The Truths of Love: Chapter seventeen
Disclaimer: I don't own Sailor Moon. Never have, never will, so please don't sue me.
A/N: Well, guys, here's another chapter. Thank you all for your lovely reviews... they make me feel all warm and tingly inside. Heh... heh... anyways. Thanks again, and keep on with the reviews.
Laughter was all she could hear. Cackling, maniacal laughter, coming from all around her.
"Usagi, I'm sorry," the blonde haired man at her door said, his face furrowed with sorrow. "There was an accident. Your family was killed when the plane they were on crashed."
"I'm sorry for the loss of your family, Usagi," Matt said.
"You crashed the plane, Matt."
"She had to be turned mortal."
"You're sentenced to death..."
Usagi sat bolt upright in the bed, tears leaking down her face and sweat trickling down her back.
'Why?' she asked herself for what was probably the millionth time. 'Why me? What did I do to deserve this? Who did I wrong?'
She grabbed the blanket and pulled it tighter around her, sobbing quietly.
"It's not fair," she sobbed quietly. "It's just not fair. Why did they have to be on that flight? Why couldn't they have been delayed or... or something! It's not fair!"
Her heart wrenching cry tore through the apartment building, and Mamoru sat up quickly from where he dozed on the couch.
"Usagi," he muttered as he rushed to the bedroom, only to find the girl curled into a ball on the bed, sobbing uncontrollably.
Walking to the bed, he scooped the girl into his arms, marveling at how tiny she was, how frail and light. Pushing her hair back from her face, he whispered soothing nothings into her ear, waiting for her to calm down.
"Mamoru, I don't understand," she whispered, her face buried into his chest. "Why did he do it? Why did he have to kill them?"
Mamoru shook his head softly, running his hand slowly through her long blonde hair.
"I don't know, Usako," he said softly. "He was crazy... but he won't be able to get to you anymore. And I'll keep you safe from everything from now on. Let's sleep now, and in the morning, things will look brighter. Alright?"
Usagi nodded, her tears finally stemming to a stop.
"Alright, Mamo-chan," she said softly, laying back down on the bed and closing her eyes.
Mamoru looked down at the body on his bed and shook his head softly.
'Matt, you stupid bastard. For what you have done to Usagi, and for all the pain you've caused her, you deserve to die.'
With that thought in his mind, Mamoru lay beside Usagi and closed his eyes, falling asleep.
Two weeks later...
Usagi laughed brightly at something Rei said to her, her eyes alive with laughter.
"Rei, how could you!" she exclaimed.
Rei grinned wickedly and took a small sip of her soda."It was quite easy, actually. Yuuchiro just doesn't know when I'm taking advantage of him. He's such a love sick little puppy... I pity the guy."
Minako smirked.
"Rei, you know what's happening, don't you? You're beginning to fall in love with Yuuchiro!"
Rei turned an interesting shade of red as Minako concluded, and the four girls with her burst into laughter. Usagi swiped tears from her eyes as she sat back, catching her breath.
"Rei, that was priceless. The look on your face..." Usagi couldn't help it, and burst into laughter once more, and the Ami, Minako and Makoto, looking at the expression of barely suppressed rage on Rei's face, followed suit.
"I am not falling in love with Yuuchiro," she muttered angrily, pushing her long, raven black hair over her shoulder. "He's the one in love with me, remember? It's not the other way around."
Makoto smirked and waved one hand, her emerald green eyes dancing with laughter.
"It's only a matter of time, Rei. Then the wedding bells will be ringing, and we'll be standing there telling you we told you so."
Minako nodded her head in agreement, and Usagi just smirked at Rei. Even Ami couldn't help smiling slightly at Rei's outraged face.
"Why, the nerve of you--" At that moment her words were cut off as Usagi's phone rang.
Looking down, Usagi gave an apologetic grimace.
"Sorry guys, I have to go. Mamoru wants to take me out to dinner; that's why I didn't have anything to eat. He told me to 'eat light' because he's taking me out to a fancy dinner tonight." She shrugged lightly. "Anyways, I have to go get ready now, so I'll talk to you later."
The four girls nodded and they all said their goodbyes. As soon as Usagi had left, Minako and Rei turned knowing looks on each other.
"So, tonight's going to be the night, eh, Rei?" Minako asked the raven haired girl.
Rei nodded with a grin.
"So it would seem," she replied.
Seeing the confused looks on Ami and Makoto's faces, Rei quickly filled them in on the ring that she'd found in Mamoru's coat pocket.
"So," she finished, "I think tonight will be the night he asks her to marry him."
Makoto sighed dreamily, resting her cheek in her hand.
"That's so romantic," she crooned softly. "Oh, I wish someone would love me like Mamoru loves Usagi."
Looking out the window, Ami smiled softly to herself.
'Good luck, Usagi-chan,' she thought to herself. 'After all you've been through, you deserve to be happy.'
Meanwhile...
Usagi sat in the bathroom of Mamoru's apartment, getting ready for the dinner that night. As she thought of the past two weeks, a small smile lifted the corner of her cheeks.
After the fateful day in court when Matt had been sentenced to death, Mamoru had spent every one of his days with Usagi, comforting her and just talking with her. They'd gotten to know each other so well over the past two weeks, she reflected, and now she couldn't imagine life without him.
A light tap at the door interrupted her thoughts.
"Usako, are you just about ready? We have to be going; the dinner reservation is in forty five minutes, and it takes about half an hour to get there, depending on traffic."
Giving herself one last quick glance over in the mirror, Usagi nodded in satisfaction.
Standing up, she walked to the bathroom door and pulled it open.
"Alright, alright already, jeesh. You need to be more patient," Usagi complained. "It was your idea to take me somewhere fancy, after all, and I did have to get ready."
As soon as she stepped out of the bathroom, Mamoru's mouth fell open. She looked like a vision sent from above.
Usagi's hair was hanging loosely down her back, tiny curls at the end. Tendrils hung around her face, framing it slightly. Her makeup consisted of a light foundation and blush, light pink lipstick, and a slight shade of blue eye shadow.
Her dress was a floor length, velvet evening gown of deep midnight blue, clinging to and showing off every curve of her body. On her feet were high heeled slippers of the same midnight color, and hanging around her neck on a small silver chain was a small sapphire, completing the outfit.
The overall look was astonishing, and it was all Mamoru could do to stop himself from drooling. Shutting his mouth and taking a firm hold of his emotions, he turned back to her, a smile on his face.
"Shall we go?" He asked her.
At the same time Mamoru had been taking in her outfit, Usagi had been gawking at Mamoru.
He was dressed in a fancy black tuxedo with silver lining, and a white dress shirt beneath the coat. His ebony hair was swept off of his face and gelled down. Completing the outfit were black dress shoes.
Usagi smiled and nodded slightly, taking the arm Mamoru held out to her.
"Indeed we shall," she replied.
The two of them walked down to the car arm in arm, chatting and laughing quietly to themselves.
Mamoru held the car door open for Usagi, who smiled gratefully and stepped into the car, making sure that her dress was fully inside before pulling the door closed. Mamoru walked around to the other side of the car and opened his door, getting in and closing it too. Pulling out the keys, he started the car and pulled out of the parking spot, heading towards Chez Salantiah, the most expensive, exclusive place within all of Tokyo.
Mamoru watched as Usagi's face went through a variety of emotions. First there was surprise, then there was amazement, and finally delight.
"So this is what you meant by fancy, eh, Mamo-chan?" She asked with a laugh, her eyes shining with delight.
Grinning, Mamoru nodded as he thought of the surprise he had waiting for her in the restaurant. But now wasn't the time to think of it; it would happen soon enough.
Stepping out of the car, he walked to her side and opened the door for her, holding out his arm as she stepped out of the car.
"Let's go," he said with a smile.
Usagi returned the smile and took the arm he offered, and together the two of them headed towards the restaurant.
Holding open the door of the restaurant, Mamoru let Usagi walk in first, and then he himself stepped inside. The place was gorgeous.
Crystal chandeliers hung from the ceiling, reflecting rainbow colored light all around the place. The walls were a soft cream color, with gold leaves and foliage painted around. The floor was a plush cream colors, like the walls, and as Usagi and Mamoru walked over to be seated, their feet seemed to sink into the floor.
"Welcome to Chez Salantiah. How may I help you?" The person behind the podium asked.
"Yes, reservation for two under Chiba," Mamoru replied, sending a small smile at Usagi.
"Ah yes, right this way." Stepping out from behind the podium, he led the two to a table in the corner of the restaurant. The tables were spread out, and a deep mahogany wood. Simple gold cloth tablecloths were draped on top of the tables. Holding out Usagi's chair, he allowed her to sit down, and then pushed the chair in.
"Your waiter shall be with you in a minute," the man said, and bowing, he turned and walked back to his post at the podium.
Usagi looked at the table in amazement, shaking her head. The silver wear gleamed silver, and even the plates rims were edged in silver. The glasses were more like crystal goblets, and filled with sparkling water. In the center of the table, a single candle stood burning.
"Mamoru, this is fabulous," Usagi breathed. "But... it's so expensive. Why would you want to spend so much money on me?"
Mamoru smiled softly.
"Because I love you, Usako. And you deserve the best."
Usagi turned a deep shade of red, and averted her eyes from his. At that moment, the waiter came over and handed them two menus.
Usagi opened the menu, and her eyes skimmed it, widening in delight at all the different choices she could choose from.
Mamoru opened his own menu and briefly looked through it, before setting it down.
"I'd like the chicken teriyaki croissant, please," he said.
The waiter nodded and whipped out a pad of paper and a pen, jotting it down.
"And for the lady?" he asked.
"Ah..." Usagi looked puzzled for a minute, and then nodded her head in decision. "I'll take the soup in a bread bowl, please."
The waiter nodded slightly. "What kind of soup would you like?"
Usagi glanced up at the waiter with a smile.
"What would you suggest?" She asked him.
The waiter blushed slightly as she looked at him.
"I'd suggest the wild pea soup, but that's just me."
Usagi nodded slightly.
"I'll take your suggestion. Wild pea soup in a bread bowl, please."
The waiter nodded and quickly wrote down her order.
"And drinks?"
"I'll have white wine, please," Mamoru said.
"Water is fine for me, thanks," Usagi said.
The waiter nodded his head slightly and turned around, walking away from the table.
Usagi and Mamoru made light conversation as they waited for their meals to come, and when they finally did, Mamoru chuckled at the excitement on Usagi's face.
Under the table, he gently took one of her hands.
"Usako, you're drooling," he whispered, and smirked when her face turned red.
Usagi mock glared at the man across from her and shook her head, but at the same time discreetly brought her hand up and wiped away any drool that might have been there.
Smirking, Mamoru shook his head and looked down at his food, picking it up and beginning to eat. The next few minutes were silent as the two ate their food, relishing the company of each other.
Finally, the food was done, and the water took the trays away.
Mamoru grinned; now was the time.
"And for dessert, chocolate mousse cake," the waiter announced.
Usagi's eyes lit up with delight.
"Ooo, that's my favorite!" She squealed slightly.
Mamoru grinned slightly at her reaction, and at the surprise she had coming.
The waiter brought out two trays, and placed one before Usagi and the other before Mamoru, pulling the top off of them both and bowing before walking away.
Mamoru smiled softly, his heart fluttering in his chest.
"Dig in, Usako," he said softly.
Usagi blinked, but she smiled and nodded, picking up her fork and taking a bite of the cake. Suddenly she stopped and frowned.
"There's something in this," she muttered, reaching up to her mouth. "I bit something."
Mamoru smiled as he watched her pull the object out... a gold ring, with a small diamond on top of it. His smile widened as he watched her eyes open in surprise, and her mouth formed an 'o'.
Getting down onto one knee, Mamoru took Usagi's hand in his own.
"Usako. I've known you for only a few months, but I already know... that I want to spend the rest of my life with you. I know this is hard for you... You've been through so much recently. But I want to be there for you, and I want you to always be able to turn to me if something happens. Usagi... will you marry me?"
Usagi's eyes filled with tears, her mouth unable to form any words. Speechless, she slipped the ring onto her finger, all the answer that Mamoru needed.
His smile just about split his face, it was so big.
"I love you, Usako. I always will."
"And... and I love you, Mamoru. Thank you... for everything." She wiped her eyes to stop the tears from flowing, but gave up with a small laugh, and instead threw her arms around Mamoru, hugging him tightly.
Mamoru grinned, wrapping her into his embrace and holding her for awhile.
Finally Usagi pulled back and went to her own seat, sitting down and just staring at the ring. The diamond was in the shape of a small heart, and the light from the chandeliers made it cast small rainbow lights around the table. Usagi just shook her head in wonder and looked up at Mamoru, her eyes alight with love.
Mamoru smiled softly.
"Should we go, Usako?" He asked softly.
Usagi smiled and nodded, standing up. Mamoru stood as well and offered his arm to her once more, which she promptly took, and after paying the bill, the two of them walked out of the restaurant.
Mamoru wrapped his arm around his fiancée as the two of them walked to his car.
"Mamoru, why do you want to marry me?" Usagi asked quietly.
Mamoru looked down at the woman he was walking with and smiled slightly.
"It's quite easy, Usako. I love you. I know in my heart that it's the right thing to do; no one will ever make me feel as complete as you do. And I want to protect you from everything and everyone that seeks to hurt you. That's all that I know, but it's enough."
Usagi smiled softly and laid her head on his shoulder as the two walked. Soon enough they were back at the car, and driving back to his apartment.
"So, what are we going to do tomorrow?" Mamoru asked as the two of them got ready for bed.
Usagi's face fell at the question.
"Oh, Mamoru, I promised the girls I'd spend the day with them. And... I have to start planning the wedding. Even though we don't know when it's going to be... or where... or how... or..."
Usagi was cut off by the touch of Mamoru's lips on hers.
"It's alright, Usako. We'll make it work. You have fun with the girls tomorrow, and I'll see you tomorrow night, alright?"
Usagi smiled and nodded as the tow got into bed.
"Alright, Mamoru. That sounds good. Goodnight, Mamo-chan."
"Goodnight, Usako."
And with that, Mamoru leaned over and turned the lamp on the table by his bed off, and the two fell asleep.
A/N: Alright, so this chapter was really bad. I'm sorry. And I'm very sorry it took so long to get out. By the way, I need your help. I don't know what to do about Matt. If you guys want more, I can have him escape before he's killed, and come after Usagi. Or I can have Usagi and Mamoru get married and live happily ever after. Or I can have Usagi and Mamoru get married, and then Matt gets out and comes after them. Tell me what you think I should do, because I'm coming to the end of the story, and if you want more, then I need more ideas. Also, I have begun working on my next story, but I'm not sure where it's going, or how it's going to turn out. I don't know when chapter one will be posted, either, but I hope you like that as well. And now, before I do anything, I want to thank all of my lovely editors. You guys have been with me from the beginning, and thank you for all you've done for me, and all the support you've given me. I'm sorry this is long, but oh well. Thanks again for all of your support!