Gundam Wing Fan Fiction / Sailor Moon Fan Fiction ❯ Because of You ❯ As Time Drifts By...I still remember ( Chapter 3 )

Title: Because of You

Author: Cheska

E-mail Address: Minnashime@aol.com

Rating: PG or PG-13

Chapter: 3

Disclaimer: *wailing noise overhead*

VOICE: Come out with your hands up! You can't hide in there throughout

the rest of your life. So you might as well give yourself up now!

Cheska: NEVER! Never! I own them, do you hear me? Own them!! *maniacal laugh*

Voice: *Sweatdrops* Err...yeah...come out of there and we'll talk about this.

Cheska: Yeah right, you can't get me out of here. Bwhahaha!!

Voice: We're warning you for the last time, Cheska.

Cheska: I'd like to see you try.

Voice: That's it. Bring out the secret weapon.

Cheska: Secret weapon? *peeks from behind the corner* *gasps*

Voice: *whispers something to the weapon*

Relena: HIIIIIIRRRRRROOOOOO!!

Cheska: Ahh the banshee!!! Ahh!! *closes ears*

Relena: Come and kill me, Hiiro! I know you're in there! *starts running forward*

Voice: Do you give up now?

Cheska: Never! Never! *clutches ears still, but not working*

Relena: HIIIIIIRRRRROOOOO!!

Voice: Send in the next one.

Cheska: There's more?

*whole groups of Relena copies*: HIIRRRROOOOO!!!

*building begins to shake*

Cheska: Okay, okay! Enough! I don't own SM&GW. Just don't send anymore!

Voice: Good.

Author's Notes: Chapter 1 & 2 are done, now here's chapter 3 of Because of You. Hope you'll like it. Ja!

************

I will meet you again.

**************

*Present Time:

Colony L4*

**************

The year is A.C. 198. An eighteen year old teenager with Prussian blue eyes and messy brown hair stood in the shadows of a large mansion, watching his comrades. From the shadows he could make out his friend, Trowa Barton, leaning alongside the wall his head downcast and arms folded. In front of him were his other companions. Wufei and Quatre playing chess; from his point of view Quatre had the upper hand in the game. And his last friend, the ever friendly Duo, was on the couch apparently watching television. However, the weird part was that the braided boy wasn't at all loud or annoying as he usually is. This interested the brown haired boy, as he came out of the shadows to stealthily inspect the boy.

A teenage boy of eighteen with long brown, braided hair and cobalt blue eyes gazed at the TV set with indifference. Even though his figure and eyes faced forward to stare at the television, his heart and mind weren't in it. He was in another world, another time where he wasn't eighteen and not with his present friends. He was back there, back in the orphanage. Back with the golden haired child named Usagi. The one he once called, bunny.

As he reflected upon Usagi, he slightly grinned at the memory. Being around Hiiro, he managed to learn that Usagi means bunny which was quite ironic since he called her that a long time ago on her birthday. He could recall when Duo just happened to ask Hiiro what Usagi meant in Japanese. Of course, the 'Perfect Soldier' didn't respond until he annoyed him enough times to be told. And because of his question, the soldier-boy interrogated him as to why he asked it but he only replied that it was just out of curiosity.

Ever since he left Usagi back in Colony L2, he hasn't made any attempt of contact with her. It's only because of the war, but now the war was over. At least he hopes it is. All he has left now is to wait for the next one to start or move on. From time to time he'd stay with Hilde over at the junk yard in the Sweepers Colony in L2; his hometown. But right now, the braided boy was with his friends at L4.

As Duo thought about all of this, his hand unconsciously reached out to his cross. His mind beginning to drift off to the time he first met the small girl to the time he first met up with the guys. It was such a long time ago and so much has happened.

(Where are you now, Usa? Still in Tokyo? Are you happy, sad, hurt? No matter, we'll find each other once more. I'm sure of it...) Duo vowed.

"We promised," muttered Duo under his breath.

(Promised?)Hiiro heard his murmur, and questioned it inside his mind.

**********

"Checkmate."

The White Queen moved off cornering the lone Black King with a white pawn and bishop. Therefore, once the king tries to even eat one or the other, it'd be killed off instantly.

The black haired Chinese boy seethed in silence at being beaten in the strategic game and went out of the room to meditate. Quatre merely shook his blond head and the young Arabian picked up the pieces to put them away.

At the sound of the pieces being picked up and put into the mahogany box,

Duo rose from his posture and stared over to the side. He made no move to comment or rise up; instead he just returned to his original state and began to drift off into his world. However, Hiiro was there staring at him indifferently.

"Oh hey, Hii-man!" Duo grinned in his usual way, but it didn't reach his eyes.

"Hn."

"What?" Duo frowned as Hiiro still stood hovering over him.

Hiiro refused to say what he was thinking about, so the soldier just turned around and strolled off leaving Duo to ponder over what just happened.

Trowa saw what passed between the two, but refused to acknowledge it. But he didn't wave it off, he knew that someday it'll come up again and when it does the Latin teen would figure it out.

*************

*Earth:

Tokyo, Japan*

*************

Usagi Tsukino finished her last comment of her thoughts and placed her baby blue diary inside her drawer and locked it up with a golden key. It's only been three years since she received the diary and every month since then, she wrote down what has happened to her. Just now, her thoughts began to drift back to the event more than a decade ago. As she reflected off the event, she smiled lightly and reached over into her tattered old bag to retrieve a picture of her and Duo. Usagi was about to say something, but before she could voice it out she heard movement from the treetops in front of her open window and hastily packed the picture up and hide the old bag. Just then, a black cat hopped inside with a golden crescent insignia blazing on its forehead.

"Luna, you're home early," Usagi commented.

The black cat perched herself onto Usagi's bed, just observing her mistress.

"Artemis cut off the meeting in central control early. Said he had to meet Minako over at the temple. You know, Usagi. The girls have been talking about their careers already. You should start thinking about that too," Luna nagged and explained.

"Luna," Usagi whirled around, not trying to stare at the cat right in the eye. Her voice was filled with exhaustion at the mere thought.

"Well, it's true. You five are graduating soon, you're sixteen and in your junior year. You seriously need to think about this already. You can't be a teen all your life. We're not sure when you will take up the throne and have the new kingdom restored for Crystal Tokyo," Luna lectured.

"I know," Usagi sighed and sat down on her chair, her elbows on top of the wooden study and her head being supported by her palms.

Her eyes dully stared at the back of her study.

"So have you even thought about it?"

Usagi chuckled wryly as she thought back of her career options before as a fourteen-year old. It seemed silly to even think of it right now but at the same time quite intriguing and inviting.

"Before I wanted to be a housewife: I wanted to be a bride, just that. Nothing more..." Usagi began dreamily.

"And now?"

"Now, now I'm not too sure. I may want to be a bride still and possibly a housewife. But I can't just be that, can I? I want...need something more in my life. A career, I suppose. However, I'm not quite sure as to what it could be," Usagi confessed.

"You still have time, Usagi. I shouldn't have been too jumpy on you, this is your life. It'll come around, I'm sure." Luna apologized and hopped off to the edge of the window, gazing at her mistress before jumping off to a nearby tree branch.

"Sure it will, Luna. Sure it will..." Usagi eyes her old bag from the corner of her eye. A small beige strand peeking out from the side of her closet.

Sighing, the blond pushed herself upright and moved over to her bed to pick up her beloved stuffed animal. A pink and white bunny from long before, slightly aged but decent to have around. It was the first present that Duo gave her since they became friends and she could still remember each detail in the recesses of her mind.

"I wonder how you are, Duo. I hope you're alright now. And someday,

I'll meet you once more. From there, I'm sure everything will be okay.

Because of you, I am who I am."

With that, Usagi leaned against the wall drifting off into her own little world: filled with memories of long ago.

***********

"Minako, what did you call me here for?" Artemis steadily climbed up the long set of stairs.

"Nothing much, heard you and Luna were going to consult with Central Control. What's the news? Any trouble?" Minako inquired.

"Nope, everything is actually peaceful. Ever since the war ended a year ago, everything has been going smoothly. Why do you ask?" Artemis asked, a hint of cautiousness etching his voice.

"Well, to tell you the truth..." Rei started as the fiery priestess stopped sweeping.

"We've been worried," Minako revealed.

"Worried? Come on, girls..."Artemis snorted in disbelief.

"I've had a premonition of the outcome of the future," Rei said.

"What is it?"

"Every night since two years past, I've had reoccurrences of dreams every five months. Same one and it would linger in my mind until one week passes," Rei began, placing her broom against a beam while Artemis sat down on the floor in front of her with Minako beside the two of them.

"Go on."

"It's always hazy but I'm sure it's a premonition. I would stand aside, concealed in shadows as if I play no part in this or have no say in it. However, I'm quite certain that one of us five will play a role. What it is, I have no idea."

"Then how do you know that one of us will be in it?" Minako interrupted.

"I have a feeling, a strong aura radiating from this dream. The aura I feel when one of us are around," Rei explained.

"Keep going, Rei," Artemis urged.

"Well in the dream, great machines are in there. Raging war against other machines: a war like in Operation Meteor, a great war. Except this time, the Vice Foreign Minister isn't included in it. At least, I don't believe so. But they fight for another reason, they fight for revenge."

"And who's the good side?" Minako questioned.

"I don't know. Either one could be it. I do know this though, we'll need to stop it or else our future will be in great peril. We must remember that Crystal Tokyo still needs to be created." Rei reminded.

"Right!" Minako and Artemis sounded out in unison.

"We should tell the others about this, they need to keep a look-out for great machines." Minako voiced out.

"Ami and Makoto aren't around, Minako. Remember?" Rei said.

"Oh yeah, Ami is with her mother in London. And Makoto is at France, training at the cooking school they have there. They won't be back until Winter Vacation…lucky lot. Here we are spending out first day out of school for summer with nothing more to do than to look out for evil," giggled Minako.

"Rei! What are you doing? You have chores to do!" Grandpa Hino hopped out from behind the screen door in back of them and waved his fist at her.

Rei sweat dropped and picked up her broom and began her duties.

"See ya, Rei!" Minako waved as she started down the stairs with Artemis by her side.

Rei merely waved at her as she began dusting off the ground at the temple with Grandpa in back of her, inspecting as well as giving criticizing her work.

*********

"July 1 and great weather: beautiful blue sky and the scent of fresh air with the slight hint of breeze..."Usagi lazily commented as she took a stroll down the street.

Long golden blond hair done up in odangoes trailed behind the sixteen year old teenager. Her crystalline blue eyes shining with content and her lips curved upwards slightly as she let her face glow with a hint of happiness. People who passed her by took a glance at the beautiful teen, some wishing they could be like her or hoping that they'd be noticed by the angel. Others merely smiled back or greeting her out of respect and kindness, such as little kids or elderly couples.

"Hey Odango Atama!" a familiar call cried out in front of her.

Stopping, Usagi looked ahead and noticed her dear friend Rei coming her way. Wearing blue denim shorts and a red top, her usual raven black hair loose and swirling in back of her.

"Kon'wa Rei-chan," Usagi beamed.

"Ohayo. Where's Luna?" Rei questioned as she fell in step with the blond.

"Don't know. She just left after a little pit stop at home. So how come you're not at the temple?" Usagi conversed.

"Grandpa decided to let me have a break, so Chad is filling in for me." (((AN: Sorry, can't remember the Japanese name for Chad. >.<)))

As they rounded a corner, they instantly saw the familiar Arcade in their wake and decided to head inside. The two girls chose their usual spot by the window and waited for the waiter/waitress to serve them.

"Unazaki-chan, hi. Where's your brother?" Usagi wondered, noticing the red-headed sister of Motoki.

"Motoki? Oh, he's helping some other customers. So what can I get you two?" Unazaki took out the pencil behind her ear and prepared to jot down their orders.

"I'll have the usual," Usagi grinned while Rei nodded her head saying the same.

"Alright, three strawberry milkshakes and one root beer float, coming right up!" Unazaki announced and walked off with the menus under her arms.

"Any news?" Usagi casually brought out her interest to the fiery maiden.

"None, everything is quiet. But that doesn't mean we can…" started Rei.

"I know, it doesn't mean we can let our guards down. But for now, we can just be glad that it's nothing too serious..."Usagi mused.

"Hai."

Once their orders were brought to them, a certain midnight black haired man strode inside the Arcade and instantly spotted them. He beamed over a smile at the sight of the two girls and immediately but casually strolled over to their booth.

"Usako…" his deep, soothing voice whispered over to her ear as he drew nearer after sitting himself down.

"Mamo-chan," Usagi smiled pleasantly and pecked his cheek.

Rei saw their display of emotion and let out a smile of joy for her best friend and ex. Despite the small pain in her heart at seeing the scene unfold, she was pleased to know that her friend was happy. That's what mattered to her. And anyways, she still has Chad waiting for her. In her heart, she came to care for the guy.

"I was looking for you," Mamoru Chiba voiced out his concern.

"Well, I was home earlier this morning but left to head for the Arcade. What about you?" Usagi asked, taking a sip out of her shake.

"Jogging and then home. After that, I went out to town and spotted this. Immediately, I thought about you," Mamoru revealed a carefully crafted moonstone dangling from a pale silver bracelet.

"For me?"

"Hai, for you."

"What's the occasion?"

"No occasion my little odango atama. None."

Taking the bracelet, Usagi placed it around her wrist while Mamoru closed it for her.

"Arigatou."

"Anything for you."

************

Duo rose up from his relaxed position on the couch and studied his environment. A homely atmosphere, showing not the slightest hint that this could very well be a hideout for people like him and his friends: ruthless soldiers fighting for peace and justice: doing anything, killing anyone to achieve peace for their people and for themselves.

He breathed out a shaky breath of relief at seeing that his friends weren't around and rose up, taking quick steps over to the stairs and ascended upwards to the confines of his habitation; his room.

The braided boy shut the door with a click and locked it. Afterwards, he strolled over to close the wide open curtains and then proceeded to his closet. Digging around past accessories and joke books to come up with the one he sought after the most: his laptop. Taking it out, he placed it in front of him, sitting down in the process on the carpeted ground. He flipped his braid over his shoulder and started it up, hearing the whirring and buzz. The warmth as it blazed to life.

"Now's a good time to search, don't you think so, Shinigami?" Duo lowly stated under his breath as his cobalt blue eyes glinted in determination and mirth.

As the computer screen popped up, he clicked open Start and began his search.

He knew inside himself that in mere moments he'll find her. He just had to.

*********

"Well I better get going; I can't leave Chad at the temple by himself with Grandpa. Who knows what will happen?!" Rei jokingly said as she slipped away from the two and headed north towards her home.

"See you later, Rei!" Usagi called out, waving when her friend turned her head her way.

Mamoru by her side waved as well in friendliness and then the two continued onward, merely enjoying each others company. As the two journeyed onward, they stopped at their spot at the park. Both were silent for the moment, content with the quiet atmosphere looming before them. Both were sitting under the shade of the branches and leaves of a nearby tree: sitting down on the bench, vacant and inviting.

Usagi leaned to the shoulder of the one she believes to love and smelled the sweet scent of roses. She let her eyes close and drifted away.

(I can recall those days in the orphanage. There would be time of mere tranquility. Duo and I would tire out from our day of play and just lean against each other against the tree trunk. He'd have that mythology book of his pocketed somewhere and bring it out: reading out loud to me. How I miss those days...)Usagi thought back.

"Penny for your thoughts?" Mamoru's low voice questioned as his face loomed over hers.

"Just looking back after everything we've been through..."Usagi murmured and straightened herself out.

"Usako..."

(Bunny....oh Duo...)Usagi drifted off and was startled out of her reverie when Mamoru cupped her cheek and brought it to face him.

(His eyes, like the ocean. Duo's eyes...blue, cobalt blue; almost purple.

Almost...their eyes are so different. Their personalities as well…)Usagi reflected.

"Is something troubling you?" Mamoru's lips were achingly close as he said those words. His eyes focused upon her face, noticing her spacing off from time to time.

"Hmn?" Usagi lazily lifted her eyes upward to gaze into his, noticing his faint trace of concern.

To relieve him of it, Usagi tiptoed upwards and captured his lips with her own, lightly brushing against his in the effort to make him relax.

"Answer your question?" Usagi seductively murmured.

"Mmm..." Mamoru slyly smiled and brought her closer to him.

(Duo. I still remember our promise.)Usagi noted as she leaned closer and kissed once more.

To be continued...

******************

I'm not particularly fond with that last part, myself. #_# But I put it up anyway. And sorta sucky how she was made out to be kissing Mamoru when she's been thinking about Duo, ne? Oi... O.o

Hopefully, the next chapter will be better. Sorta, probably. Oh welps,

I'll think about that. ~.~

Well that's about it, R&R, folks. Ja ne!