Lady Takeuchi

    He raised his hands to show that he was unarmed and innocent, the moment he saw people standing behind the half broken partition in their fuku. “I’m…” He didn’t need to finish his sentence, because with the few words, the people already began to bound up to him. Looking past them, he realized that there would be no one else coming, in front of him stood Tuxedo Mask, and the four senshi.  SailorMercury was missing. His hopes rose slightly when he heard a sound in the back, but only Motoki appeared, seemingly shakily from what had occurred previously. “They took her, didn’t they?”
    “Urawa! You’re back! Since when?” Came Usagi’s voice from the back of the arcade, rushing towards him and hugging him tightly.
    “Today, I got back today.”
    “That’s too bad, you’ve missed Ami, by just a few minutes.” Makoto said, resting her hands on his arms gently.
    “I know; I called her last night to warn her that it would happen soon. But I was hoping to be here in time to wish her good luck, you know, say good bye. It seems like I didn’t though make it though. I guess destiny is fixed then, there’s nothing that I can do to change it.”
    “Hey, what’s wrong?” Rei looked at him with concern.  He always looked depressed, but today, he was more so than usual. Something was wrong, she thought to herself, something concerning Ami. “Tell me.”
    “I called her, last night, to tell her that she would be taken sometime soon. You see, I had a vision, that she was going to be taken away, and I would run into this place and find that she would already be gone. My father and I were supposed to come in four days’ time, but we managed to forward it… to today. I guess, it seems that destiny can’t be forced, I thought that I would at least be able to tell her something.”
    “You knew how she was going to be taken? Urawa! How could you have not told us so that we could have kept an eye on her!! Ooo… and what did you want to tell her?”
    He flinched at Usagi’s accusatory tone, he didn’t mean to be responsible for Mizuno-san’s disappearance, but it seemed that he was.  He was also partly surprised that Tsukino-san would address him by his first name, when Mizuno-san and him were still on a formal last name basis.
    “Hush Usagi!” Rei touched his arm and led him towards one of the booths which had not been destroyed by the attack of the youma.  The rest of them people squeezed in or took up a chair to surround them, eagerly waiting for what Rei and Urawa had to say.  “But that is not what is bothering you, is it?”
    “No, I guess not. You see, its like this, I had a vision, I know what the whole ‘test’ is.”
    “What is it?” Minako asked excitedly, but was dismayed by his shaking head.
    “I don’t think that I am really allowed to say.”
    “Tell us what it is that troubles you then.” Makoto prodded gently.
    “She told me once that destiny was what we made out of it… that it wasn’t fixed… I had a premonition, and I wanted a sign as to whether or not I could change it.  Part of the premonition was that I wouldn’t be able to see her before she was abducted, I saw that she would be abducted just before I arrived, so I moved my arrival date to today, in hope that I could see her… I guess this is the sign, that I can’t force destiny, what is fixed, cannot be changed.”
    Makoto looked at him sympathetically, “there might still be a chance that it can be changed.”
    He shook his head slightly, sadness overcoming his usually quiet face. “I don’t think so… I think that I just have to live with it.”
    “Urawa-san, what is the destiny that you speak of?” Rei asked.
He blushed, and took a deep breath, deciding to tell them the truth, at least what he believed would suffice without changing the predetermined.  “Love, that is the destiny that I speak of. She’ll see new things, and I guess I will never have the chance.”
    “Didn’t Mozart say, ‘love does not alter when the remover bends to alter the fixed mark’ or something kinda like that?”
    Urawa laughed at Minako’s stumbling, “No Aino-san, it is not so, Mozart was a composer… I think you are quoting one of Shakespeare’s most famous sonnet; sonnet number 116…

Love is not love
Which alters when it alteration finds,
Or bends with the remover to remove.
O no, it is an ever-fixed mark
That looks on tempests and is never shaken;
It is the star to every wandering bark.
… love does not change over time, that is why pre-destined love will never change, because it never bends even when new players like myself join the game.”
    Mamoru looked at the rest of the girls’ faces which indicated absolute confusion, and said “the whole sonnet is like this…” he stood from his seat and took measured paces towards the door, then, reciting like a true poet he restarted the sonnet…
“Let me not to the marriage of true minds
Admit impediments; love is not love
Which alters when it alteration finds,
Or bends with the remover to remove.
O no, it is an ever-fixed mark
That looks on tempests and is never shaken;
It is the star to every wandering bark,
Whose worth's unknown, although his height be taken.
Love's not Time's fool, though rosy lips and cheeks
Within his bending sickle's compass come;
Love alters not with his brief hours and weeks,
But bears it out even to the edge of doom.
    If this be error and upon me proved,
    I never writ, nor no man ever loved.
Ryo-san, I understand your point of view completely.” He looked at the others’ dangling chins, “that was my favorite sonnet…” turning to Usagi, he smiled at her confused face, “and if you figure out what it means Usako (and mind you, I don’t mean asking your sensei!), then I will dedicate it to you forever accompanied with candlelight dinner.”
    Her eyes widened at that immediately, and turned to Urawa… “Urawa, since you are one of the smartest people I know, tell me what it means! PLEASE!!”
    Urawa smiled courteously and stood up, “Tsukino-san, I think you are supposed to think it up, if I were to tell you then Chiba-san would have to take me out to dinner… I’m not too sure if I want that… excuse me, I’ve taken up too much of your time, I must go home now, I’ll see you all… later.”

    “I hope that you find your surroundings comfortable here.  I have strove to replicate many of the things that you would have found at home.”
    “I find it quite comfortable, thank you.”
    “Perhaps I might have the honor to give you some directions in this manor.  This will be your home, I hope that you will be able to move around freely, although I must stress that there are some areas which are as yet off-limits.”

    She stared at him, not believing what she had just heard. Her captor was treating her with perfect manners and grace, she didn’t understand what was going on in his mind.  So far, he had been gentle with her, and treated her well, he had obviously been studying her, since the food which had been prepared had suited her tastes perfectly as well.  She couldn’t imagine his motives, if he was to kill her, then why the extravagance? If he wanted the information, why the courtesy from the servants as well? She would be blind not to notice the way that the food had been set up, he was trying to establish a trust system by having a large tray of hors d’oeuvres instead of separated dishes, the wine glasses had been taken out of ice water the moment that they appeared, and wine freshly poured in… he did not plan on poisoning her.  At that moment, she decided there would be no loss in asking him straight what his plan was…

    “What do you want from me?”
    He returned her curious look.  Moments ago, he had been pleased that she looked so happy and at peace with her surroundings, now, his heart dropped at her question.  No matter how had he tried to please her, she would be in full remembrance of her kidnapping away from earth.  “I want to make you happy.”
    “Happy? I was happy where I was.”
    “I want to make you happier.”
    “I would be happy to be with my family.”
    “Let me be part of your family…”

    She was hit with the realization of the implication of his words, what he was offering her... She began to blush profusely, and dropped the fork which was in her hand with a clatter.  It was surprising for her to find that a rash had not already begun. Was this what Ryo-san had been talking about? If it was, it surprised her, since there was no way that he would ever be comparable to Ryo-san.  She was brought back to reality at the sound of his voice… “…I don’t want to erase your memories of the past, I want to let you love me, at your own pace. Come, let me show you something which should bring about a smile onto your face.”
 
 

Next
Stop for a rest