| Left Without You Author: Patch E-mail: patchkhan1@hotmail.com Rating: PG Hello everyone! Before I forget (we all know what a bad memory I have -_-0) I have to give a *huge* THANK YOU to Megs and Sailor Eclipse. They both offered to help me out with my author index for No One's Fault and I said I'd give 'em credit. So now you all know and I truly, truly appreciated their help. Huggles! Also, mucho thanx to Redrose, a true friend, for her very cool rose idea ^_~ Oh and BIG NOTE: The fic does have a happy ending ^_^ Just thought I'd let you all know right now. I'll take any fruits and vegetable you might need to throw at me right now. *Holds up salad bowl* I'm ready! ^_^ This fic is dedicated to Usa Day, June 30th and I hope you all enjoy reading it. June 23, 2000 5:30 p.m. The late afternoon sun was setting finally after what seemed to be a hugely long day for Usagi. She sat on a bench in front of the lake watching this show of nature's beauty. The, sun, a big orange ball in the sky, seemed to sink into the ground casting the sky in all kinds of hues. Watching sunsets was always a favorite pastime for Usagi but today she was distracted. This is all so beautiful, she thought, but where is Mamo-chan? The note she had read on the dressing table this morning had said that she come to "their bench" at sunset. Well, here she was and the sun would soon be out of sight. She tugged at her knee-length skirt, becoming a little anxious. She knew her husband had something planned for a week from now for it would be her birthday and she could only wonder at what he had in mind. Every year since they had been married he did something different, something more romantic, something completely unexpected. She would always have fun trying to guess at what he would come up with, but always, she was never close. However, these days, Mamoru seemed to be so busy with work, she wondered if he had even had the time to think of something for her this year. The hospital he worked at had recently merged with another and that meant more hours to put in and less time spent at home. Usagi sighed heavily and got up, her anxiety and excitement getting the better of her. She tried to figure out why he would call her here today. Maybe he wanted to celebrate early? The thought brought a smile to her face. She paced a little and then stood beside the bench, the grass of the park behind her. "Miss!" She looked around to see a boy of about nine years come up to her leading a dog on a long leash. "Miss, onegai, can you just hold my dog while I get my sister from the playground? His name is Jun and they won't let him into the playground, so could you please hold him?" "Sure," Usagi replied, smiling. "Just hurry back, okay?" "Hai!" The little boy ran off, waving. Usagi looked at the dog, a young golden retriever and then got down to look at it at eye-level. "Just you and me then, while we wait for my baka of a husband." She looked at her watch and sighed. Mamoru was definitely late and she hoped his work wasn't keeping him. The dog whined a little and she turned her attention back to it. "You want to be petted, ne?" She stroked his fur and scratched his ears, all attention the animal liked very much. "Usa!" Her heartbeat did a little flop at the voice and she lifted her head to see Mamoru walking towards her, wearing a long coat that covered the dark business suit underneath. She stood up and smiled brightly as he came up to stand next to her. "Mamo-chan, where have you been? I began to worry when you yourself didn't show up at the 'designated time.' " "Gomen ne," he said, giving her a quick, yet sweet kiss, "the meeting that was scheduled today ran a little late and then I tried to get here as fast as I could." He noticed the retriever and gave her a grin as he crouched down, giving it a friendly nuzzle. "I never knew you wanted to get a dog." "I don't. A little boy asked me to look after him while he went to go get his sister. His name is Jun and his master should be back any minute now," Usagi answered. Mamoru got back up and looked at her, then shifted his gaze away. "Usa, I have to tell you something," he said quietly. "I've been wanting to tell you for a long time but today it's become final and I can't delay it." "What is it, Mamo-chan?" His tone did nothing to help ease her sudden nervousness. "Tell me." He took a deep breath and spoke. "I quit my job today." "Nani? Why?" "C'mon Usa, you know it was a long time coming. The job was taking too much of my time and even you were becoming upset that I wasn't as home that much. So I did what had to be done." "Demo-" "That meeting today, I scheduled it with the board to discuss my hours and they, unfortunately, remained stubborn in wanted me to continue as I had been doing and I told them then the only thing for me to do would be to resign and I did." "Iie..." Usagi was stunned to say the least. She hadn't expected this and she didn't know what to say. His words flashed through her mind, 'even you were becoming upset...' Oh Kami, she hadn't helped in bringing him to do this, had she? She felt so selfish at that moment and turned distressed eyes to Mamoru. "You can't just resign like that. You have to go back, you love that job, go back! I don't mind at all, I don't want to stop you from doing what you-" Mamoru grabbed her forearms gently, to stop her. "Usako, listen, it's okay. I wanted to resign and I can always work somewhere else. Besides," he flashed her a quirky grin, "now we can spend more time together." He leaned in to kiss her but she stopped him. "Mamo-chan, you can't. I don't want you to-" "Usa, it's too late now, I gave in the necessary papers and they won't be expecting me to come in anymore. Aren't you happy that you'll at least be seeing me come home instead of falling asleep, waiting up for me?" "I am, but..." Throughout this time, neither of them noticed how Jun, becoming bored, had decided to take a little walk... around their legs. So he walked around... and around... and around one more time... and then he sat, on his hind legs, waiting for his master to come back. He was not disappointed. "Jun!" The little boy yelled, pulling his sister behind him. Mamoru and Usagi stopped talking and looked towards the direction of the voice at the same time Jun decided to run to his master... at least he tried to. Usagi felt the leash tighten around her bare legs and let out a scream as she and Mamoru fell, Mamoru taking the impact as his wife fell on him. The dog finding he really *couldn't* run to his master, padded his way back to the couple and began sniffing and nudging them. Mamoru peeked an eye open and hugged Usagi close to him. "Usako, you okay?" She raised her head, her hands on his chest and then slowly rested it back, hearing his racing heartbeat. "Hai, just a little surprised. Are you okay? You must have had the wind knocked out of you. I'm so sorry." "I'm doing just fine, except for this dumb dog sniffing my face." He heard her giggle and tried sitting up. It was quite awkward when both of their legs were wrapped in Jun's leash. "Hey Miss, are you alright? I'm sorry about that, but Jun was just excited to see me," the boy said. "It's alright," Usagi said, now laughing, as she and Mamoru tried to untangle the leash. "We're fine, no need to be worried." The boy looked relieved and then began laughing. "You two looked so funny falling like that. It was like watching a movie." "Well, here's the leash, you two should be on your way. Your parents will be looking for you," Mamoru said, getting up with Usagi and handing the leash over. "Hai, arigato Miss, for taking care of Jun." The two kids ran off the dog following behind. Usagi watched them go, the corners of her mouth turned up in a small wistful smile. They were so adorable looking, running off like that... "Mamo-chan...." she whispered softly, her voice full of an emotion that Mamoru didn't pick up on. "Hai Usako?" "Weren't those two children absolutely adorable?" "Uh..." Mamoru had no trouble figuring out what was running through his wife's mind. "Usako, do you want to-?" At that moment his cell rang and he reached into his coat pocket to retrieve it. "Chiba Mamoru here." Usagi watched as he talked to the person on the other line. He made a few faces making her giggle and then his face became serious again as he ended the conversation. "I have to go back to the hospital." "Doushite? Do they want you back?" Usagi asked hopefully. "No, the chair of the board wrote me an 'exemplary' reference letter, saying I could use it in my search to find a new job." "Oh... well that was nice of him." "Right, whatever. This won't take long, fifteen minutes at the most. Do you want to come with me?" he asked. "Hai, I'll come-" "Hey Miss!" The couple turned to see the little boy and his sister coming towards them with his parents. "I wanted my parents to meet you so here they are!" Usagi turned to Mamoru with a look on her face but he leaned over to give her a lingering kiss. "I'll be back by the time you're done with them. We'll talk later. Ja ne." "Ja ne," she replied and watched him walk away. She turned back to the family, giving them a polite smile and began talking to them. A little while later the family had left, the little boy waving excitedly at her. Usagi sighed and looked at her watch. 10 minutes had past and Mamoru had not returned. I guess I'm giving him ten more until I call him, she thought and sat back on the bench. "Usagi-chan, I didn't know you'd be here," it was Minako walking towards her. "Hey Minako-chan, what are you doing here?" "I needed to get away from my stuffy office. There was way too much piling up and just when I was about to scream, one of my co-workers told me to go for a walk. So here I am. Now tell me your story." "I met Mamo-chan here and then he had to leave and now I'm waiting for him and getting worried," Usagi said, a frown appearing on her face. "Oh, that was... short. What's wrong?" Minako asked, coming down to sit next to her. "A lot." Something was beginning to twist her stomach in knots and she began to feel nauseous. "It's all very complicated, Minako-chan and I'm not feeling very good right now." "You want me to take you back to your apartment?" "H-Hai, I think that would be a good idea. Let me call Mamo-chan and tell him I'm going home." They found a pay phone and she dialed his number. She hung up seconds later. "They say the number is disconnected." "Well, he probably turned it off, c'mon you are not going to drive, your face looks green." "Arigato Minako-chan." Minako drove her back to the apartment and all along the way, the uneasiness in Usagi grew. By the time they reached the apartment, Usagi was sweating and Minako had noticed. "Usagi-chan, you're pale and your hands are all clammy. Are you sure you don't have a fever or something?" "I-I don't know, I don't know what's wrong with me. I just know that something's not right, something's going to happen and I don't have any clue as to what it is." "It'll be alright Usagi-chan. Why don't you go lie down and I'll stay here a while until Mamoru-san comes home." "Hai, do that please," Usagi said as she lay down on the couch pulling an afghan over herself. As soon as she had fallen asleep, Minako picked up the phone and dialed Ami's home. "Ami-chan, can you come over to Mamoru-san and Usagi-chan's place? Usagi-chan isn't feeling too well and I'm a bit worried for her. Okay, okay I'll see you in a few. Ja ne." Minako paced the apartment for a bit and then sat down on the love seat picking up a magazine to read. A while later someone rang the doorbell and she rushed up to get the door. "Hey Ami-chan glad you could...." she trailed off realizing the person on the other side was not her friend. He was in uniform... a policeman. "W-What's going on?" "Are you Chiba Usagi?" "Iie, that's my friend, she's sleeping," worry laced her voice as she continued, "What's going on? What's happened? Why are you here?" "Miss, I have to speak to Mamoru-kun's wife." "What's going on Minako-chan?" Usagi asked, rising from her position. "Mrs. Chiba? Can I speak to you?" One of the officers asked, stepping inside. "H-Hai, what's wrong?" "This matter concerns your husband... I think it'd be better for you to sit down." Usagi's hand clenched at her throat as all the color left her face. Oh Kami no, she thought, please, please don't let them say.... "Your husband was killed in a car accident en route to Tokyo General Hospital. A truck carrying flammable gas slammed into the driver side of his car and the car exploded on impact... We weren't able to contact you immediately because the body-" "Stop!" Mina suddenly yelled. "Leave, leave right now!" "I'm sorry Miss, but we can't do that. Mrs. Chiba has to come to the station and-" "Can't you see she's not able to do that right now? I'll bring her down later, but please, leave!" "Iie, Minako-chan," Usagi suddenly said in a sing-song voice, "we'll go with them to the station. Mamo-chan will be there and we'll just sign some papers and-" Minako let out a hoarse cry and shook Usagi lightly. "Iie, don't Usagi-chan, don't do this. Oh God," she stared into her friends glazed and unseeing eyes. "Usagi-chan! Oh God... Usagi-chan." She whirled around to face the officer who looked highly uncomfortable. She stood up and walked to the door motioning for him to follow. "Tell me all the details, now!" "Well, as I said before, the accident-" "Yes I know about that, but how did he die?" "We..." the officer began and then stopped, taking a different route. "The explosion was so fierce that when we did manage to control the flames... we weren't able to find a body... we believe that his body had been incinerated completely." "Oh God," Minako groaned, tears slipping down her cheeks. She closed her eyes and then opened them again just as quickly. "How did you know it was him? It might not have been, it could have been someone else." "I'm sorry Miss, but we took the rear license plate number and tracked its owner who turned out to be Chiba Mamoru. We have to get going, please remember to bring Mrs. Chiba down to the station." "I will," Minako whispered and then closed the door. She wiped the tears from her face and walked back towards Usagi was gazing at her with a curious look. "Did they tell you what time we would meet Mamo-chan at the station?" she asked. Minako had thought she could control her tears but at Usagi's question she broke down, falling to sit next to her friend. "Usagi-chan, stop, onegai, stop! Mamoru-san won't be meeting us, don't you understand?" "No, I don't. That man was cruel to say that Mamo-chan was dead. He isn't, he can't die Minako-chan, don't you see? We still have our whole lives to live out; we have Crystal Tokyo to rule, we have to have Chibi-Usa, we have to do so much. Of course he isn't dead, Minako-chan, how can you believe such a thing?" Usagi cocked her head at her questioningly. "Stop it Usagi-chan! Stop it!" Minako screamed suddenly, her cheeks completely wet. "Stop acting this way Usagi-chan. Cry, scream, hit me... but don't fool yourself with such fantasy, please Usagi-chan. I'm sorry, but... Mamoru-san is... dead. Kami... what are we going to do?" Usagi awoke late into the morning the next day. Her eyes felt scratchy and dry and Lord knew how red they were. She stared up at the ceiling, still unbelieving at what all had happened. After Minako had made that declaration she felt as though she had taken one step off a cliff. That feeling of breathlessness had engulfed her and she began to gasp for air, clutching her throat. And then the impact had hit and the feeling was the same as having one side of your heart paralyzed. An emptiness had pervaded her body and it was then that the tears had begun to fall and they hadn't stopped. She had gotten up from the sofa, ignoring her friend, gone to the bedroom and fallen to the bed, holding a pillow underneath her. Minako had called everyone, the Senshi, her friends and parents and they had all come over, trying to comfort her. But it was useless and they had become worried because when she had cried, she had made no sound. The tears had just coursed down her cheeks, never stopping. The Inner Senshi had taken her to the station where she listlessly signed papers, not even bothering to read any of the documents. The tears had stopped during that time but as soon as they had entered the apartment and the scent of roses had engulfed her, as they always did, she had begun to cry again. Her parents had tried to convince her to stay in her old house but she refused to leave and had closed herself in the bedroom. And now here she was. She had no idea when she had fallen asleep nor did she care. All she wanted to do was close her eyes and open them to see Mamoru sleeping next to her. She followed through with her thoughts but when she turned her head upon opening them, there was no one beside her... no one. He wasn't lying there, snoring quietly, his dark bangs falling over his head. Bangs she would always brush away whenever she could with a kiss... He would never lie next to her again. She was alone. A quiet knock on the door caused her to turn her head but she didn't answer it. She didn't want to see anyone nor did she want to do anything. She just wanted to... lie here... alone. "Usagi-chan..." Her gaze shifted to the right to see Rei standing in the doorway. "Do you want to talk?" Usagi didn't answer, only turned her eyes back to stare at the ceiling once again. "Usagi-chan, please don't block me out. Don't do this to yourself." "And what am I supposed to say?" Usagi suddenly asked. "That I don't feel like living because I'm missing a part of my soul? That I feel like I've been cheated out of living a happy life? That *I* should have been in that car with Mamo-chan so that we could have died together instead of me being left behind to live miserably?" "And then what about us Usagi-chan?" Rei asked angrily coming to stand beside the bed. "What would we have done if you had gone into that car? We would have found ourselves suddenly bereft of our leaders, our future King and Queen. How would *we* have survived without you?" "You guys know you'd be fine without me," Usagi replied flatly. "Minako-chan is, after all, second-in- command after me. You all would have survived." "No we wouldn't. We wouldn't because we need you. You are what holds us together, you are our support, our leader... our best friend. I'm... I'm sorry about Mamoru-san, I know I can't say that I know how it feels because I don't, demo... Usagi-chan, I don't think he would want you to be like this, he wouldn't want you to die just for him, he-" "Shut up!" Usagi suddenly screamed, sitting up so suddenly, Rei had to take a step back. "Shut up! How dare you even think what Mamo-chan would say or feel in a situation like this. You don't know him! You never knew him, not like I did! You don't know how I feel! How could you? You've never experienced love like-" She broke off suddenly when Rei's face turned pale. The priestess ran from the room, slamming the door shut behind her. "Oh God," Usagi moaned, falling back against the pillows. The tears began to fall again and she curled sideways into a ball. Just as quickly she got up off the bed. She stood looking down at the pillows for a few minutes before grabbing one and then throwing it with all her strength towards the dresser table. Bottles of perfume, make-up, and accessories of the like flew everywhere, some crashing to the floor. She heard feet running to her door but didn't care. She grabbed another pillow and turned to her left to swipe it at the night table next to the bed. The bedside lamp sitting there fell to the floor with a resounding thud just as the door opened. "Usagi-chan! What are you doing?" Someone yelled out but she didn't care who it was. She swiped the pillow at the walls where various frames hung and they fell to the floor, some breaking. "Stop it Usagi-chan!" A hand reached out to restrain her but she moved away and finally acknowledged the people in the room, the Senshi. "Why did he have to leave me?" she yelled. "I hate him! I hate him! He betrayed me by leaving me here like this! I love him, but he left me!" she screamed, tears blurring her vision. They were angry tears; anger at having lost the one she loved the most. "He should have never left me in the park!" she gasped, her chest heaving. "He should have never gone to the hospital! I hate him! God, why did he have to leave me?" she yelled, finally falling to her knees on the carpeted floor. Two pairs of arms wrapped around her but she kept her eyes closed, her hoarse sobs the only sound in the bedroom as the others looked on. "I love him so much," she finally whispered. June 29th, 2000 11:00 p.m. Usagi entered the dark apartment quietly. She closed the door and slipping off her shoes, she went to the sofa and lay down not bothering to turn on any lights. It had almost been a week. It would be a week tomorrow, actually. A week since she'd received the biggest blow ever dealt. She closed her eyes tightly and willed herself not to cry as the pain washed over her again. Would it ever stop? A part of her said yes, everyone moves on, but a bigger part said no, the pain would always be there, reminding her of who was no longer a part of her life. She turned over to her side so that she was facing the living room. Everything was so quiet; she was quiet, the furniture was quiet, the air was quiet... she smiled slightly at the direction of her thoughts. Any stranger listening in would have though her a nutcase thinking the *air* was quiet. But it was... to her. It was much different when she had been with her friends just a few hours earlier. They had taken her out to dinner, starting her birthday celebration early even though she knew what their intentions were. They had wanted to distract her, to have fun with them all night so that she wouldn't have to wake up to her first birthday without Mamoru. After the dinner they had wanted to go to the local carnival but she had pleaded a headache and despite their protests and worried looks, she had gone home. How could she celebrate? It was just too soon in her mind to have any 'fun'. She still needed time. What had she overheard Mako-chan say? Ah yes, she was wounded where it hurt the most. And it did hurt... painfully. Her eyelids began to feel heavy and she tried her best to keep them open. So tired she thought. And so very weary. Usagi awoke with a start, feeling disoriented but alert at the same time. Her body was tingling all over as if in anticipation of something. But what? she wondered, getting up on one elbow. A slight breeze caught her attention and she saw that the balcony door was slightly open. Strange, she thought, I don't remember opening the door. The curtain nearest the door flapped a little, confirming that *someone* had opened that door. She got up with a small sense of alarm and cautiously headed toward the balcony, her hand inside her pocket clutching the brooch she always carried. Out of the corner of her eye she noticed the time on the digital clock of the microwave. It was 11:54 p.m. She slid the door open a little wider and slipped through looking around. Seeing nothing or no one she moved out further out onto the balcony, her palms becoming sweaty. There was no one out there, that much was obvious. Luna was staying with Artemis at Minako's place so Usagi knew it wasn't her. But she could feel a certain presence, a presence so heartbreakingly familiar, that tears sprung up at the corners of her eyes. It was the rising of goose bumps on her arm, the speeding up of her heartbeat, and the breathlessness... oh yes, she knew this sensation all too well. "Mamo-chan?" The night wind was her only answer and she brushed the tears away, sniffing slightly. Of course, she thought, who was going to answer her? An owl? She called herself a baka silently for looking like such a fool. But oh, how she wished... From one of the apartments next to her, music from a radio drifted to her ears. It was an American song, she realized, and when the part of the chorus came, a sudden shiver traveled down her spine. Oh Kami... The words.... I wanna be with you If only for one night... to be the one who's in your arms who holds you tight I wanna be with you There's nothing more to say, There's nothing else I want more than to feel this way. I wanna be with you... Oh God, she thought, gripping the railing tightly. The lyrics... they fit so well... it was almost too coincidental to be true... Her body stilled as the grandfather clock in the living room struck twelve, it's chimes heavy and deep. A sharp, cold wind blew around her and she stepped back from the railing, afraid. She heard a tinkling sound and looked down... and nearly shrieked. Sparkles swirled around her like fairy dust and starting from her feet, they swirled around her and traveled up and before her amazed eyes, her clothes were transformed into a sheer white dress... with wings! Usagi covered her mouth with her hands and whirled around to look at her reflection in the balcony doors. Before she could even get a good look at herself she was lifted high up into the air at an incredible speed. She didn't even have a chance to let out a scream when she suddenly stopped, high above the city, bright stars surrounding her. There were no clouds in sight and the moon was full, beautiful in all its glory. "Kami..." she breathed in amazement. She had to be dreaming, none of this was possible, it couldn't be real! What was she doing up in the night sky with wings? It was all so very unrealistic. She blinked and in a flash she was on solid ground again, but not at the apartment, no, now she was in what looked to be the center of downtown Tokyo. It was a big square with a fountain in its middle, a small playground off to the side and many trees. It was busy no matter what time of day, cars bustling around it and people walking through it everyday. But now it was as though time had stopped. No one... and nothing... was moving. Everything had been stopped in mid-motion. It was as though someone had pressed the pause button on the VCR and what she was seeing before her very eyes was the result of it. "Happy Birthday Usako." Usagi froze at the voice immediately, her muscles tensing up. Now she knew that she was imagining all of this. She was probably lying in her bed, dreaming all of this; there could be no other logical explanation. And personally, she didn't want this dream. "I will not turn around, I will not turn around," she whispered to herself, closing her eyes. "I am dreaming, I will wake up and above all I will not turn around." She heard a male chuckle and squeezed her eyes even tighter. "Believe what you want to believe, Usako but I'm not going away." The voice fell silent and then spoke again. "Turn around, my love." The command nearly undid her. She felt so strung at hearing this voice... *his* voice. After all that she had been through, what had she done to deserve this? Hearing his voice was something she had dreamed of every night without fail this past week. And now that she was hearing it, she didn't want to. She didn't want any disillusionment. "I-I don't want to... I can't. I just can't!" she finally replied, her voice cracking. "Are you afraid?" "Yes!" she cried, "I'm afraid... I'm afraid to see..." she turned around against her mind's protests, opening her eyes, "you," she finished helplessly. And there he stood, alive. So very much alive from what she could see. And still so very good looking. Her eyes hungrily devoured him. She was sure her heart had missed a few beats. No one else could cause that kind of reaction... except Mamoru. He was wearing his Tuxedo Kamen outfit, the midnight black tuxedo, the pristine white shirt underneath, and the mask through which she could see his eyes. Those oh so beautiful blue eyes. "You are not real," she said slowly, meeting his eyes finally. "I am," he took a step closer towards her. "Why don't you try and see?" He took her hand but in a movement that surprised both of them she snatched it back. But Usagi could not deny it. In that one brief moment, she had felt warmth. There was no denying the fact that when he had picked up her hand, what she had felt was flesh and blood. But it was just... so... difficult. "Doushite?" He looked confused at her question. "Why are you here?" she asked. His face eased into a smile and he took another step forward as she willed herself not to take a step back. "Like I said before, Usa, happy birthday," he replied calmly. "Stop playing with me! I-I don't understand!" "You couldn't have forgotten that today is your birthday?" he asked teasingly. Her mind was whirling with confusion and she really, really wanted to sit down. "Today? But it's only..." and then she remembered the clock striking twelve, the 29th had now become the 30th... her birthday. "You are 22 now Usako and it is time for you to step up and become Queen." "Nani? How? Why now?" "Do you not remember, during the time of the Dark Moon, when my future self told us at what age you became Queen? The King had said 22. Can you remember?" "Iie... I can't." Usagi pressed a hand to her forehead turned around, not wanting to face her husband. She was going to be a Queen... now! She knew that she would have to become a ruler one day but this just seemed to come up so suddenly. Why had her memory failed her in remember something so important and especially at a time like this? Why hadn't she remembered what Mamoru had just told her? She pressed her hand tighter to her head. The pulsing headache she was experiencing was not helping the situation. When his arms came around her from behind, she was startled but she didn't resist. How could she? They were arms that she had longed to feel around her so much. They belonged to a person she loved, a person she could not, would not, turn away from. "I cannot say I know how you feel, Usako," he said, his lips right next to her ear. "I myself can only imagine what kind of emotions you are experiencing right now. I'm sorry this is so tough for you." "But why did you have to die?" she whispered, her hand falling to cover his own, her eyes looking straight ahead of her at the still forms of people and cars. "How did you come back? And how did *you* remember all of this?" "I honestly have no answer. I don't know how I came to attain this realization that it is time for a new transformation. All I do remember is seeing that truck from the corner of my eye..." she closed her eyes as he broke off and then began again hoarsely, "and knowing that I was going to die... and that I never got to say I love you one last time. I think it was the last thought that crossed my mind. "I remember..." he took a deep breath and continued, "I remember being engulfed in a bright light and having no feeling whatsoever of my body or of my environment. Then the light became softer and before I knew it I was materializing with you right in front of me, just a few minutes ago. And now, here I am in the form of Tuxedo Kamen, for what reason, I have no idea." "So you had no sense of time because a week has passed since... your death. Incredible." "Hai, there are many things not of this world that we are very unaware of. Demo... I'm filled with this underlying sense of realization that our time has come. Usako... I believe it is time for a new era." They stayed silent for a moment until Usagi spoke up. "So what do we do now?" She let him turn her around and placed her hands on his chest as she looked up into his face. "We start our new life. I'm sorry I let you down, Usako," he answered and slowly bent his head to capture her lips. A soft sigh escaped her as his lips moved over hers and a shiver ran through her body. It was very weird, she thought, to be kissed by someone who you thought was dead. But Mamoru wasn't dead, her mind sang, he was alive and the proof of it was this feeling of pure energy she was receiving from his kiss. She had been sure she would never feel his lips against hers ever again. And she never wanted to experience anything like that again. "You never let me down, Mamo-chan. I... I just don't ever want to let you go," she said in between their kisses, her arms sliding to his back to pull him closer. "Oh God, Usako, I won't let you go. I love you so much, I can't let you go." His hands came up to cup her face and he waited for her to open her eyes. "There's a part of me that realizes I had died and that I had lost all contact with you and I want to make sure I don't ever have to feel this way again." He kissed her again, more deeply and then broke away. She watched as he brought a rose between them and after brushing his lips against hers once more, she watched with widened eyes as those same lips brushed against the soft, red petals. He held her gaze as he flung the rose away from them sharply. They both turned their heads to see that its razor sharp tip had imbedded itself in the cement ground of the square. "This is where our new home will be; in the middle of the city," Mamoru said, "starting from that rose." "Home? You mean... the Crystal Palace?" "I do. Watch..." His arm curled around her waist and he pointed to the rose. "The moon is full tonight," he whispered. "And they say that miracles occur on nights like this." "They do," she breathed and with a gasp she watched as the same sparkling dust that had surrounded her earlier, fell from the sky and onto the rose. Then, from that single rose stem, more roses sprouted quickly until they covered a big area in the square. A slight rumbling shook the ground and Usagi gripped onto Mamoru as he smiled reassuringly at her. "It's okay, you'll see." Then from the center of the roses, the ground split open and before Usagi's amazed eyes, a structure rose from the Earth. The rumbling grew louder and she watched as the structure towered high in the air, its walls sparkling in the moonlight. The rumbling stopped and the Earth stood still once more as Usagi took a step forward, her arm outstretched. "The Crystal Palace... oh my God..." She faltered and Mamoru rushed forward and swung her into his arms. She craned her neck up to look at the immense height of their future home. "Shinje nai... the time is here. Mamo-chan... it *is* time... our time." "Are you ready Usako?" he asked searching her eyes. He was satisfied with what he saw there. There was a new light, not just love but a renewed vigor for life. "Put me down and I'll tell you," she replied saucily. He chuckled and let her down. "That's the Usako I've been looking for." He pulled her to him and hugged her close, savoring just the feel of her. Usagi was doing the same. She wanted to shout to the world how happy she was when she could hear Mamoru’s heartbeat through his tuxedo. It was the final proof that he was alive, that he was going to stay alive. She closed her eyes in pure bliss and inhaled deeply. How I missed this, she thought. You never realized how much you needed the little things like this until they were taken from you. The simple act of him just holding her was slowly restoring the lost half of her soul. It was... healing. She shifted slightly and looked up at Mamoru. "Seriously Mamo-chan, we have a huge responsibility ahead of us." "Hai, you do." The two turned around quickly at the new voice. Sailor Pluto stood there, her staff gleaming brightly. "My King, my Queen," she said kneeling. "Sailor Pluto! There's no need-" Usagi started to say, flustered. "But there is," the Senshi replied, standing once more. "The world will start again as soon as you will it and from there the Senshi will arrive to stand by your side. Changes will take place but you along with Endymion will handle them, one by one. I wish you the best of luck. I cannot stay here but you only need but to call me for assistance." "Sailor Pluto, matte!" Mamoru said quickly. "Did you know about all of this? The timing of me quitting... my dying right after? Was it all just a test for Usako?" "I cannot say, King. But know that I would never let my Queen suffer along." Then with wind swirling around her she started to fade but before she disappeared completely, she smiled slightly. "Happy Birthday... Usagi-chan," was the last thing the two heard before she was gone. The two turned back to look at the palace and then Usagi turned to Mamoru. "I'm ready," she said with a determined look. "I'm ready to become Queen and I'm ready to take hold of this new life with whatever it might bring. Are *you* ready, Mamo-chan?" "What a question to ask, Usako," Mamoru scolded lightly, "I will always be ready, now and... forever." He brought up her hand and brushed his lips against her knuckles as she watched with a lump in her throat. "I've missed you, love," she said quietly. "No longer, Usako. Never will you have to be alone again. Now let's begin." "Sou." And they faced the still world and in an instant it was moving once more albeit with newer challenges and trials than before. "I love you Mamo-chan." "Aisheteru Usako." But everything would be all right. That much was certain. ~*~*The End*~*~ And that was my Usa-Day fic. Was it understandable? Tell me what you thought, I'd luv to hear from you all. Next up... something... I don't even have a title to give you guys! -_-0 But you'll see my next work soon enough... I hope. Bye bye! Patch:-)(-: |