IMPORTANT NOTE FROM THE AUTHOR (PLEASE READ):

This chapter serves as a flashback for Usagi.

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Crossroads in Life

Written by Princess Kayla

Inspired by Naoko Takeuchi's "Pretty Soldier Sailor Moon"

Chapter Ten

View from a Rabbit's Past

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The summer before sixth grade was one that I never forgot. Minako took a two-month visit to China with her entire family. Her father had a summer long project there for work, and Minako's mother was insistent that they all stay together. She considered it an educational, bonding experience - whatever that meant. Those two months were long because our communication at the time was limited to letters. Her father thought it would be 'fun' for us to be pen pals for the summer. I don't think he realized how little Minako liked to write. Therefore, the letters were few and far between.

Needless to say, I expected that summer to be a boring one. I was very wrong.

It started on a rather hot day. After leaving a lemon ice stand, I tucked my Hello Kitty wallet into my backpack and hurried back home. I tried to eat the treat as swiftly as possible so that it wouldn't melt. As I walked down the street to my neighborhood, music caught my ears. I searched for the source. I followed the notes down a path between two houses until I knew that the music was coming from the backyard of one of them. Tiptoeing, I strained to look over the fence to see who was playing on a guitar and a set of drums, but couldn't manage to see.

I sat on the ground with my back against the fence. My lemon ice had completely turned to liquid, so I put it aside. Not caring about my sticky hands, I opened my backpack and took out my notebook and pen. Leaning my head against the wood of the fence, I closed my eyes and listened to the music. Words began to form as the notes danced in my mind. I then scribbled on the paper in front of me. Between thoughts, I closed my eyes, letting the music inspire me.

"What are you doing?" I jumped and looked up to see a boy balancing still on a bicycle. He had long black hair, tied back into a low ponytail.

Awkwardly, I stood up and hugged my notebook to myself. "I was just listening to the music," I mumbled.

He looked me over and then pointed at my notebook, "What were you writing?"

I squeezed my notebook tighter, "Just some silly phrases..."

"Like lyrics?" he questioned. Cautiously, I nodded. He smiled, "Cool. Can I see?" Dramatically, I shook my head. Smirking, he said, "We could use your help."

"We?" I asked.

"Come on," he got off the bicycle and walked to the fence gate. He opened it and waved for me to follow. Curious, I looked into the yard and saw two other boys - they were the ones who were playing the music. Again, the boy said, "Come on."

Against my better judgment, I followed him.

The boys stopped playing as we came into the backyard. "Who's she?" a smaller silver headed boy pointed at me.

"I don't know. What's your name?" The boy in front of me asked.

Mumbling, I replied, "Usagi."

He grinned, "I'm Seiya." He pointed to the other boy, "That's Yaten." He then gestured to the taller, brunette, "And Taiki."

"Greetings, Miss Usagi," Taiki said like a grown up, "Welcome."

"What's she doing here?" Yaten asked with irritation that made me take a step back.

"Be polite, Yaten," Taiki scolded.

"These are my brothers," Seiya stated as he sat his bicycle aside.

I pointed at the instruments, "Are you all a band?"

"Yep," Seiya answered proudly, "We are the Three Lights, and we are going to be famous!" I smiled, and he put his hands on his hips, "Don't believe me?"

"It's not that," I disputed, "I am just surprised."

Taiki picked his guitar back up, "I don't mean to be rude, but if we plan on becoming famous, as you say, Seiya, we best get to work."

Yaten waved to me, "Nice meeting you, but you better get going."

Lowering my head, I started to turn to walk away, but Seiya grabbed my arm, "Wait!" I stopped and stared at his brilliant blue eyes. "We need your help," he said.

Shocked, I asked, "My help? What can I do?"

He pointed at my notebook, "You said you were writing some lyrics to our music."

I shook my head, "But they aren't good or anything."

"Let my judge that," Seiya said playfully and grabbed the notebook from my hands.

"Give it back!" I yelled as he turned away from me and opened it to the page where my pen rested inside.

"For a time I thought my faith, it must be hiding..." he read aloud.

"Stop!" I shouted.

"...don't know where I belong, is this where I should stay?" he continued.

Anger overwhelmed me. "Give. It. Back!" I screamed and punched hit him hard on the back of his head.

"Oh!" he yelped, "Okay, okay!" He rubbed the back of his head as I ripped the book from his grasp. He gave Yaten and Taiki dirty looks as they snickered. He looked over at me and gave a childish pout, "I'm sorry. Sometimes I don't listen well."

"Sometimes?" Taiki huffed. He then looked at me sympathetically, "I apologize for my brother's disrespect. He has much to learn when it comes to treating a lady well." I blushed at being referred to as a 'lady.'

"Like you have experience," Seiya sneered.

"It's okay," I sighed, "He obviously has a lot of maturing to do."

"Ouch," Seiya put his hand to his heart, "That one hurt."

Yaten rolled his eyes, "Enough of this. Sorry, Dumpling Head, but it's time for you to go."

Immediately, Yaten jumped back from the flame of my glare. "Do not make fun of my hair."

"Wow," Seiya said in awe, "Usa, you have a lot of spunk. It's about time someone put Yaten in his place." I looked at Seiya in surprise. He grinned at me in a way that triggered a smile of my own. He again rubbed the back of his head, "Listen, I'm sorry about taking your book, but I do like what you started writing." He walked over to me and sighed, "There is a talent contest coming up, and we are in it for the win. However, we could really use some help with the lyrics. We have most of a tune down, but not the words."

Taiki held up a large notepad, "Seiya started some lyrics, but they just aren't flowing like we want them to."

"So, Usa, will you be my partner?" Seiya asked. He kept referring to me as 'Usa' and for some reason it didn't bother me at all. He smiled, "What else do you have to do this summer?"

Honestly, I didn't have any plans. I shrugged, "I guess I can help."

"Awesome!" Seiya spontaneously hugged me.

"Stop it!" I pushed him away, but he just squeezed me tighter. I eventually squirmed out of his grasp, "If you want my help, no more of that!"

"Deal!" he chuckled and stuck out his hand.

Carefully, I shook his hand in agreement. "I can't start today though," I explained, "I have to get home before my parents start to worry."

"Okay, we will get started tomorrow at one o'clock," Seiya stated, "That's when our aunt lets us practice."

"Your aunt?" I questioned.

"Our parents are touring Europe for the summer, so our aunt is graciously allowing us to stay here," Taiki said.

I nodded in understanding. "Okay," I agreed, "I will see you tomorrow at one o'clock."

"Don't be late," Yaten added, "We only have three weeks until the competition."

"Oh!" I replied with surprise, "I won't be late." With that, I turned and went out the gate.

"See you tomorrow, Usa!" Seiya waved to me.

Excitement filled me as I hurried home. Earlier that day, I had been so disappointed, wondering how I would get through the summer without Minako. But, then, I walked right into a crazy adventure; I couldn't wait to tell my mother.

"Momma!" I shouted as I entered the house. Kicking off my shoes, I rushed into the kitchen. "Momma, I met some new friends!"

From behind the counter, my mother smiled brightly, "That's so good, Usagi. Who are they?"

I danced up onto a stool and eagerly began to tell her the story, "They are brothers - Seiya, Taiki, and Yaten. They are staying with their aunt for the summer."

"How old are they?" she asked as she dried some dishes.

"They are around my age," I told her, "They play music and want me to help them write a song for this contest in a couple of weeks."

"Well," she grinned, "That sounds like fun."

"I know!" I clapped my hands together, "We are going to start working tomorrow."

She sat the dishes aside. "Okay, but I want you home for dinner."

"Okay," I agreed and happiness bubbled inside of me, "I can't wait!"

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Taiki started to strum his guitar. I listened carefully to the tune he had created. It was a fun melody that would make people smile. My letters were messy as I noticed my hand shaking slightly. I wrote down ideas as they came to me. Even though I made up poems and such on my own, I was slightly intimidated to work with other people.

"That's good Taiki," Yaten said from behind the set of drums. He added a beat to the music, which flowed well. I could tell they had worked together so often that they could feed off each other's creativity.

Seiya came up beside me, "I really love the sound we have going. I have a couple of ideas in my head for the direction I want to go, but I am excited to see what you are writing."

I swallowed, "I don't know. I'm having trouble."

"You were fine yesterday," he stated with surprise.

Shrugging, I replied, "Yes, but this is important now. This is for the contest."

He let out a hardy laugh and patted the top of my head playfully, "Don't get all serious on me, Usa."

"But," I began to refute.

Seiya waved his hands in the air, motioning for his brothers to stop, "I think it's time we take a break."

Yaten rolled his eyes, "We haven't accomplished much of anything, Seiya."

As he crossed his arms, he shook his head, "I think a step away will help refresh our minds."

"Don't you sound grown up," Taiki said, clearly amused.

"Fine," Yaten huffed, "Is their something you want to do?"

Seiya thought for a moment, and then, like a light bulb had turned on, he pointed into the air, "I've got it! Double Dare!"

"What?" I was confused.

"It's a game Seiya invented," Taiki explained, "It's a completely ridiculous game."

"What do you have to do?" I questioned.

"You have to dare each other to do something awesome and well, you have to do it," Seiya stated simply, but then a mischievous expression covered his face, "Or else."

"Or else what?" I asked hesitantly.

"Don't worry," Taiki sat his guitar down, "There isn't really a consequence - just the bragging rights if you do it."

"If this is the plan, let's get it over with. Let's do teams; Taiki and me, and Seiya and Usagi," Yaten left his drums, "Where do you want to go?"

Again, Seiya started thinking. After a couple of moments, he turned to me, "Where is a fun place to go?"

"Oh," I was taken aback by the question, "Um, let me think. There is a really pretty park a couple of blocks away."

"Awesome! Let's go!" Seiya shouted and ran to a nearby bicycle.

After Taiki ran inside to tell his aunt that we were going for a ride, he joined us at the gate. Getting on his bike, he smiled at me, "Well, Miss Usagi, please show us the way." I smiled in return and took off down the road.

Seiya kept in time with me and as we headed to the park. Suddenly, my ears caught a wonderful sound. I looked over at Seiya and my eyes widened. He was singing a song that I didn't recognize but it was beautiful. As I watched him, he grinned at me with what I started calling the 'Seiya grin' because it was his and his alone, and it was very contagious. I grinned as well and continued to listen to his sweet song. He was truly a talented singer.

Before I knew it, we had arrived at my favorite place in the city. "We're here!" I spoke loudly as I slowed my bike down to a stop.

"Wow, this park is beautiful," Seiya said in awe.

We parked our bicycles near a tree. Waiting, I asked, "So, what now?"

"Since this was his idea, Seiya needs to go first," Yaten stated. He looked around then pointed at the nearby lake. He smiled naughtily, "You know, it is awfully hot out here. I double dare you, Seiya, and Usagi to take a dip in the lake." My eyes widened; that was very extreme. Yaten couldn't possibly be serious.

As Seiya kicked off his shoes, I knew I was wrong. "You can't be serious!" I yelled.

"I told you this game was ridiculous," Taiki stated as if it was no big deal.

"But..." I started to say.

"No worries, Usa," Seiya teased, "It's fun! Now take your sandals off." He squatted down and pulled my shoes from my feet.

"Stop!" I kicked him back, but he just laughed and completed the task of freeing my feet. Standing up, he took my hand and began to pull me towards the water. "Seiya, no! We will get in trouble!"

"Trouble is good every now and then!" Seiya exclaimed, pulling me further towards the water.

"Yaten, don't you think this is going too far?" I could hear Taiki say from behind us.

Yaten replied, "He asked for it."

"But I didn't!" I yelled back at them. We were almost to the water so I dung my feet into the dirt. "Seiya," I begged, "We shouldn't do this!"

He stopped pulling and looked at me, "Usa, living means taking risks sometimes."

"But this is a pointless risk to take!" I argued.

He shook his head, "Sometimes the pointless risks turn out to be the best." He squeezed my hand gently, "Usa, take this pointless, outrageous risk with me."

His blue eyes captivated me. There was no fear in them, which caused envy to rise within me. I wanted to be fearless too. Against my better judgment, I slowly nodded. His face lit up in happiness and, suddenly, he pulled me with him into the water. We both fell, our heads going under.

When I burst out of the water, I spit out a mouthful of water. I wiped my eyes to clear my vision and saw Seiya staring at me. I began laughing uncontrollably, which triggered Seiya to join in.

"Hey! Get out of there!" Our laughter ceased as we saw a man across the park pointing at us.

"Time to go!" Seiya shouted and helped me to hurry out of the water.

"Wait!" the man yelled as we raced to our bicycles. Quickly, we jumped on and rode away from the park.

As we fled the scene, our laughter returned, with Taiki and Yaten joining in. I was soaking wet, but I felt good in the summer sun. The warm breeze dried my face, which hurt from smiling.

"Feeling free, right?" Seiya grinned at me and then lifted his arms up like he was flying. I nodded in agreement, lifting one of my hands in the air as well.

"Can we say the game is over?" Yaten shouted.

I sighed and lowered my arm, "He's right." A frown pulled at Seiya's lips. "Actually, I better call it a day," I said sadly, "I need to get cleaned up before dinner."

"That's fine," Taiki said, "We will just get together tomorrow."

We arrived at my house sooner than I expected. I frowned and parked my bicycle. "This is my house." The boys stopped next to me as I walked my bike to the front porch. "I will see you tomorrow. Same time?"

Seiya smiled, "Yes."

"No jumping into lakes tomorrow!" I said, and we all laughed.

"Next week," Seiya joked, causing me to roll my eyes. He gave a small bow, "See you later, Usa."

"Bye," I waved to all of them as they rode away. A smile returned to my face as I thought about the fun from the day. Suddenly, words came to my mind so I hurried inside, grabbed a notebook and went to the bathroom. Once I was settled in the tub, washing away the dirt from the lake, I began writing down the lyrics that had formed within me. Excited at the burst of creativity, I couldn't wait to see the boys again.

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"I love this!" Seiya's statement filled me with joy as we worked through the lyrics, mixing them with the music. It was coming together so well. He looked to the boys, "Okay, from the top!" Taiki started with his guitar, Yaten following in kind. The words I imagined felt so right with the tune.

Then, Seiya began to sing the words I had written.

"For a time, I thought my fate - it must be hiding.

Searching through the sky, hoping to find a way,

A way to get me through the day.

Don't know where I belong; is this where I should stay?"

The chorus came, and I couldn't help but feel proud.

"Lift me up, when I am falling.

You're my friend when I was calling.

Now I'm on top of the world,

Top of the whole wide world.

Yeah, you've..."

Seiya's brow wrinkled in frustration, "I am struggling with the range here."

The music stopped and Yaten sighed, "Why is it always right there?"

Seiya groaned, "I don't know what my problem is."

"Miss Usagi," Taiki asked me, "Could you sing the chorus as it needs to be?"

Abruptly, I shook my head, "No. I can't sing."

"But, you can hear the tune in your head," Seiya said, "You can help us hear it too." Sensing my apprehension, he stepped over to me and took my hand, "I'll lead." He glanced at his brothers, "From the chorus." They nodded and began again. Seiya started singing once more.

"Lift me up, when I am falling," he nodded for me to join and slowly I did so. Together we sang.

"You're my friend when I was calling.

Now I'm on top of the world,

Top of the whole wide world.

Yeah, you've always been believing,

Gave my life a whole new meaning.

Now I'm on top of the world,

Top of the whole wide world."

I then realized that Seiya had trailed off for me to be heard alone. My face turned red as I noticed them all staring at me. Seiya clapped his hands, "Wow, Usa, you are fantastic! Why didn't you tell me that you sing so well?"

"I don't!" I disagreed with embarrassment.

"You have a beautiful voice, Miss Usagi," Taiki commented, making my face grow hotter.

Yaten shrugged, "Yeah, she's good."

"Usa," Seiya grinned, "Sing with me at contest."

"Are you crazy? No!" I yelled.

He rolled his eyes, "Yes, I am crazy, but I am serious about this. Please sing with me."

"I don't sing in front of people," I looked down at my feet.

"You're just nervous," Seiya stepped towards me, "I'm nervous too."

"It doesn't really work when you think about it. You are the Three Lights, remember? Three," I noted.

"We will make it work," I looked up at him and he smiled, "Let's do it together. Please."

I bit my lip and muttered, "Let me think about it."

His smile turned into a satisfied grin, "Okay."

Exhaling deeply, I put my hands on my hips, "Now no more wasting time. Let's get back to the song." They all laughed at my seriousness and got back to work.

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My throat felt constricted. We were up next to perform, and suddenly, I lost the ability to speak. I was mortified after I saw the number of people in the auditorium. I couldn't understand how the boys were so at ease while I felt like my legs would give out from underneath me at any moment.

Unexpectedly, a hand grasped mine. I turned to see Seiya's smiling face. He squeezed my hand gently and gave me a look of encouragement, "Usa, don't be afraid. Forget about everything else and just sing with me. I've got you." The stress on my vocal cords lessened as his words comforted me.

"Please give a welcoming round of applause for our final act this evening - the Three Lights and their sweet friend, Usagi," the announcer's voice boomed out of the speaker system. The crowd reacted with clapping.

"Let's do this!" Yaten said eagerly and made his way on stage. As the rest of us followed him, I never let go of Seiya's hand. Yaten went to the drums, and Taiki took his place with his guitar as Seiya guided me to a set of microphones at the front of the stage. While we adjusted them, Seiya, with such confidence and excitement, shouted, "Hey, everyone! We are so excited to be here with all of you!" The crowd clapped, and he continued, "Now, let's rock this place!" He nodded to his brothers to begin the music and then looked at me with a reassuring smile.

He began to sing.

"For a time, I thought my fate - it must be hiding.

Searching through the sky, hoping to find a way,

A way to get me through the day.

Don't know where I belong; is this where I should stay?"

The brothers joined in on the chorus, but the words left me. As they sang, I could feel Seiya's eyes on me. He was worried.

"Lift me up, when I am falling.

You're my friend when I was calling.

Now I'm on top of the world,

Top of the whole wide world.

Yeah, you've always been believing,

Gave my life a whole new meaning.

Now I'm on top of the world,

Top of the whole wide world."

Again, he squeezed my hand, grabbing my attention. Gently, he mouthed to me, 'I'm with you. Believe in yourself.' The smile he flashed me was one of both comfort and need. He and the boys needed me, and I was letting them down. They didn't have to, but they included me in this journey, giving me a summer I would never forget. Seiya was an unexpected friend. In a matter of weeks, we had become partners. I realized then that I could not fail him.

I swallowed, closed my eyes, and let the words come.

"There's a strength in me, it seems I have forgotten.

Now, I realized today - I'm starting to dream again."

I opened my eyes to see the most amazing energy in Seiya's eyes. His thrill caused my shaking voice to steady. I continued.

"Again, was a matter of when.

I guess we all lose our way, now and then."

Grasping my hand tighter, we entered the chorus. Together we floated away from the crowd and the stage. We were on our own adventure.

Before I knew it, we had reached the end of the song. The rapid applause and shouts brought us back down to earth. I breathed heavily from the thrill. Seiya with exhilaration shouted into the microphone, "Thank you so much! It was an honor for us to perform today!" We all took a bow and left the stage.

"Yes!" Taiki exclaimed, "We did it!"

"I think they really liked us," Yaten commented.

Seiya took me in a tight hug, "Thank you, Usa! You were awesome!"

I laughed, "I'm the one who should be thanking you." Seiya let go and hugged his brothers. Their joy was overwhelming and precious. I was thankful that I was able to witness it.

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A couple of days later, as I road my bicycle to Seiya's house, I was still smiling about the contest. We didn't win, but the boys were resolute that they wouldn't give up on their music. I told them that, while performing at the contest was amazing for me, I was not interested in going up on stage again; I would offer support instead. I laughed out loud as I recalled Seiya's pout when he heard my decision.

I stopped outside of the fence because I could hear a conversation taking place inside the yard. I peered through the open gate to see the boys speaking with their aunt and a man dressed in business attire. They were sitting around the patio table. I noted a seriousness in the air.

"Usa," Seiya noticed and waved for me to come in. Cautiously, I did so. As I approached, the man stood and bowed. I bowed in return. "Usagi, this is Mr. Juanbi," Seiya did the introductions, "Mr. Juanbi, this is Usagi Tsukino."

"Nice to meet you, Miss Tsukino," the man nodded with a smile that sent an odd shiver down my spine.

"Mr. Juanbi is a talent agent," Taiki explained, "He saw us at the contest and wants to help sign us to a record company."

My eyes widened, "That's amazing!"

"Our parents are coming home today to go over everything. They should be here soon," Yaten stated.

"It is an unbelievable opportunity," their aunt commented, clearly pleased at the situation.

"I hear that you do not wish to continue with the group. That's a shame," Mr. Juanbi said.

His voice made me uncomfortable, but it seemed as if no one else felt the same way. I nodded, "That's right, but I am really proud of them."

"If they sign with me, they will be stars," Mr. Juanbi claimed.

Feeling awkward, I stepped back, "Well, since your parents will be here soon and you have lots to talk about, I am going to head home."

"But, Usa," Seiya began but I stopped him.

"Really, it's okay. This is all so exciting, but I am sure there is a lot of important things to go over," I said, "So, I will just see you tomorrow." I waved to all of them and walked back out the gate.

"Usa, wait," Seiya hurried after me, "Tomorrow, I will let you know everything."

"Great," I smiled, but then frowned when I noticed Mr. Juanbi looking at me. I whispered, "Seiya, make sure your parents really check Mr. Juanbi out. He makes me nervous."

"Don't worry, Usa," he grinned, "We'll be careful." I nodded and exchanged goodbyes. As I headed home, all of a sudden summer felt like it was slipping away.

. . . . . . . . . .

"Usagi, Seiya is here!" my mother yelled.

I hurried downstairs. "Seiya!" I greeted with a smile, but as soon as I saw his face my smile faded. My steps slowed as I joined him outside. I looked past him to the street, where I could see a packed SUV. Taiki and Yaten waited with a couple, which I assumed were their parents. "What's going on?" I asked him.

He sighed and ran his hand through his hair, "I don't know how to say this..."

"What?" I became worried.

"We're leaving today," Seiya stated, and my body stiffened. He frowned deeply, "My parents looked over everything and signed with Mr. Juanbi. We are on our way out of town to go meet with some producers."

"Wow," I said, "So soon?"

"I know, but..." he stopped and his eyes widened, "Usa..."

That's when I realized I was crying. I wiped my face roughly and forced a smile, "I'm so happy for you. You are so talented and this is an awesome chance to show everyone." A rough sob escaped my lips.

My breath caught as Seiya kissed my damp cheek. He then pulled me to him and whispered into my hair, "Usa, don't cry, we will see each other again." I wanted to believe him. He gave me a playful squeeze and then let go, "This was the best summer ever thanks to you."

I laughed, my tears stopping. "It was an awesome summer," I sniffled.

"Seiya! We have to get going!" the woman in the car shouted.

He let out a sigh. "I'll see you around," he said positively, "Keep writing."

"Okay," I nodded. He hurried back and got in the car. They all waved and hollered 'goodbye.' As they drove away, I knew that my summer adventure with the Three Lights would be one that I would treasure forever deep in my heart, for me alone.

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Please Pardon Grammatical Errors and Review.

"Top of the World" by Mandy Moore