Look Up at the Rain
"Its great to meet you!" That Girl exclaimed cheerfully. Relena scoffed at the memory, who said, 'Its great to meet you'? Usagi was a person of beauty and happiness. At least she was when they first met. When Relena had looked into those bleeding sapphires and was put under the rabbit's clever enchantment.
"Hiiro talks about you a lot! I can tell he really respects you, so you must be a wonderful person and I can't wait to get to know you better. We should go out sometime!" her sweet, melodic voice rang in Relena's head as she wandered the halls of the ESUN headquarters.
Only six days.
She stepped into the front lobby and handed her secretary, Chris, the week's schedule. Chris' desk had been decorated with holly and little christmas trees. The sight was spirit-filled and Relena drunk it in. Her home had no tree.
What was the point if there was no-one to share it with? No lover, no family - Zechs had chosen to spend Christmas in Tokyo. Her friends, well, they really only consisted of the ex-pilots and Noin. Well, Noin was with Zechs and Relena had been unable to keep in contact with Duo or Trowa. She occasionally saw Wufei with the Preventors but they weren't exactly the best buddies in the world.
It had been That Girl who kept them together for so long. But even her magic couldn't change their torn fates. Usagi had Duo wrapped around her finger, and when she had rejected him, he vanished. Catherine and Usagi were best friends, so she and Trowa stayed in town for about a year. Hiiro... of course he was around, but he was always with That Girl. Quatre found Usagi charming, and his sisters had told him she was just like his mother. He too, had been stricken, but soon fell out of love - something Relena admired Quatre for -and started dating a beautiful young woman by the name of Michiru.
But then... Usagi got sick.
Relena smiled broadly at the thought as she sat at her desk. The phone rang. She ignored it. That Girl had tuberculosis. It wasn't until she started coughing up all that blood was she diagnosed.
"Oh I'm fine Relena, you don't need to worry! I don't need to see a doctor, I just have a little fever is all..." she remembered Usagi telling her. When they were friends. That was before Relena realized Usagi was an evil witch.
Usagi changed a lot that Fall. She became difficult to look at. Her once healthy skin became a sick, pale color. Her eyes had dark rings around them. Her voice finally gave out from all the coughing. Rumor had it that she was taking American Sign Language lessons from a friend.
Relena glowered at the ringing phone.
Usagi was scared to death of doctors. Her condition got worse. She only pretended to take the medication. But Hiiro found out and they fought. It was mostly one-sided, since Usagi wasn't so good at talking.
A few days later Usagi collapsed in a heap of bone and skin, coughing hard as she choked on her blood. She almost died that day.
Almost. She couldn't walk so well after that. A lot of her muscle and fat tissue had wasted away, leaving her frail and weak. Tired, too. She coughed a lot, leaving her throat sore and breathing was difficult.
Her condition made Hiiro cry. Relena hated seeing him cry when Usagi finally submitted to going to the hospital. She had been there, because he asked her so nicely. But it was only so he could rub in the fact that he loved That Girl instead of her. When That Girl had finally fallen asleep he spoke those terrifyingly haunting words:
"I love you..." he whispered, holding her small hand in his. She had wanted to hurt That Girl so badly. Make her feel the pain she felt when he spoke. It was then, that Relena's hatred towards Usagi began, and since then, had intensified through jealousy and hurt.
It rained Usagi's first night in the hospital. Relena had finally forced herself to leave the room quietly.
"Look up at the rain... its washing away all our pain. Its giving us a fresh start, and afterwards we'll bask in the rainbow's brilliance." Usagi crooned.
Relena looked up at the rain. The dark, stormy clouds mocked her. They rumbled and laughed at her misfortune. All this time he had loved That Girl and she was too stupid to realize it. She had made a fool of herself.
Relena rubbed her temple, the phone had finally stopped ringing. She didn't care who it was, there was no point caring right now. Her life was pretty much over anyway. Without Hiiro, it was pointless. All because of That Girl, Usagi.
"Relena! Look, look! Its the first spring flower!" Usagi exclaimed, pointing at a small, budding flower. A rose. Around them the grass was soggy with melting snow. "It looks so happy, even though its all alone. But it knows that the others will come out soon too, right?" Relena smiled at Usagi, nodding.
"The snow can't keep them there forever."
Christmas Eve. AC 201.
Relena stopped at her front door. It was late. Almost midnight. She turned towards Wufei, who had offered to take her home. It was strange, he didn't usually acknowledge her. His ideas of peace and war were far different from hers.
"I guess... Merry Christmas, Preventor Chang." she spoke somewhat rigidly. She expected him to turn and leave, but he only stepped up to the door.
"Do you really think I'm going to let you go into a dark building, alone? You may act smart, but I surmise that you don't have that much common sense." his words melting the cold air. She stepped aside as he took the key and unlocked the door, slowly opening it and stepping in.
Relena frowned, her usual ride home was Preventor Kino, a spirited young woman who never took care to check the house. It was under constant supervision anyway. It was too bad Kino was on vacation, at least then Relena wouldn't be standing out in the cold.
Wufei opened the door, he looked solemn. He gulped - yes, gulped. Almost nervously.
"You can come in," he spoke, as if it were his house. Relena nodded and took no time getting inside and closing the door. Not bothering to offer Wufei a warm drink or ponder why he hadn't left yet.
The house was warm and Relena was soon uncomfortable in her coat and scarf. Taking them off and hanging them in the closet she stepped into the living room.
It was then, that Relena knew why Wufei had behaved so strangely.
"Merry Christmas Relena!" Usagi squealed out in sheer giddiness. Or so Relena had thought. But no, the blonde who had practically screamed out the holiday phrase was not Usagi. It was her look-a-like cousin, Minako. They had met once, and Relena had found her to be almost exactly the same.
"What..." Relena stopped. There she was.
That Girl.
Usagi smiled serenely at the shocked woman. Spelling out in sign language, 'Merry Christmas, Relena!'
But what shocked Relena most was the fact that Usagi was in Hiiro's arms. He stood there stoically, holding her bridal-style. He refused to meet her eyes.
"Do you like the tree?" Minako piped, waving her hand at the majestic piece of plastic and shiny baubles. They had put up the tree for her? Presents stood under, waiting patiently to be opened. There weren't many, but the few that were there made Relena want to cry and rip them up and throw them at That Girl.
How could someone so vile, so cunning, so hideous... Usagi looked terrible, and yet - she still smiled. Relena couldn't speak, she looked at Hiiro, who in turn looked away.
"Wufei, you can leave now." Relena inclined her head, Wufei nodded and turned to leave.
"Wait for me!" Minako cooed, throwing her jacket over her shoulders. Relena heard Wufei mutter something incoherent as the blonde hooked onto his arm.
Thats right, Minako had a crush on him.
"Thank-you for doing this," Relena said, moving closer to the tree. She looked at Hiiro.
"It was Usagi's idea," Hiiro grunted, setting That Girl down. That Girl smiled at Relena and opened her arms.
Hug you? You, you charmingly buoyant little girl? Your smile only makes peoplequake and your eyes have lost that look. You are ugly. Yet Hiiro, obviously still loves you. Why?
Relena wrapped her arms around the fragile girl, almost shuddering at the feel of her bones underneath the cream-colored sweater. She pulled away, smiling as best she could. Usagi grabbed Relena's hand, and began moving her hands to spell something. Well, Relena was no expert with sign language. She looked hopefully at Hiiro.
He finally met her eyes, "She says you're the best friend a person could have," he looked down at Usagi and smiled a very, very small smile, "and that shes very happy, to have met you."
That Girl continued to spin her web of deception. Making an air that felt like cotton candy and everything sweet. Relena wanted to get out, but she was stuck. How come it was so easy to fall into the spider's trap, yet so hard to climb out?
"Hey, Relena?" Usagi asked. "Yes?" Relena looked over at the small girl. "Could you get... someone in here to get that spider web out? Its scaring me!" Relena laughed, she glanced up at the web in the corner of the room. "Where do you think the spider is, Usagi?" "Relena! Stop it, you're freaking me out!" "Its probably just a harmless little spider! You have nothing to be afraid of!"
Nothing to be afraid of? What if the spider sucks out all of my blood, and leaves me to die?
"Don't worry, Usagi. I'm sure that spider only eats bugs. It wouldn't want to eat you anyway, you probably taste horrible!" Usagi stuck her tongue out at Relena, who continued to laugh at her. "Ahh! Look! Look! There it is!" Relena sighed and looked up from her lunch. Sure enough, a little daddy long-leg was walking up to the web. "Those are supposed to be the most poisonous spiders in the world!" Usagi exclaimed. Relena shook her head, "Yes but they're so small that they can't bite humans. We're too big for them and they eat other insects and mosquitoes! They're just innocent little creatures, wishing for a simple life! Now eat your fries, dear."
Perhaps, That Girl wasn't so bad afterall, Relena was no bug, and the spider wouldn't be able to get its little mouth around her. Yeah, That Girl Usagi was just a little spider. She could be squished easily. That Girl would be too afraid to attack Relena, because she knew Relena could squish her.
But Relena wouldn't squish her. That Girl was a nice spider who got rid of the bad bugs.
Usagi was nice.
--+--
Notes:
Okay, I lied! I've decided to do another chapter - but this is definitely the last of this short story thing. And I don't own Gundamwing or Sailormoon.
This chapter starts off a few days after the first, and Relena has flashbacks of her and Usagi's meetings and how, maybe, just maybe, Usagi isn't so evil afterall. This is sort of in defense of Usagi, since the last was in defense of Relena. Usagi, in this case, is oblivious to Relena's feelings for Hiiro, since Relena hides it well for fear of it leaking out to the media - or to Hiiro himself. So she - Usagi - ends up falling in love with him and he, her.