Aino
ForSylvite@aol.com

Rated PG

A War of the Roses
Part four
~"I've loved him always and forever...what now?."~Usako
(Leaving on a Jet Plane)

All my bags are packed I'm ready to go
I'm standing here out side your door
I hate to wake you up to say goodbye
but the dawn is breakin' it's early morn
The taxi's waitin' he's blowin' his horn
Already I'm so lonesome I could die

So kiss me and smile for me
Tell me that you'll wait for me.
Hold me like you'll never let me go.

'Cause I'm leaving on a jet plane
I don't know when I'll be back again
Oh babe...I hate to go.

There's so many times I've let you down
so many times I've played around
But darling love they don't mean a thing.
Every place I go I think of you
Every song I sing I sing for you
When I come back I'll wear you wedding ring.

So kiss me and smile for me
Tell me that you'll wait for me
Hold me like you'll never let me go.

'Cause I'm leaving on a jet plane
I don't know when I'll be back again.
Oh babe I hate to go.

Now the time has come to leave you
one more time 'o' let me kiss you
Close your eyes and I'll be on my way.
Dream about the days to come
When I won't have to leave alone.
About the times that I won't have to say...

Oh kiss me and smile for me
Tell me that you'll wait for me.
Hold me like you'll never let me go.

Cause I'm leavin' on a jet plane
I don't know when I'll be back again
Oh babe I hate to go.

I'm leaving on a jet plane
I don't know when I'll be back again
Oh babe I hate to go.

*song by John Denver*

"Congratulations Mr. Chiba Mamoru.
In consideration of your admirable academic achievement
and the glowing reports from previous professors on the
application that we recently received for your school in Tokyo,
Japan, you are hear by accepted and welcome to join us here at
Harvard University in Boston Massachusetts...

Mamoru stared at the stiff white letter. He held tightly in his hands.
This was his future he was holding, Harvard University was one of
the most respected schools in the medical profession and Mamoru
wanted to become a doctor. Ever since high school he had been working
towards something, he had begun studying and taking school seriously.
Gradually his D's turned to B's and by his senior year he was a straight
'A' student in all level one classes. It was then that he decided that he
wanted to spend his life helping others. He owed this discussion solely to
Tuxedo Kamen who had tugged him kicking and screaming down the path
of humanity. However it was she that saved his life,
she taught him that the whole world was not against him,
she taught him to get close to people again, that not all
people would desert you. How could he leave Usako?
How could he desert her like this. He knew Usako
was strong but she couldn't handle a blow like this. He would like to think
of himself
as a major part of her life. The fact that he was absorbed in love with her
drew him to
everything she liked . When Mamoru first met Usagi they had begun
relentlessly teasing each other. It was a strange occurrence, even now
Mamoru could not explain it. One goes to college during the day and studies
and reds and studies and reds; Mamoru himself was a very serious student.
However, when he allowed himself
a break twice or thrice a day he spent half of it teasing Usako, words such
as
"Therefore Dickens tone in the novel is a brutally realistic metaphor
pointing out
the miniscule flaws of human interaction" were replaced with..." Odango
atama go fall out of a tree somewhere." It was just that he looked forward
to teasing her. It was such a welcome break to the seriousness and falsity
of the world around them. She let him into her world and life was happy
there, with her. Despite her warmth and strength Usako was a delicate
flower,
how would he tell her...more appropriately, how would he ask her is it was
okay?

It was getting colder and colder as Usagi got further and further
away from the school grounds. She had gotten another detention
for being late for the fifth day in a row. Why the heck did
school start at the crack of dawn anyway? Did teachers really
expect anyone to learn anything while they were half asleep?
This frustrated her, but what frustrated her even more is that
she hadn't gotten to sleep until extra late the past week
because of that terrible night at the restaurant.
She hadn't really spoken to Seiya since then
and she hadn't even seen Mamoru, it was depressing.
She just couldn't under stand why Mamo-chan had lost his temper
like that it wasn't like him. She didn't really know why
she was punishing him like this everyone makes mistakes.
Why just two periods ago she had made eighteen mistakes
on a Algebra test and she could re-take it for a 70.
Maybe this was like a metaphor. If she could retake her mistakes for a 70
than Mamo-chan who was, after all so smart, could
surely retake his for a hundred. She stopped in her tracks.
"What am I talking about?" She asked her self just a tad confused.
It was then that she heard an explosion of giggles from down the street.
She glanced behind her and saw a mob of girls buzzing around something.
She was surprised to she Ami on the outskirts screaming her head off
along with the others. Usagi jogged up to Ami. "What's up
Ami-chan?" Ami spun around as if to face a car speeding towards her.
"Usagi-chan!" She stuttered her eyes widening.
"What's up?" Usagi asked in wonderment.
"Well everyone wants to meet the new idols." Ami stated softly.
Usagi looked at her puzzled for a moment.
"Idols? In our school, who?"
"The Three Lights!" Amy smiled a little. Usagi had never seen Ami smile
at the mention of a music group.
"Who" What? Where? WHERE?" She yelled excitedly,
Usagi jumped up and down to get a glimpse of who ever was causing such
uproar.
"You don't know the Three Lights?! Usagi-chan that's impossible.
They are so good and attractive. Especially the one named Tekki his I.Q
and good looks make him positively irresistible." Ami sighed.
Usagi jumped back and almost fell to the street but caught
her balance at the last second.
"AMI-CHAN!" Usagi yelled. "Do you have a temperature?
Did you eat some bad curry or something?"
"Actually I'm trying a new vegan diet to help
better balance out my body chemistry." Ami stated. Usagi sighed.
"Phew Ami you had me worried for a minute there."
Who would image Ami liking a R&B star, probably
just a phase or something. Just them a limo drove by next to
Usagi and Ami and the crowd stirred and yelled some more
at the sight of this fine vehicle. A few minutes later the 'Three Lights',
who ever they were began to make their way to the car. Slowly but steadily
the crowds parted.
"I have to see these guys they must be super cool and cute and
...and gorgeous!" Usagi smiled with stars in her eyes.
Ami giggle a little. "Here the come here they come ooooooooo!"
Usagi shouted with enthusiasm. Just then from out of the mob
emerged a tall man with long brown hair
tied in to a pony tail and dazzling violet eyes.
"Tekki-kun!" Ami-chan screamed and walked up to him.
Makoto was holding on to his right hand, Usagi gasped at the sight of her.
"MAKO-CHAN?" Usagi's eyes widened. Amy took hold of his other hand.
 Tekki look slightly tired, he wasn't really into this whole being tugged at
by girls thing.
"Tekki I am your biggest fan." Ami whispered shyly.
"Glad to hear it." Tekki replied half-heartedly.
"No I'm your biggest fan!" Makoto chimed in pulling on his hand.
"Great." Tekki moaned.
Just then another figure began to emerge from the pile
of crazed females. they were blond Usagi observed with a red bow and...huh!?
"Minako-chan?" She gasped her jaw dropping open.
Minako's arms were wrapped around something,
something blue with silver hair, it was some guy.
A really cute guy, the stars returned to Usagi's already glowing eyes.
This must be another one.
"Yaten-kun!" Minako said sweetly just for the sake of saying
his name. Minako pulled the man fully out of the crowd
of girls who kept grabbing at him.
"Help." Yaten choked, Mianko finally freed him while Rei kept them away.
"That's it folks nothing to see here!" She shouted.
Yaten look disgusted. He had lime green
eyes and he was a lot shorter than the first one.
It occurred to Usagi that she had seen these two around school.
"I'm your biggest biggest fan ever in the whole world!" Mina stated.
"No that would be me!" Rei smiled before she was knocked
over on by the crowd. Yaten hadn't heard either of them.
"Get me the HELL out of here! He yelled trying to get to the limo.
"Thank you all for coming." Tekki announced following Yaten.
"That's Ami Mizuno 555-6171!" Ami yelled after them.
This was some kind of Alternate UNIVERSE Usagi imagined.
 It was then that the crowed screamed at top of their lungs once more.
"There must be one more, I mean they are the "Three Lights." Usagi
remembered.
A young man squeezed out of the mob of girls who
clutched him possessively. From where she was standing it
almost looked like Mamo-chan.
"I LOVE YOU SEIYA!" One girl screamed.
"MARRY ME!" Another screamed.
"NO MARRY ME."
"Take me on tour with you!"
"Nice ass!"
Usagi's jaw dropped to the floor and she dropped her
book bag and her lunch...Seiya?
Sure enough Kou Seiya fought his way through the crowd and
found him self face to face with Usagi.
"Odango-atama." he smiled and waved
a little as a police officer pried a girl off his back.
"Don't call me that, only Mamo-chan can call me that!" Seiya had no answer
to
that one.
"Whatever? You'll walk with me now." Seiya said calmly
pushing her ahead of him, he handed her book bag and lunch.
"Heeeeey! Where are we going?" She demanded. Seiya thought for a moment.
"I don't know exactly, oh well, we'll see when we get there won't we?"
Slowly but steadily the mob of eager women had been contained and
Seiya and Usagi were left alone. They hadn't talked much during the
past week. Of course Seiya sat behind Usagi during History so they had
exchanged a few words including: "Wake up Odango"
"Stop kicking my seat" " Did you steel my pencil.
You stole my pencil didn't you?" and his personal favorite
"You look like shit forget to shower?" Seiya didn't swear
often but when he did he seemed to think it was pretty funny,
Usagi was another story. Since last week he had been thinking
a lot, mostly of that night at the restaurant. In summing it up he
had found only one phrase that could explain it. ~He was just being a jerk~
trying to get a rise out of Mamoru which, surprisingly was pretty hard
to do. Mamoru was calm, cool and collected until Seiya had mentioned
his past misfortunes. It was not hard to realize that that was
Chiba-san's weak point. At any rate he was sorry for what had happened.
He had come to the decision that he would concentrate on the mission
and as far as Usagi was concerned he would slow down.
Usagi was getting impatient. "So what did you want to talk to me about?"
Seiya kept walking, it was better to keep moving.
"I was thinking about the other night." he began and
Usagi cringed, anything but that! "I mean I was thinking about it recently,
I didn't man I had been thinking about it all week because
 I haven't, just today...just in the past hour." He insisted.
Usagi stared at him puzzled for a minute.
"Okay." she stammered.
"I have thought about it and I would like to apologize." He said. Usagi
nodded
how did one respond to that? Hmm she thought for a few minutes.
"Well?" Seiya broke the silence.
"Well what?" Usagi asked stopping for a moment, Seiya stopped as well.
"Will you accept?"
"Accept...what?" She batted her long jet-black lashes innocently.
Beautiful Seiya thought silently.
"My APPOLOGY USAGI!" He raised his voice frustrated as he sighed.
They began walking again.
"Yes I accept your apology but do you mind
if I sad you a question?"
 She asked. Because of his mission secrets were very
precious to Seiya and his brothers.
"What kind of question?" he asked suspiciously.
 She looked out to the horizon. The sky was painted
in glorious rainbow of pastels.
"Why were you and Mamo-chan fighting?" She asked sadly.
"Don't be sad." Seiya said mildly. Usagi and Seiya kept walking.
"Well?" She asked again looking to him.
"I'm thinking!" He retorted. Silence. "We were fighting over you."
he finally spat, almost resenting the fact that he had to reveal a long held
secret,
even though it had only happened five days ago.
Usagi nearly collapsed again, could it be that Seiya liked her as more than
a
friend...
could it be that he was interested in her as a girlfriend...could it be that
he had
had a secret crush on her all this time?
"What do you mean?" She asked trying to sound amused. Silence.
"I mean I said that Chiba-san doesn't deserve you." Seiya revealed.
"You said what?!" Usagi yelled.
"I said that Chiba-san didn't deserve..."
"I heard what you said!" Usagi yelled. "But why?
Why would you ever say anything like that?"
"Because he doesn't. You two are all wrong for each other."
"Hey!" an angry Usagi retorted. "Explain yourself."
Seiya took a deep breath and rolled his eyes.
"I've heard that he treated you badly when you first met and
he ignores you and he is in college and he is pessimistic and
an orphan and so one and so forth you catch my drift." Seiya finished.
"Wait a minute wait a minute...YOU said THAT to him?!" She gasped. Seiya
nodded.
"No wonder he punched you SEIYA!"
"Huh?"
"How could you be so cold. We love each other with all our
hearts trivial things don't matter!" Usagi explained grabbing hold
of Seiya arm and looking at him with her sparking crystal blue eyes.
She stared back at her longingly.
"I'm sorry Odando."

**************************************************
WHAT? HUH?
HAD HE JUST APPOLOGIZED AGAIN?
A SPONTANIOUS APPOLOGY FROM THE HEART?
HE HAN'T EVEN HAD TIME TO THINK ABOUT IT OR
FIND THE RIGHT WORDS
**************************************************

Usagi felt a touch of remorse for scolding him,
Seiya wasn't the kind of guy to apologize twice
in one day. She tried to make emends by offering him a soda on her,
it was all she could afford at the moment. It just wasn't right for
someone as young and deserving a she to be settled with only a twenty
dollar allowance, usually that all went to buy comics and clothes.
"No thanks I have to practice tonight."
"Oh yah WHY DIDN'T YOU TELL ME YOU WERE AN IDOL?"
Seiya was on the edge of chuckling,
"You never asked, and besides it was much more
fun to let you find out for yourself. With that Seiya began to cross the
street.
"See you soon Odango-atama." Seiya waved not looking back,
he put his dark sunglasses on.
"SEIYA get back here!" Usagi yelled, she then realized that she had
no more to say to him at present.

It was unusually cold this night the sun had set and darkness had
cloaked the city. Mamoru had been wandering around
since early this afternoon, he had had some thinking
to do about his future...and Usako's. Actually,
Chiba Mamoru had been wandering for most of his life, not finding much.
Mamoru had asked her to meet him at the 12th street bridge and she
had readily agreed. His stomach was in knots. He looked around,
she hadn't arrived here yet. He shoved his hands into the pockets of his
navy blue peacoat and watched his breath as it formed little clouds in
front of his mouth. About ten minutes later he felt three light taps on
his right shoulder he saw Usagi take her place next to him.
She was wearing her pale pink winter jacket with the furry collar.
"Mamo-chan." She said sweetly. She was smiling a little, Mamoru
had a stale frown plastered on his face. For Usako he would try
to smile, he owed to her at least.
"Hi Usako." He said apologetically one side of his mouth trying to curve up.
He had spoken, now she could said what had been bothering her.
They faced each other.
"Mamo-chan I am so sorry for blaming you for the other night, forgive me?"
She pleaded her eyes wavered. Normally he would have apologized for
his short temper and asked for her forgiveness but tonight he had something
bigger to get off his chest. How could he possibly say what
he had to say? The only thing appropriate to say in
response to the look she was giving him was something
a long the lines of "I love you Usako, forgive me."
He had to say it now or it would never be said.
"Usako I have to... I need to say something. For the first half
of my life people would tell me that I had no direction,
I knew I didn't and I didn't want one. I had nothing to work towards."
Usagi stared at him listening intently.
"But then a great thing happened to me. I met my Serenity,
you Usako. I knew I didn't deserve you yet but I knew that someday
I would and... now that someday is here."
Mamoru rummaged around in his pocket for something.
He pulled out a long white envelope folded in half.
"Yesterday I received this letter, I've been accepted to
Harvard Medical school in Boston Massachusetts, in America."
Usagi looked at the letter for a moment. What did he mean?
A few moments later her face softened and her smile dropped into an almost
frown.
NO Mamoru though, not the lip. Usagi's bottom lip began to quiver.
"Mamo-chan your not going to America...are you Mamo-chan?"
Mamoru swallowed hard.
"It's part of my dream to become a doctor, this school is important for me.
 I saved up enough money counting my inheritance and what
I've earned while in college to barely afford it and it's worth it to me.
But I'm asking you because I would never do anything
to hurt you, you know that." he finished. Usagi looked
like she was holding back a monsoon of tears behind
those dim blue eyes that starred mournfully at him.
"It means that much to you Mamo-chan?" Usagi asked already
expecting the answer. He nodded.
"It would keep me away a lot and we wouldn't see each other more than two
times a year. If I can afford it"
"For a year?" She asked.
"More like two years Usako." He said lowering his head a little.
She sniffled quietly.
"Would you write?" She asked. He nodded.
"And you won't fall in love with anyone else?"
"Usako." he sighed, how could she ever ask that, she did seem sensitive
around the subject though.
"Promise you'll always love me?" She asked completely sincere.
She leaned her forehead on his chest. He kissed the top of her head.
She began to cry un-benounced to him.
"Usako, your the only one for me." One single tear rolled down
his cheek and landed on her forehead.
"Then go." She whispered.

Seiya shut the apartment door softly and threw the keys on the
short wooden table that sat on his left. They clanged and came
close to falling off but didn't in the end. It was time for beddy bye.
The living room was pitch black but he could here someone breathing within.
He lit a candle in the kitchen, which allowed some light to
filter in through the doorless doorframe. "What are you doing up?"
 Seiya asked. The dark shape lifted a glass to his lips.
"You are going to destroy us aren't you?" Tekki scoffed a little.
"Oh God damn-it not this again!" Seiya raised his voice.
"IS IT SO DIFFICULT to maintain focus Seiya? IS IT? Because if it is..."
"Shut up!" Seiya shouted Tekki continued.
"If it is I will be more than happy to release you from
your obligation. We...no...I can and will carry this
mission off on my own...if that's how you want it." He finished, for the
moment.
Seiya shook his head.
"Your some piece of work Tekki." he groaned. "You know what?
I can complete this mission by myself as well and if that's the way you want
it..."
he paused as the another door squeaked open and a familiar face poked out.
A groggy Yaten Kou opened the door and leaned on
 the door frame yawning. He was where a white
T-shirt and baggie gray boxers. He rubbed his forehead.
"What going on at eleven o'clock on a Tuesday night?"
Tekki chuckled a little in the dark and brought the glass
to his lips one more. Seiya clinched his teeth.
"I love our princess more than both of you put together.
I would give my life for her a million times over and if
I need to do that by myself..."
"What?" Yaten inquired yawning again.
"Why are you so absorbed in that girl...what's her name...Usaji?"
Tekki asked arrogantly.
"Usagi." Seiya said.
"Usagi." Yaten repeated both answering him.
"She reminds me of our Princess Fireball at times.
It is pleasant to be around her." Seiya explained as best he could using
mere words could never sum up these strange
feelings he had for Usagi though.
Tekki's glass fell from his hand.
He leapt to his feet and stalked towards Seiya who stood his ground.
He didn't stop walking until he was a mere few inches in front
of his brother. Although not that much taller than Seiya he seemed to
tower over him.
"Listen here and listen good 'cause I'm not going to repeat this."
Tekki began his voice was past angry. "Usagi or whoever she is...is not
PRINCESS FIREBALL! You'll kindly remember that Seiya."
His voice returned to normal in his last sentence. He left Seiya
and Yaten staring confused and angry in his general direction.
"And to all a goodnight." With that the great king withdrew
into his chamber and shut the door finally behind him.

There was not a parking space to be found.
"God I hate 10th street shopping." Mamoru stated turning
 into a parking space next to the side walk that had to
be at least a mile away from
10th street. Matoki exited the car and shut the door behind him.
"Just be happy we didn't come yesterday I heard that the
'Three Lights' made a surprise appearance on Tenth Street yesterday."
Matoki explained. Mamoru grumbled a little under his breath.
The two men walked nonchalantly down the sidewalk towards the plaza.
No wonder they hadn't seen any girls looking for parking spaces,
they were all shopping. Matoki had been spontaneously invited
to accompany his long time friend Mamoru on what Mamoru
had described as a shopping exertion that would involve slim
to no shopping. Matoki was curios to find out where they were going.
"Mamoru are we headed anywhere in particular?" he asked.
Mamoru leaned to one side letting two hyper teenage girls dart past him.
He contently.
"We are headed somewhere very particular." He answered.
Matoki cocked an eyebrow at him. He knew that Mamoru was
leaving in less than a week, maybe he needed to buy something for his trip?
"Matoki-kun, I was thinking about the past when I woke up
this morning. I'm not going to ask you if you remember
because I know you do." Matoki a little confused. "Okay,
let me try to get this out. Do you remember when I first
set eyes on a certain blond Odango-atama?" Mamoru asked
his obviously bewildered friend. Matoki nodded smiling at the occasion.
"You hated her." Matoki said, Mamoru quickly picked up his train of thought.
"To the general eye I suppose I seemed to hate her.
Truth was I was in love with someone I thought
I had never met before and that is a disturbing and seemingly artificial
feeling
my friend." He stated. Matoki had lost him back at 'The Truth'.
"Never mind." Mamoru resolved to leave it alone for the time being.
After a few minutes Mamoru stopped in front of a store, a jewelry store.
He held the glass door open for Matoki who was eyeing a ruby necklace
sitting in the display window. There was classical music playing
and everything but the glass cases were pale pink.
A sales woman wearing a hunter green skirt suit
and dark brown hair which was tied back,
walked up to Mamoru and Matoki.
"May I help you gentlemen?" She asked an eager smile
spread across her face. Mamoru smiled a little back at her.
"Yes, umm my name is Chiba Mamoru and I had ordered
a piece of jewelry from here, they said they would hold it for me."
yes sir, and when did you order it?" The woman asked leading
the two to the front counter. Mamoru smiled a little more.
"Um...two years ago." He said quietly. Matoki's head jerked to stare
at Mamoru. The saleswoman turned fully around to face him.
"Excuse me sir...two years ago sir?" She asked politely.
He nodded. "Alright...what was the name again sir?" She stuttered a little.
"Chiba." He answered. he didn't even look at Matoki, no explanations just
yet.
They threesome walked to the front desk and the saleswoman
walked hurriedly in to the back room. Mamoru leaned
against the counter and Matoki stood opposite him
with his hands in his jacket's pockets. He was never one to demand
answers or even ask for them. The saleswoman emerged from the
room about five minutes later with a little box in her right hand.
"Surprisingly sir, it was still there on hold...way in the back." She
laughed
a little.
"I thought so." Mamoru smiled again. She handed his to him over the counter
and he accepted it gently in his fingers. He opened it.
The box opened promptly to reveal a breath-takingring ring.

It was pink stone, a kind of ruby in the shape of a heart.
"I bought this two years ago for Usako.
I have just been waiting for the exact right moment to ask her to marry me."

Moshi Moshi minna-san! Thanks so much for reading this! As always e-mail's
are welcome ForSylvite@aol.com. So Mamoru is on his way to America?it should
get more interesting from her eon out. War is a dirty business after all.
The next chapter is coming soon, I hope you get a chance to check it out. Ja
for now!