A/N: Thank you so much for the reviews last chapter! They really kept me inspired to write. :) A couple notes for this chapter: as I was writing I couldn't stop thinking about this song I found recently. I feel like if this story had a theme song it would be "To Kelly Lee" by The Speed of Sound in Saltwater. Go check it out on Youtube or Spotify to see a little bit of the feeling I'd like this story to have-a little melancholy.
Disclaimer: I don't own Sailor Moon, but also, I've used a translation from a song from the final season of Sailor Moon. It's called "Nagreboshi hi" or "To the Shooting Stars." I don't own that song either!
As You Wish
Chapter 2: to be reunited with you
Makoto and Minako had managed to carry Rei to her bedroom, where Ami began tending to her fatigued friend. Ami's fingers moved quickly and gently, removing Rei's outer garbs and applying a cool, wet compress to her forehead. Before long, Rei had recovered and her eyes opened slowly to be greeted by her friends' worried faces. She grinned at her friends and meekly spoke to the group. "It'll take more than that to get rid of me!" The friends chuckled lightly, and before they knew it their usual light-hearted chatter was filling the room once more.
"I think you just over exerted yourself," Ami stated, dabbling her friend's forehead with the cloth. Usagi sat at the edge of Rei's bed, her chin against her crossed arms as she watched Ami tend to their friend. Her face had returned to its normal color and she seemed nearly back to her normal self, but Usagi just couldn't shake the images she had seen in the fire from her memory.
"What happened today?" Usagi asked, looking around to her friends.
"Well, if someone hadn't been so late, maybe you'd have seen!" Rei grumbled.
Usagi stuck her tongue out at Rei and crossed her arms. "Maybe some of us were busy—"
"Meeting other guys?" Minako chimed in. Usagi glanced at Minako who smiled mischievously back at her. "Don't act like you weren't at the arcade today with some hunky older guy!" Minako's grin grew wider as she teased her friend.
"ARCADE?" Rei yelled, sitting up in her bed, causing Ami to fall back, where she was caught by Makoto.
Usagi blushed a deep scarlet and stood up, facing Minako. "How did YOU know about that?!"
Minako stood up as well, flicking her long golden hair behind her back, laughing loudly, "Because I, too, was late! And as I was running here I saw YOU at the arcade with Motoki and a dark haired gentlemen!"
"Oh hey now!" Makoto shouted, dropping Ami from her arms, "I thought we were on a strict agreement that you aren't allowed to flirt with Motoki now that you're dating Seiya. This was a long time pact…"
Suddenly, Minako, Makoto, Usagi, and Rei were all shouting over each other about boys, being late, grades, and a slew of other unrelated subjects. Ami sat on the floor after being disregarded by her friends, her face reddening as the bickering continued. Finally, she stood up, using all her strength to yell, "THAT'S ENOUGH, ALL OF YOU." The group fell silent, staring at their usually quiet friend. She blushed a deeper scarlet and added quietly, "Perhaps we should let Rei explain what just happened today. I think it's important." The girls apologized quietly, falling to their seats around the table, and Rei laying back into her bed.
"Something had felt off all morning," Rei began, looking at each of her friends' faces. "It was as if there was something important I needed to remember, but the harder I tried, the more difficult and confused I became."
Usagi nodded, piping in, "I felt that way too! It's been the strangest thing…" Nods and sounds of agreement followed from the others. It was obvious they all had been experiencing the same thing.
Rei continued with her story, "Eventually, as I was walking past a burning incense today, I saw something in the smoke—it looked like me, but it wasn't me. The wind began to blow the smoke and that's when I saw you all...but it was just your bodies. I began to pray here, trying to make sense of what I had seen. By the time you were all here I knew I had to try and cleanse us of whatever was coming our way because the images kept getting stronger... But it was like there was something fighting me from seeing anything clearer. And then those images that you saw suddenly appeared."
The group was silent, taking in everything that Rei had said. Even in this tense moment, for some reason Usagi felt safe with these people. No one hardly moved until Makoto broke the silence, crossing her arms, "Did it make sense to you? Any of it?" She looked to Rei, troubled over what she had heard.
Rei shook her head, "Not most of it. But after I fainted, I saw something else." There was another silence before she spoke again, "There was a warning for you Usagi."
Rei's cold, dark stare met Usagi's with an intensity she had never seen before. Usagi chuckled, trying to play it off, "What, I shouldn't be late anymore?" But Rei's stare didn't falter.
"Usagi, I don't know what this is or why I've seen it, but I promise you, I am not joking. They said you have to wake up."
Usagi swallowed hard and nodded at her friend, still unsure what to make of the words. The whole situation was so absurd. Any other time, Usagi surely would have taken offense at Rei's words or thought her to be pulling her leg—but this time, with the way the entire day had been and the images from the fire still fresh in her memory, the words truly seemed like a threat.
"Hey, don't take it so seriously," Minako said, hugging her friend from the side, "Maybe this is just a crucial turning point in our lives. It's a premonition—it's got to be symbolic or something! I mean, we aren't all going to die!"
Makoto joined in, trying to cheer up Usagi. "Yeah! And we're always here for each other! You know I'll protect you guys anyway I can!" She cracked her knuckles and grinned to her friends as Ami sighed from behind her.
At that moment, there was a ringing of a bell and then a knocking at the shoji screen to Rei's room. The door slid open without hesitation and two kimono-clad figures stood in the doorway. A tall, sandy blonde masculine woman and a shorter but lithe woman with aquamarine hair. They were beautiful, not only as individuals, but together as well.
"Ah! Pardon the intrusion," the aquamarine haired girl apologized. "We were looking for someone." Her voice was light and smooth, like the lapping waves of the ocean.
Her tall partner looked around the room for a moment, seemingly surprised "Ah, do we know you?"
The group of girls looked around to each other, shaking their heads. Usagi stood first to introduce herself, "I'm Usagi Tsukino!" She smiled brightly and bowed. "It's a pleasure to meet you!"
The blonde chuckled, "What an adorable name for such a perky girl." She flipped her hair out of her eyes with a shake of her head, "I'm Haruka, and this is Michiru."
"How do you do," Michiru chimed in, her model-like smile appearing once more.
Haruka motioned toward Rei, "You must be the shrine maiden. I've heard a lot about you. I felt a powerful aura not too long ago...that must have been you." The words were a compliment, but Haruka's voice sounded unsure of what to make of the situation.
Rei nodded from her bed, carefully defending herself without coming across too harshly, "Yes. There was a powerful force that needed cleansing." Their eyes caught one another in a gaze, it was obvious they both had strong connections with their psychic abilities. The others seemed to hardly notice the tense undertones to the conversation.
Michiru's smooth voice broke the tension that lingered in the air, "It's so strange, it really does feel as if I've known you all before. It's more like a homecoming than an introduction!"
In a round of agreement, the girls introduced themselves to their guests. There truly was a warmth of familiarity among the group, despite their slightly rocky start. As Ami began to pass out sweets to the guests, the crying of a child could be heard nearing the abode.
Michiru locked eyes with Haruka, speaking to her without actually saying anything, and stepped outside of the room. Another woman's voice rang through the silence, "I found her near the koi pond...She says she scuffed her leg." At that time the owner of the voice appeared with Michiru in the doorway. It was a young woman with long, dark green hair, and she carried a black haired child in her arms.
Haruka turned to help the woman with the child and brought her into the room, laying her down on the tatami. Blood ran down the length of the young girl's calf, and her face was red from crying. "Do you have some bandages?" Ami jumped up to help Haruka and before long the two had the young girl's knee clean and bandaged.
"Thank you for your help on behalf of myself and my roommates," the newest, green-haired woman bowed deeply. "I'm Setsuna Meioh. It's a pleasure." Setsuna returned from her bow and motioned for younger girl to introduce herself.
The girl stood, wiping her short black hair from her tear stained cheeks. She blushed slightly before quietly greeting them, "Thank you for your help. I'm Hotaru Tomoe." She looked to Usagi and smiled, suddenly coming out of her shell, "Your presence is warm, Usagi. I like it here." Usagi smiled back, feeling something from her memory tugging at her heart. This kind girl reminded her of someone, but she couldn't quite place it.
There was another look exchanged between Setsuna and Michiru and a moment of tenseness. "We should go," Michiru added, "We've been in your hair long enough." She smiled again, patting Hotaru on the back and leading her toward the door.
Minako stood, assuming her usual role in the group as a leader. "Please, feel welcome anytime. We were glad to be able to help."
The four new women nodded, thanking the group, making idle chit chat as they said their goodbyes. As they exited the room, Haruka poked her head back in, and spoke to Usagi. "Be careful, little bunny, as sweet as you are a wolf is sure to eat you up." She winked, leaving a red blush across Usagi's cheeks, before she was pulled away by Michiru who began to scold her for teasing young girls.
When the four were out of sight from Rei's room, there was a silence among the group. The cry of the cicada and the light chirping of birds filled the small room, a peace filling the place where there had once been fear. They all took their time in processing the events that had just unfolded—it had already been a busy day and they had barely gotten started.
Ami was the first to break the silence, with a small observation. "The girl...Hotaru…. Usagi, how did she know your name?" Ami looked to Usagi whose eyes opened wide in surprise. Another silence filled the room and an eerie chill filled the air. Usagi shook her head but the words wouldn't come out.
As the day wore on, the girls eventually returned to their original plans. They stopped by their favorite restaurant for parfaits, went window shopping, and prepared themselves for the night's concert. Usagi had almost forgotten about the ominous premonition Rei had mentioned earlier in the day. She happily spent the day with her friends, laughing and gossiping until they finally were on their way to the Three Lights concert.
Minako led the pack, walking in front of everyone, proudly carrying her Three Lights merchandise in a bag with the band's faces on it. She turned around to face the group, walking backwards. "I cannot wait to see these guys in concert again! I know I have to be their biggest fan." She pointed at the signature on her Three Lights band t-shirt, "Do you see this? This is from the first concert we ever saw them at. And the time Seiya asked you out, Usagi!"
Usagi smiled, thinking back to the memory fondly. Up to that point she and Seiya had been friends for nearly a year. When she first met Seiya, he, Yaten, and Taiki had just become students at Juban High School. Seiya had been a huge flirt, but Usagi had been too nervous to realize he was actually interested in her, despite the numerous number of dates he had taken her on.
"I still can't believe out of all of us, Usagi is the one to end up with a Three Lights member!" Rei teased, "I mean, she practically turned the guy down a hundred times, even though we all knew they liked each other."
A grumbled retort came from Usagi before they all began reminiscing on the early days of Usagi and Seiya and the Three Lights. Everyone seemed to have no trouble picking out fun memories, but sometimes when Usagi thought back to the early days of her and Seiya's relationship, she couldn't recall the exact details. She remembered being with him, and going on dates, but there were segments of time that seemed to slip through the cracks in her memory.
Usagi slowed her pace, as her friends walked along happily ahead of her. An overwhelming sense of panic was overcoming her, dread filling her chest. She couldn't remember the first time she had met Seiya. Wasn't it at the airport? But why was she there? She called out to her friends to stop, and they looked to her with concern.
"Did...did I meet Seiya at the airport?" Usagi asked sheepishly.
Makoto laughed heartily, "No! Don't you remember it was—"
Suddenly there was screaming. Minako turned on her heel to face the source of the sound and jumped up onto a nearby bench. They had already made it to the concert venue and a large crowd of people had formed outside the front doors. "Oh my god, guys!" Minako screamed, pointing. "It's them!" Makoto and Rei both jumped onto the bench, joining their friend in her excitement, both of them joining in on the screaming. Ami sighed, standing beside Usagi.
"It isn't like we don't see them every day," Ami mumbled, putting her nose into a college exam book she had brought with her.
Usagi chuckled, grabbing her blue-haired friend's wrists, "Yeah, but it's still a lot of fun!" Usagi pulled Ami up onto the bench, and strained to catch a glimpse of the band members in the distance. From their current spot, she could just see the three members in their iconic suits, waving to the crowd.
"Let's get closer!" Minako yelled over the screams, pulling Makoto and Rei into the crowd. Ami quickly grabbed onto Rei's hand and reached out for Usagi. Usagi barely grasped Ami's hand with two fingers before they were whisked away into the crowd. The chain of friends made it almost up to the front doors where the Three Lights were fenced off from the mob of fangirls that had formed outside.
"Thanks for coming, everyone!" Seiya yelled out to the crowd. Everyone cheered back, loudly in response.
Yaten flicked his hair and reached out to the crowd, "We're so lucky to have so many beautiful fans!" Again, cheering from the crowd. Usagi could have swore she heard Minako swoon at his words.
"We hope you enjoy the show," Taiki added on finally, his deep voice, resonating through the cheers. This time Ami was the one to cheer the loudest and the girls laughed at their usually quiet friend's response.
Seiya removed a single red rose from his pocket, preparing to finish their usual meet and greet ritual for their fans, "As always, a rose for our very special fan today!" Taiki and Yaten removed their roses as well, one white and one yellow. They tossed each rose out into the crowd and more cheering filled the air. Usagi's head barely stuck out of the crowd, but Seiya's eyes scanned the mob and made eye contact with hers just briefly enough to know he had somehow found her. Her hand reached out to him and he winked as he turned to enter the venue. A little rush of happiness went coursing through Usagi's heart, knowing his actions were just for her.
After a brief moment, the fence was removed and the crowd ran in. Music was already blaring inside the dark room. Lights flickered throughout the room, fog covered the ground, and people jumped and screamed for the show to start. Usagi took an uneasy step backwards, bumping into someone, suddenly very disoriented. She looked around frantically, realizing she had somehow lost her friends in a stampede of people who had shoved their way between her and her group. Before she could push through the crowd, the Three Lights were already on stage. The music swelled and they began to sing the first notes of their newest, most popular song.
Despite being surrounded by people, without her friends, Usagi felt extremely alone. She'd been to so many Three Lights concerts, but it wasn't any fun without her friends laughing and dancing beside her. She scanned the crowd around her, but no one she knew was around. Somehow the volume of the music isolated her even more. She looked up to the stage wishing Seiya could come save her. His eyes sparkled as he sang, his voice full of passion. He was doing what he loved. Usagi's heart pattered softly in her chest. Even though she loved him, she couldn't help feeling a little sad. In this moment, she was just one face of the thousands that were here. The first song ended and there was another wave of cheering. Usagi smiled, a little forlorn.
"If you have someone here that you love, hold them tight for this next one," Seiya yelled into his microphone. The world seemed to keep on going around Usagi as she stood in place in the crowd. Everything seemed warped, the people like shadows around her and the sounds muffled in comparison.
She frowned. "But what if you're the one I love?" She murmured softly, staring at her lover who was so far away on stage.
"Search for your love..." The band began to sing Usagi's favorite song, the song Seiya had written for her.
There was another surge of people rushing toward the stage as Yaten or Taiki announced something Usagi hadn't heard while in her distant thoughts. She stumbled forward, losing her footing, sure she would fall and be trampled by the excited fans around her, but a strong hand reached out and grabbed her, steadying her.
"Woah, you okay?" A familiar voice shouted out over the screams.
"You have always been shining so brightly, your smiling face is just like a tiny star. I have been treasuring it—eternal starlight."
Usagi turned toward the voice, meeting eyes with the man she had met at the arcade. "Mamoru?"
Mamoru's blue eyes looked back at Usagi's with surprise, "Tsukino!"
Tears welled up in Usagi's eyes as she looked at the familiar face. She wasn't sure why— if it was just the entire day finally catching up to her or if it was that she had been feeling so alone — but she couldn't seem to hold back the tears any longer.
"On that day I could not come and protect you, I just held my tears of regret inside...I am still feeling the pain. I won't forget you, sweetheart."
"Are you okay?" Mamoru, shouted over the music, his head close to Usagi's ear. A shiver ran down her body as his breath grazed her ear. Someone bumped into, Usagi pushing her closer to Mamoru and against his chest.
"Search for your love, the crystals of the heavens. Search for your love, please don't start to cry. Search for your love. I really want to hold you close to me now."
Usagi looked up to Mamoru, her face flushed. "Sorry," she murmured, sure that she probably wasn't heard above the blaring music. "I'm okay." Mamoru's lips were close to hers. She could feel the strong pull to lean into him and kiss him—but what was she thinking? She barely knew him. Seyia's voice was singing to her, she knew it, but why couldn't she break away from Mamoru's gaze? She backed away slightly to make room between the two of them, laughing loudly. "What're you doing at a Three Lights concert?!"
"Your strong scent, I'm always searching for it. Can you hear my voice calling out? I love you so. Where are you now, Moonlight Princess? My lovely princess…"
Mamoru sighed, yelling over the music, "Blind date gone wrong!" Usagi thought she saw a slightly blush creep across his cheeks. Another person knocked into Mamrou pushing him back into Usagi, causing her to gasp. "Do you want to get out of here?" Mamoru nodded toward an exit. For some reason, Usagi nodded in agreement, her eyes wide and her heart pounding. Mamoru grabbed her around the shoulders, leading her through the crowd to a hallway outside the main hall of the venue. The music could still be heard through the walls clear as day.
"Running through the distant night sky, now I make a wish on a shooting star, whispering I want to be with you. Please tell this to her, starlight."
In the darkened hall, there was a sudden awkwardness as Mamoru looked over Usagi who still had tears in her eyes. Mamoru cleared his throat and revealed a red rose from his inner jacket pocket. "Don't cry, Dumpling Princess. Your prince is calling for you." He made a nod to the doors leading back to the concert hall, the Three Lights' voices still booming. "I will say, he's got good taste. I've always had an affinity for red roses."
Usagi blushed, her heart pounding in her chest as she reached out to take the flower. "A red rose…" she murmured. Her eyes met Mamoru's once more and she noticed something she hadn't seen before—a sadness of sorts...or was it longing? She took a step toward him, reaching out to touch his hair. "Do you remember me? From before the arcade?" The question felt ridiculous coming out of her mouth. Why would she say something like that? She began to retract her hand, but Mamoru reached out to hold it against his face.
"As time passes by, we become adults, I have finally realized that the broken pieces are not enough. Please stay by my side, sweetheart."
"I'm not sure," Mamoru whispered, his eyes falling to Usagi's lips. "It feels like it, doesn't it?"
"Search for your love, on the silver ocean. Search for your love, the ship floats adrift. Search for your love...in this madness it will be swept out to you."
Usagi's hand trembled in Mamoru's as he leaned toward her. She could smell the sweet scent of his cologne mingling with the rose she now held against his chest. How did it smell so familiar? It was bringing up feelings of something from her past, the memories danced just outside of her reach. The world seemed to slow and the music from the concert began to fade away to just a whisper. There was something...something about the rose and Mamoru's dark eyes….
"Your strong scent, I'm always searching for it. Can you hear my voice calling out? I love you so. Where are you now, Moonlight Princess? My lovely princess…"
Usagi could feel her eyes growing slightly heavy as she leaned into Mamoru's chest. Their lips were nearly touching when Mamoru murmured a single, soft word, "Usako…"
Usagi's eyes fluttered open in shock, her mind suddenly racing back to the present. The words of Seiya's song lingered in her head, can you hear my voice calling out? I love you so. She blinked hard, turning away from Mamoru.
Mamoru took a step back as well, realizing what he had nearly just done. "I—I apologize."
The song continued on in its final chorus, echoing in Usagi's head like the noon-time chimes.
"Answer me, answer for me, right away, answer for me. Answer me, answer for me...so gently, answer for me."
"I...I can't." Usagi's soft blue eyes looked up to Mamoru with fear. Why was she feeling this pull to him? She'd never felt this way in her life. Something so strong that it seemed to bend time.
Mamoru looked way, shy suddenly. Usagi couldn't imagine a shy bone in the body of someone so confident. He looked Usagi in the eyes, a different emotion there suddenly. His eyes seemed to be pleading with her. "I'm not sure why…I really would never.." Mamoru suddenly stopped speaking, looking to the door they had exited. "It's quiet."
Usagi's head turned to look at the door, but there was suddenly screaming from the auditorium—and not for their beloved Three Lights. These were screams of fear. Her eyes widened, as she looked to Mamoru whose face was concentrated on the noise through the door.
"Seiya is in there!" Usagi cried, reaching to pull the door open. "And my friends! I have to get them!" Mamoru threw a protective arm in front of her, grabbing her by the shoulders and pulling her behind him.
He looked Usagi in the eye and spoke quickly, in a hushed voice. "We can't go in there now. We have no idea what's happening." Usagi could feel her fear rising up in her chest as the screams continued in the next room. Loud booms and crashes accompanied every voice that called out for help. Her bottom lip quivered as she looked to Mamoru to lead her. His eyes were still calm and sure. "It's okay, Usagi. I'll protect you." His words sounded so natural to her ears. Even if Mamoru said he had brought a knife to a gun fight, Usagi was sure she would've followed him. With just those three words, she knew he would do whatever he could to protect her.
Mamoru turned away and reached out to the door, shielding Usagi as he did so. She held onto the back of his shirt, fearful to even peek ahead, but as Mamoru tugged on the door, it wouldn't budge. He reached out to Usagi and took her hand behind him and led her further down the hall, toward the stage end of the building. Each door they tried along the way was locked. He stopped them and pulled them into a shadowed stairwell.
"We have to find everyone," Usagi whimpered in the darkness.
"I know," Mamoru sighed, frustrated at his own inability. He held Usagi by the shoulders. "If you stay here, I can bring them. No one will find you here if you hide back behind the stairs." Usagi shook her head, tears threatening to fall again.
"I can't, Mamoru! I can't. I'm not strong enough," Usagi's voice broke as she choked back sobs. "I can hardly handle high school let alone whatever is happening in there all alone!"
"Be brave!" Mamoru pulled Usagi into his arms. "For Seiya."
Suddenly there were footsteps in the hall—running. Mamoru hid Usagi further behind his body and pressed them back into the shadows. A masculine figure ran past the stairwell, not noticing the couple in the darkness. Mamoru turned toward Usagi and motioned for her to stay put. He turned back around, peeking just barely over the edge of the wall of the stairwell when a hand reached out to try and grab him. Mamoru grabbed the arm, pulling the rest of the arm's body with it onto the ground, revealing a man. A groan accompanied the body, and as he looked up from the floor, Usagi gasped.
"Seiya!"
Mamoru looked to Usagi, his eyes wide, and pulled Seiya into the shadows with them.
"Thanks, I think…" Seiya groaned quietly from beside Mamoru, rubbing his shoulder. He turned to Usagi, finally getting his wits back to him after the shock of being thrown. "Usagi! I'm glad you're safe." He pulled Usagi into a hug, the smell of spice meeting her nose again—comfort washing over her as she was overcome by emotion. She cried softly into his chest and he patted her back as he continued to speak. "Listen, Usagi, we've got to save everyone," Seiya looked to Mamoru, "and if you're willing, we'll need your help."
Mamoru nodded. "Of course. But what in the hell is going on in there?"
Seiya swallowed hard, his fierce gaze meeting Mamoru's. "I don't know. But it isn't human."
A/N: Whew, that turned out much longer than I had expected, but there's still so much left to happen! I hope you all will keep coming back to check out the next chapters. Let me know what you think and if you checked out the little inspirational song. Are there any songs that this story reminds you of so far? I'd love to know! See you all soon!