Author's Notes: ………..
Uh…. So much for the beginning of February, huh….?
……….
Don't hate me? Come on, guys! It's Friday, March 25th! Don't you know what today is? (And for all your Christians, no, not Good Friday.) It's Linh Huynh's birthday! Happy 16!
It is also Kitsu's cat's birthday today! His name is Noble, or as Kitsu said "Noble, but we call him Nobi, or Nobu, or Nobi-Wan, or Shithead..."
Annnnnnnnnd, it's Heaven's Flames birthday, too! Happy 3, Heaven's Flames! XD
See, you can't possibly hate me now, can you? It's our three year anniversary. There can be no hate.
Enjoy.
Disclaimer: Are you kidding me? Yes, I own Sailor Moon. Of course. Don't we all?
Heaven's Flames
Chapter 25
Usagi pulled away from her mother's embrace. She looked up at the older woman with tear filled eyes. Her mother quickly hushed her when she opened her mouth to speak.
"Don't." Ikuko shook her head sadly. She smiled as best she could. "Just promise me to write notes to your father and brother before you go."
Usagi nearly crumpled into a fit of tears again. She swallowed hard. "I will," she choked out.
The blonde stepped back, adverting her eyes from her mother. She paused for a moment, not sure what to do - if there was anything to do. She contemplated on saying more for a few brief seconds, but then hastily changed her mind.
Usagi spun on her heel and ran up to her bedroom, a certain video game clutched tightly in her hands.
Seiya sighed dejectedly and placed the toy gun in its holster. He stepped back from the gnashing undead on the videogame screen and stuffed his hands in his pockets.
"I'm all outta coins," he admitted feebly.
Usagi found the will to scoff. "You'd think being a cop and all, you'd be a better shot." She eliminated the rest of the monsters on her screen. "Oh well, I'm almost dead, too."
Seiya leaned against the adjacent fighting game, watching the blonde closely, almost predatorily.
"What do you want to do next, then?" he queried, trying to keep his eyes only on her face.
Usagi shrugged with one arm, shooting with the other. "What time is it?"
The police officer surveyed his watched. "A little after three. Want to go see a movie or something?"
Blonde pigtails shook back and forth. "I don't have any money for a movie."
"I told you," Seiya started, walking towards her, "today's all my treat."
Usagi started slightly when she felt his hand rest on her shoulder. She was taken off-guard enough for the zombies to rid her of her last bar of health.
The officer quickly removed his hand. "Sorry," he mumbled, not sure whether he was apologizing for making her die in the game, or for scaring her. Maybe for both.
Usagi turned away from the screen quickly. The 'game over' sequence was giving her chills laced with déjà vu.
"It's fine." She stepped towards the arcade doors. "You coming?"
Seiya smiled widely. "Of course." He strutted up behind her. "So, we're seeing a movie then?"
Usagi thought for a long moment. Was this her chance?
"Actually..." she began, hesitant. Seiya prodded her to continue. "Well, I was wondering… could we go to your place?"
The dark-haired man nearly choked on his own tongue. "I'm sorry?" he tried, positive he hadn't heard her correctly.
Usagi checked herself. She wanted him to be convinced she wanted to go there, but at the same time, she didn't want him to think she was looking for something… more.
"Well, I've never been to a bachelor's house before," she spit out quickly, then mentally smacked herself. It was a terrible lie. "I, um, I'm sure it's a mess."
Seiya rolled his eyes. "Oh, yeah, I guess." He laughed nervously. How stupid of him to think Usagi wanted something… more.
Usagi's hands trembled as she capped her pen. She placed it on her desk, next to the letters she had just finished writing: one for her father, one for her brother. The scrawled, rambling sentences were semi-blurred with the girl's tears. She sniffled.
Usagi stood from the small desk and took a long survey of her room. She would never be within these four walls ever again…
Her fingers trailed absent-mindedly over the video game while trying to take everything in. She mentally said goodbye to all her most precious possessions. She pushed aside all the memories, good and bad. It was all too much.
She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. She considered calling down to her mother once more, but thought the better of it. Instead she snatched up the game and quickly situated herself in front of her TV.
This was for the best - for her, for him.
For them.
"And this" – Seiya swallowed – "is my bedroom."
Usagi stepped inside the aforementioned room and looked around. It wasn't a mess. She stated so out loud, causing Seiya to flush.
"Yeah, well, I try, I guess..." The officer opened his mouth again, but was cut off by Usagi coughing. He blinked. "You all right?"
The blonde smiled sheepishly. "Yeah, I'm a little dry."
Seiya rose to the opportunity to be savior. "Want me to get you a drink?" he offered gallantly.
"Would you?" She pulled on a pigtail shyly. "Just a glass of water is fine. Thanks."
Seiya's dark ponytail swished around him as he retreated from the room and issued for her to "stay put and make herself comfortable."
The blonde's meek smile turned impish. She swung her head around the room quickly, knowing she didn't have much time. Her eyes landed on the television and the game system hooked up next to it. She rushed over to the console and eyed it.
There, a mere six inches from her, was the game that had started all this madness. She set her jaw, insides quivering.
This was it.
With trembling hands, Usagi reached out for the very disc that started all this madness. And would end it.
The blonde quickly snatched up the game, shoving it into the inside pocket of her coat, just in time. Seiya strutted in proudly, a glass of water in hand.
Usagi smiled widely. "Thank you so much."
Seiya arched his eyebrow. "It's just a glass of water."
The girl giggled and took the drink. "Right."
Usagi took a deep breath and held it. The opening title for Heaven's Flames scrolled colorfully across her screen.
She chose to start up Seiya's old game, figuring that would be the fastest. His character loaded and suddenly appeared at the save point. She bit back laughter – he chose the slutty female as his character.
She took a few steps forward, and soon enough the screen went all swishy as she was confronted with a random encounter. Usagi wasted all of her turns, making sure that the enemies would do enough damage.
She swallowed hard as the last bar of her health disappeared. The character fell to the ground. The 'game over' music started play.
And then the television began to shake.
Author's Notes: It'll 11:24 PM… At least I got this out before the day was over, right? Sorry that it was a sucky chapter, especially after you've waited for so long. This is just a set up for the next, and last, two.
DON'T LEAVE YET.
I would like you all to know that for the past four days, I have been working ten hours a day on a certain project. This project was in celebration for today's anniversary and as a huge thank you to all of you. Heaven's Flames would have probably stopped a long time ago if I didn't get all these wonderful reviews. I am proud to say that I have not gotten a single bad review/flame yet (that I can remember, at least – are there any? I don't know, XD ). And that's thanks to you all. I am eternally grateful.
As a token of my gratitude, I give you a thirteen page mini-manga of Heaven's Flames. It is an excerpt from chapter 23 where Usagi and Mamoru say their goodbyes. I have worked my every-loving booty call off on this, so please, treat it kindly.
Also, stay as wonderful as you have been and drop a comment on the site. It would make me all shades of ecstatic.
Without further ado:
HEAVEN'S FLAMES, the mini-manga:
http?www?livejournal?com/users/hfcreatorix/27915.html
(replace the question marks with periods – or in the http? place, put a semi-colon and two dashes - and put an underscore between the hf and the creatorix - curse you, you, again, for being so wonderful thus far. I hope you all continue to read through until the end.
For those of you who have been with me from the beginning: I am so beyond grateful. You've dealt with me for three years now, and haven't given up.
For Whitney: You're one of my best friends. This story would be nothing without you. Thank you for always listening to me rant on and on about the newest plot twist, or side story, or whatever (in this and in all of my stories) without ever complaining.
For people who are reading this months from now: Thank you for finding this story and keeping it alive. Pass it on, ok? I'm shameless
For those of you who have just started/started somewhere after three years ago: You guys rock. All of you along the way have kept me going. Thank you, and feel free to continue to feed my self-conscious little ego.
For those of you who took the time to e-mail me: You're my favorites of all. You have no idea how happy getting those e-mails make me.
For everyone: Thank you for dealing with my broken deadlines and almost non-existent updates. Also, thank you for dealing with my horrible writing (especially in the first few chapters). You guys mean everything to me.
I know I should be saving all of that for the last chapter, but I think for today it seems more appropriate.
Uh-oh, the author's notes have become almost as long as the chapter, XD Not a good thing.
I'll stop now. Thank you all.
Enjoy the comic.
