I'm out of here."
"No, don't!" Minako laughed, grasping Yaten's arm firmly as he turned to walk away. He glanced over his shoulder and gave her a raised eyebrow.
"Give me a good reason to stay," he said loftily.
"Because…because I'm so pretty!"
"That's not good enough."
"It's not?" Minako narrowed her eyes. "How about because I'm the only person willing to tolerate your attitude for any length of time, and because you'd die alone and bitter without me."
Yaten stroked his chin with his hand, looking thoughtful. "Hm, I'll think about it. Leave a memo, I'll have your people talk to my people and we should reach a decision by the end of the week."
"Oh fine!" Minako said, releasing his arm. She tossed her hair back and looked down her nose at him. "I, the beautiful Aino Minako, can always find other young men who will appreciate a talented and popular star like me!"
"True, but can those other men do this?" Yaten grabbed her by the shoulders and pulled her against him. With one deft movement, he removed her sunglasses from her nose and tossed them aside. He shoved his own sunglasses up on his head and Minako felt herself melt under his piercing olive gaze. Before she had time to react, Yaten had lowered his mouth to hers and pressed his lips against her own in a heated kiss.
Minako wrapped her arms around his neck and allowed Yaten to push her gently against one of the maze's walls. She felt the leafy brush prickle against her arms as she sank back into the greenery, Yaten's body covering hers as he slowly wrapped his arms around her small waist. The sun continued to warm them, flushing their skin with heat as they kissed each other slowly, savoring the feeling.
The sound of giggling caused Yaten's head to snap up abruptly. Still clinging to Minako's waist, he craned his neck around to catch sight of whoever was approaching.
A split-second later, Rei, Makoto, and Hotaru walked around the nearest hedge, laughing and talking. Hotaru was eating an ice cream, but her eyes grew round and wide as she caught sight of Yaten and Minako embracing against another piece of foliage. She choked momentarily, attracting Rei and Makoto's attention.
"Huh?" Rei asked, turning around. Her eyes practically bulged out of her head when she saw Yaten in the act of pinning Minako against the hedge wall.
"Uh, did we interrupt something?" Makoto asked.
Yaten pulled away immediately from Minako and fluffed his hair agitatedly. "We were just talking," he huffed.
"He wanted to make sure I could REALLY hear him," Minako added.
Makoto coughed a laugh into her hand, and the corner of Rei's mouth was twitching. "Sounds like a pretty intense chat!" she smirked.
Yaten glared at Minako, who smiled innocently at him. He straightened his shirt and pulled his sunglasses down on his face. "Anyway, what are YOU doing here?" he asked sharply.
"We just got done going through the zoo. Hotaru-chan wanted to see the peacocks," Rei said.
"There was a big male peacock trying to woo a female peacock," Makoto added.
"You should have seen the way he pranced around and showed off. Fluffing his feathers, trying to look all manly and important."
"When he realized we were watching him, he kind of got annoyed and tried to act like nothing was happening," Hotaru said.
"Yeah…men are funny like that," Rei giggled.
Yaten glowered at them. "I get it, already!"
Minako giggled and looped her arm in his. "It's okay, Yaten-kun. They're harmless, really," she said, winking at her friends. "Where are you girls going next?"
"Well, we thought we might check out some of the rides," Makoto said. "We passed by the bumper cars earlier, and that looked like fun."
"Haruka-papa and Michiru-mama were riding them. Haruka-papa kept driving into Michiru-mama's car, and she was getting REALLY mad," Hotaru giggled.
"Hope your papa doesn't have to spend tonight on the couch," Minako said.
"Oh, she wouldn't punish her with that," Hotaru said. "Michiru-mama would just make her go share the extra room with Seiya-kun."
"Speaking of Seiya," Yaten said, "I haven't seen him since we got here. Has he finally convinced Usagi-chan to run away with him, or is he off crying somewhere?"
Minako punched him in the arm. "You're so cold!" she said, but she was laughing in spite of herself. "You don't know what it's like to experience the pain of unrequited love!"
"That's because the girls I like always like me back," Yaten said, grinning. Minako flushed.
"We can always ride the bumper cars by ourselves," Rei said, catching the look. "Don't let us interrupt this touchingly romantic moment."
"No, we'll go. We'd be happy to," Minako said. "Hey, where are Ami-chan and Taiki-san?"
Makoto and Hotaru started giggling and Rei smirked. "They're over by the pond, talking about BOOKS. It figures, doesn't it? A beautiful day at the amusement park, and those two are just sitting there talking about BOOKS."
"They're probably the only two people in the galaxy who would do that," Yaten scoffed.
"So it's lucky they happened to meet each other at all," Minako said.
"Why don't we walk by the pond on the way over to the bumper cars?" Makoto said. "It's on the way, and that way we can invite Ami-chan and Taiki-san to go with us, so they'll actually have a chance to remember what adolescence is supposed to be like."
"Good plan," Rei said. "They could stand to do something FUN for a change."
The small group of friends began their trek of winding their way out of the maze, with Minako and Yaten bringing up the rear. Minako smiled and clung tighter to Yaten's arm.
"Hey, not so tight! You'll cut off my circulation," Yaten complained.
"You shouldn't mind having such a pretty girl wanting to be so close to you."
Yaten rolled his eyes, but he slid his arm down to meet Minako's hand and laced his fingers with hers. "Whatever you say, pretty girl."
===
"I'm the king of the world!"
Usagi lunged forward in alarm, grabbing Seiya by the ankle and trying to pull him down. "Seiya, stop it!" she screamed, tugging on his pant leg. "You're going to tip the boat over!"
Seiya looked over his shoulder, down at a very flustered Odango clinging to his leg with one hand and the side of the tiny rowboat with the other. He wiggled slightly, causing the boat to rock sharply. Usagi gasped and released her death grip on his ankle, clutching the sides of the boat with both her hands.
"Odango, stand up!" he laughed, stretching his arms out wide. The boat rocked dangerously. "You can feel the ocean breeze on your face!"
"This isn't an ocean, it's a pond. And if you don't SIT DOWN right now, I'm going to push you out of the boat!"
Seiya stopped waving his arms. "Really?"
"Better you than me!"
He grinned at her, before collapsing abruptly into a seated position. The boat took a final swaying lunge before settling, little ripples of water spreading out from the impact. Usagi was still clinging to the sides, her face slightly green.
"Now isn't this idyllic?" Seiya teased. "A beautiful day on the pond with my best girl."
"I'm not your girlfriend!" Usagi spluttered.
"What? So cold!" Seiya said dramatically, clutching a hand to his chest. "Odango, I'm afraid I simply can't go on without you!"
He jumped to his feet again and perched himself on the edge of the rowboat, leaning out as though he were preparing to jump. Usagi squealed and once more grabbed his leg. "No, Seiya, don't!"
"Goodbye, cruel world. Goodbye to the beautiful woman I can never have!" Seiya said, putting his hand to his forehead in a pained gesture. "This is the end!"
"Seiya!" Usagi yelled, laughing at the same time. "Get your butt back in this boat!"
"Oh, so you only love me for my butt. I see how it is. Goodbye, cruel, heartless world!"
"SEIYA!"
With a mighty heave, Usagi yanked on Seiya's leg. He hadn't expected that, and with great surprise he found himself toppling backward as the boat rocked dangerously once more. He fell, landing on something rather soft and yielding.
"Mmph. Seiyamph!"
Seiya rolled off to one side, and Usagi rolled out from under him in the opposite direction, groaning. Immediately, Seiya was crouched on his knees, pulling her into a sitting position.
"Are you all right? Did I hurt you? Are you okay? Is anything broken??"
Usagi gave him a lukewarm smile and rubbed her shoulder gingerly. "You're not THAT big of a guy, Seiya."
"I'm still a lot bigger than you, Odango," Seiya said, his face concerned. "Are you sure you're all right."
"I'm all right," she said, grimacing as she felt her shoulder. "I just think I whacked my shoulder a little hard on the way down."
"Turn around," Seiya said, sitting down behind her. He placed his hands gently on her hurt shoulder and began to rub, very tenderly.
Usagi felt herself relax almost immediately and she leaned backward so that she was sitting between Seiya's legs. Seiya gulped and willed himself to think about anything other than the fact that she was so near him, and that he was technically caressing her, and that he could occasionally feel her wonderfully soft hair brush against his knuckles.
"Odango, how have you been?" he asked, desperate to keep his mind off the fact that he was touching her.
"How've I been?"
"You know…just this past year, and everything. Since the last time I saw you."
"Well, I ended up passing my classes last year," Usagi giggled. "Minako-chan, too. You should be proud to know such a pair of geniuses. We're all in second year of high school now, and the work is even harder and more boring than before. But at least it's much easier to stay focused in class, since you're not there to kick the back of my chair."
"Hey, I never kicked the back of your chair!"
"Well, since you're not there to whisper at me and poke at my hair," Usagi insisted.
Seiya bit his lip. Hadn't she even missed him? He slowly ran his fingers across her delicate shoulders, gently massaging her knotted muscles, allowing his index fingers to brush over the back of her soft neck.
Usagi shivered, and a warm feeling swept over her. She tilted her head up, craning backwards to see his upside-down face.
"Of course, class isn't as fun anymore, now that you've gone," she said, smiling.
"Oh?"
"Sure. No one's there to be a popular, arrogant teen idol that all the girls are crazy about. It's much less exciting."
Seiya snorted. "So that's what you think of me?"
"No," Usagi said, bringing her head down again. She gazed off across the pond, watching the sun dance against the water. "No, you're actually really caring, and really kind. And you're one of my dearest friends."
He hated that word. Seiya gave an almost inaudible sigh and allowed his hands to move down from her shoulders and rove lower on her back. Usagi leaned forward.
"How is…Mamoru?" Seiya asked, and almost immediately cursed himself for it. The last thing he wanted to hear about was Odango's darling Mamo-chan, but at the same time he couldn't stand NOT knowing.
Usagi was silent for several moments.
"Odango? Still with me, or should I stop the massage before you fall asleep right here in the boat and I have to carry you home?"
"No, I heard you," she said softly. She stiffened slightly. "Mamo-chan is fine. I guess you know he's gone overseas again for more studying."
"I heard. I guess that's pretty hard for you, since he left and it's so close to your birthday."
"We celebrated it the other night, at dinner," Usagi said. She brought her knees up to her chest and hugged them. "Seiya?"
"Yes?"
"Have you ever…loved someone because you thought you were supposed to, but then you realized that maybe you don't have to after all?
Seiya gently rubbed her lower back, moving his hands in small circles. "I guess I don't know what you're asking," he said vaguely.
"When I met Mamo-chan, I thought he was a real jerk," Usagi gave a small laugh. "He was always picking on me, and making fun of my grades, and my hair. He used to call me odango-head."
"He did? Well, I guess I'm not so original after all," Seiya said lightly. Inside, he felt more than a little jealous. Did Mamoru have to beat him at everything?
Usagi laughed. "No, and Haruka called me Odango before you, too. I think you're all secretly just jealous of my beautiful hair."
"Oh yes, Sailor Star Fighter would strike fear in the hearts of millions, with her raven locks trussed up in pigtails," Seiya said sarcastically.
Usagi giggled. "Let me finish what I was telling you. Anyway, I thought Mamo-chan was such an annoying guy. But then…" she paused, fiddling with one of her shoelaces. "Then I got the ginzuishou. You know, it's the powerful moon crystal, and it's also my star seed. And all these memories just came flooding back to me."
Moving his hands back up to her shoulders, Seiya listened to her intently. He knew what the ginzuishou was, of course, but apart from knowing what it looked like he really had no idea what it meant for Usagi.
"After that, I knew Mamo-chan was actually Prince Endymion, the prince of earth," Usagi explained. "And in our past lives, in the Silver Millennium, we had fallen in love. It was kind of an ill-fated love, since the princess of the Moon wasn't supposed to love a man from earth. Actually, no one thought it could work. But it did, and we were very much in love. I died…I died because I couldn't bear to live without him."
Usagi sighed and stretched out her legs, leaning back against Seiya. "My memories came back to me over a period of time, stronger and stronger. And because of who I was, because I had been Princess Serenity of the Moon Kingdom, I felt I should love Endymion. Mamo-chan. And I did love him, I really did."
"But?" Seiya asked.
"But lately…things have been so different. Mamo-chan does love me, I know that. And I love him. But he…he doesn't always make time for me. I guess he thinks since we know how the future will be, that we will be married and have a child together, he doesn't have to worry about what will happen in the meantime. We know how the story ends, so what difference does the middle make?"
"But it does make a difference!" Seiya said fiercely. "The ending isn't nearly as important as the journey, Odango. The ending is just the capstone; the journey is what makes a great life. That's where you learn, and grow, and have adventures, and feel passion and excitement. The journey is the fun part!"
"Seiya, you're hurting me!"
"But it's the truth!"
"No, I mean…you're squeezing my shoulder too hard!"
Seiya glanced down and saw his hands were clenched to her tiny shoulders. He released his grip immediately. "Ah, sorry, Odango!" he said, rubbing the sore spot lightly.
"It's all right. Your massage made me feel a lot better. I guess you've made it up to me for falling on me like that," she said, tilting her head around to give him a wink.
"Hey," Seiya said, indignant. "If you hadn't pulled on my leg so hard, none of this would have happened!"
"Well maybe you should just sit in a boat like a normal person, instead of always trying to be Mr. Cool!" snapped Usagi.
Seiya smirked. "But I AM cool, Odango."
"Yeah, yeah. You're SO cool. And we're getting close to shore."
Seiya shielded his eyes with his hand and looked out at the approaching shoreline. "Oh, no," he muttered.
"What?"
He pointed. "Look, my fans have arrived."
Usagi squinted at the pond's edge. A small group of girls had gathered and were looking eagerly out at all the boats, searching for their missing idol, Seiya Kou.
"Guess you'll have to play my girlfriend again," Seiya gloated. "It's the only way they'll stay away from me."
"No, I've got a better idea," Usagi said, digging through her purse.
"What? What could be a better idea than dating me?" Seiya asked, rather pointedly.
"Here!" Usagi said proudly, holding up a small pen.
Seiya eyed it suspiciously. "What is it?"
"It's the Luna Pen. It will transform you into anything, all you have do is shout 'Moon Power' and what you want to be disguised as!"
"Cute toy," Seiya said, turning it over in his hands. An evil grin spread on his face.
"Seiya, hurry! We're almost there!"
"Moon Power! Turn me into a beautiful, fashionable girl!"
"WHAT?"
In a quick flash of light, Seiya had transformed into what looked very much like Sailor Star Fighter wearing designer shorts and a tight top.
Usagi sweatdropped. "S-seiya?"
"Admit it, I have gorgeous legs," Seiya said, eyeing her own calves with delight.
"Seiya…"
"What?"
"Nothing," Usagi said, rubbing her neck. "I just didn't think you would turn yourself into a GIRL."
"But I AM a girl, originally. Of course, I normally wouldn't wear anything like THIS. When I said 'fashionable', I didn't mean slutty," Seiya griped, tugging her shirt away from her chest.
"You look different. You know, without all the vinyl."
Seiya grinned. "You just wish your boobs were as big as mine."
"Ugh, Seiya!" Usagi said, hitting her in the arm. Seiya cracked up laughing as Usagi rolled her eyes. "We're almost to shore, moron. We've got to get out of the boat."
They arrived at the dock, and Seiya hopped out to tie up the boat before giving Usagi a hand. "Now act casual," Seiya whispered in her ear as she tugged the smaller girl up onto the dock. "I'm NOT Seiya Kou. I'm just a pretty woman who happens to resemble him. A lot."
Usagi giggled, and the two walked stealthily down the dock. A couple of stray fans approached them in a hurry.
"Seiya-kun!" one girl was yelling, before she stopped short after getting a good look at the dark-haired woman on the dock. "Y-you're not Seiya-kun!" she said.
"Seiya? You mean the talented and handsome Seiya Kou? Oh, I get that ALL the time," Seiya said airily, fluffing her bangs. "Come on, Odango, let's go get ice cream!"
"Ice cream?" Usagi perked up, following at Seiya's heels.
"But I swear, she looks EXACTLY like Seiya Kou!" a fan whined, staring at Seiya's feminine face.
"Can we have YOUR autograph?"
"Uh-oh. Run for it, Odango!" Seiya shouted, sprinting off down the dock and onto the grass.
Usagi ran after him, panting. "We'll never make it!" she giggled.
"The life of an idol is short and dangerous!" Seiya yelled. "Hurry!"
Usagi leapt forward and grabbed Seiya's hand. The taller woman looked down at her with surprise and clutched Usagi's hand tightly, grinning broadly. They dodged across the grass, heading back to the more crowded areas of the park, and ran by a familiar-looking pair seated by the lake's edge…
Taiki's eyes went wide with shock. "Seiya?" he called. Beside him, Ami was looking over the top of a poetry collection, her mouth gaping.
Seiya whirled around, her long ponytail flying out behind her. "Emergency! Fans on the loose!" she shouted before dragging Usagi off with her.
Taiki snorted, shaking his head. "Honestly, the way Seiya acts, you KNOW he's just doing it to get even more attention. Erm, she."
"Were they holding hands?" Ami asked, her blue eyes wide.
Taiki sweatdropped. "I'm sure it was just a precaution!"
Inside the main area of the park, Seiya and Usagi slowed to a walk, Usagi panting heavily. Seiya tossed her hair and grinned. "You need to work out more!"
"Trust me, I'm getting all the exercise I need hanging around YOU!" Usagi gasped, plopping herself down on the ground.
"I guess I can de-transform from this now," Seiya said. "Although I'm kind of going to miss this shirt."
She closed her eyes and reversed the transformation, leaving a boyish Seiya once more in place. He grinned, his deep blue eyes glinting.
"You can't say you don't have an interesting time with me!" said Seiya, sitting on the ground next to Usagi.
She smiled, still breathing heavily. "Never a dull moment with you, Seiya Kou. And you promised me ice cream."
"That's right. You sure are an expensive date."
"Seiya! We're not on a date!" Usagi said, giving him a shove.
"What? You sat on my lap in the car ride over here. You rode all the rides with me, not with anyone else. You went on a romantic boat ride with me, and since I'm such a great guy I gave you a massage while you had an intimate conversation. And now I'm buying you ice cream. Do they not call that a date on your planet?"
Usagi opened her mouth to say something, but Seiya cut her off. "Back on Kinmoku, if I did all that for a girl, she'd be falling all over me! Oh Seiya, you're the best date I've ever had! And so romantic and attractive!"
"And so full of yourself!" Usagi said.
"And so full of…love!" Seiya shot back.
"Well, since this is such a special date for you," Usagi started, giving him a sly look, "I suppose I'd better make it worth your while. I mean, you've gone to all this trouble."
She brushed a loose strand of Seiya's hair behind his ear and planted a tender kiss on his cheek.
Seiya's jaw dropped open slightly, and he blinked a few times before clamping it shut. He was unable to keep his face blank when she pulled away from him, and Usagi was met with a mixed expression of shock and gleeful joy on his boyish face.
He pulled himself together, and gave her a cocky smirk. "Not bad, for a start."
"Like you said…the journey is the interesting part, right?" Usagi said softly. She bit her lip hesitantly and met his eyes.
Seiya smiled at her.
"So, what happens next?"