Title: Heart

Author: Gokou-chan

E-mail: [email protected]

Rating: PG-13

Pairing: Rei/Usagi

Archive: Ask and ye shall receive!

Warnings: Yuri�.

Disclaimer: I don�t own the characters used in the fic, for if I did, I would have a lot more anime than I do now. ^-^;;

Author�s Notes: Well, guess what? I just sat down to write the twelfth part of �A Ripple in Time� and guess what happened? I opened a new window and wrote this. Oo;; Weird, huh? And I wrote this in under an hour�� if only I could do the same for my OTHER works!!! Anywho, let me know what ya�ll think of this, this is basically the second time I�ve written outside of the Dragonball Z genre (go me!) so I don�t know how well it turned out. Clue me in!!! Drop me a line!! Nag me to death!! Doesn�t matter, though it would speed up the production of certain fictions�. ^^;;; Enjoy!

Oh yeah� this takes place sometime after Sailor Stars� and I HATE Mamoru�. So there is some Mamo-bashing in here too. ^^;;; Heh heh� he�s almost as bad as Relena�.

~*~*~*~*~

Tsukino Usagi ran down the street to her waiting friends, giggling in glee. Her ankle length white-blond hair whipped behind her in two streams held by odango shaped buns.

The outfit she was wearing was simple� at least for her. Instead of her usual mini skirt, she was wearing jeans and a black wool sweater that accented her slim frame and golden skin tone.

She held back a grin as she tackled her best friend Hino Rei, a dark-haired exotic shrine maiden that was also dressed in casual wear, from behind, sending both of them tumbling to the ground.

�Odango atama!!�

Usagi found herself in a headlock under Rei�s arm.

�Rei!� Usagi didn�t let the headlock prevent her from glomping onto Rei�s waist and cackling with glee.

�What�s with you today?� Rei sweated, trying to pry her off.

�From the looks of it�. She�s had a lot of sugar and got a new manga.� Kino Makoto leaned over them, munching slowly on her ice cream cone. Her light brown hair was pulled back in a ponytail, as usual, and her gym clothes attested to where she had previously been.

Aino Minako and Mizuno Ami on the other hand, were caught up in an argument over whether or not Ami wanted to go out with anyone at school, and didn�t even know what was going on behind them. Minako�s blond hair flashed along with her light blue eyes as she threw another ill aimed verbal retort at the short, blue haired and eyed girl. It was quickly shot down. They went back to bickering and soon walked out of sight.

�Even better, minna!� Usagi exclaimed.

Rei and Makoto both raised their eyebrows.

�Mamo-chan is coming home today!� She squealed in excitement. �Isn�t that amazing!�

�Usagi-chan, that�s great!� Rei smiled at her enthusiastic friend. After the battle with Galactia, they had discovered that Chiba Mamoru had been killed on the trip overseas. Usagi had been heartbroken, but had rallied and brought everyone back to life once more with her crystal. Since then, Mamoru had decided to finish his medical studies at the collage and lived overseas.

Two years had passed since then. Rei grinned, remembering Usagi�s antics over those years while she had been waiting for him to return. Usagi had also grown, becoming more mature, although her innocence remained unchanging. She would be turning eighteen soon, and graduating from high school. Time surely did fly.

Usagi�s eyes twinkled as she released Rei and danced around alternately glomping the members of their small group. They were still Senshi, but things had remained calm after that last battle and they had no real need to use their powers anymore. They did anyway, and had long since perfected their powers.

�His plane is going to arrive at two� Aiiii!!!!� Her squeal cut into her speech as she looked at her watch.

Rei sweat-dropped again. �You�re going to be late?�

Usagi nodded briskly.

�Have no fear, Rei is here!� Rei grinned suddenly, striking a dramatic pose.

�That�s not funny, Rei-chan!� Usagi pouted.

�Iie, that�s not what I meant� My car is parked up ahead; I�ll drive you.�

�Arigato, Rei-chan!!� Rei was glomped again, before being dragged along behind Usagi as she took off into the distance.

�Usagi!!!�

~*~*~*~*~

�Where is he?� Usagi wailed, standing at the gate.

�Calm down, Usagi-chan. We just got here!� Rei groaned, leaning against the wall of the terminal. The flight schedule flashing to the right of them said that the plane from America was delayed but should be arriving shortly.

An ominous sensation crept over her, and she narrowed her eyes. It was similar to her fire divination, a premonition of things to come. Something was wrong.

The lights on the board flashed green as the flight arrived. Maybe she was just nervous. She shook it off and followed Usagi down to wait next to the gate. Several minutes later, the passengers began to emerge from the plane.

�Mamo-chan!! Mamo-chan!!� Usagi called, waving as she spotted her fianc�. He smiled as he saw her, but to Rei, it lacked his former warmth. He trudged up the ramp to where Usagi and Rei waited.

�Usagi.� He bent down and barely kissed her cheek. Usagi�s face fell. Rei felt a flame of anger leap at the way he treated her.

�Mamo-chan?� Her voice was filled with confusion, and her face echoed that sentiment.

�Mark?� An American voice speaking English rose above the Japanese being used in the terminal.

�Sophie.� Mamoru turned to face the woman, the smile he used to grace Usagi with on his face. �Usagi, I�d like to meet my fianc�, Sophie.�

Usagi felt her heart tear in two. �F-fianc�?�

Rei turned on Mamoru in the blink of an eye. �How could you? Usagi is your fianc�! She waited two years for you. Doesn�t that mean anything?� Her voice was vicious.

�How dare you speak to my fianc� like that,� Sophie rounded on Rei. �Just who do you think you are?�

�I used to be his friend.� Her voice held all of her fire, but cut through the noise of the crowd like ice, dripping with distain. Conversations stopped as she raised her voice in further recrimination. �Do you realize what she gave up?�

�I�m sorry. I just feel that we�ve grown apart. I no longer love Usagi.�

Usagi�s heart snapped at his last sentence. Tears sprung to her eyes, as she finally comprehended what he said. �Mamo no baka!� She ran from the terminal, her face wet with her grief.

�Mamo-baka indeed!� Rei growled, her eyes glowing with her power. Mamoru gulped and took a step back as he felt how powerful she had become over the few years he hadn�t seen her. �You will pay for what you have done.�

She turned on heel and followed Usagi out of the airport.

~*~*~*~*~

�Usagi!! Usagi!!� Rei called. The sun had long since set; she had been searching for hours, looking for her friend. After having run out of the airport, Rei had lost track of her, losing sight of Usagi in the crowds. She paused, panting for breath. Where could she have gone? Her eyes widened as a thought struck her.

Racing back to her car, she leapt into the open topped Porsche, gunning the engine. When Usagi felt upset, she would usually go to a quite place, such as the lake behind the shrine. Rei no baka� I should have seen this from the start.

Having parked and locked her car, she used the supernatural speed granted to the sailor Senshi to run through the woods, covering the ground in leaps and bounds. Several branches tore at her jeans, but she paid no attention to them, her only though that of the well-being of her friend.

Drawing nearer to the lake, she heard muffled sobs echoing through the silence of the forest. Usagi� Bursting into the clearing, she saw Usagi by the water, her knees drawn up to her chest.

Her head tipped up and Rei saw her tear-streaked face outlined in the moonlight. �Rei-chan?� Her voice sounded incredulous.

�Usagi�� Rei�s heart beat with sympathy for her golden haired friend. She knelt down beside her, offering her support.

�Rei-chan�.� Usagi lurched into Rei�s arms, clutching at her blouse as her tears overflowed once again. �What did I do wrong? What? I tried to be everything he wanted!�

Rei awkwardly rubbed her back, enfolding Usagi in her strong embrace. �You did nothing wrong, Usa-chan. If he couldn�t see how precious you were, he must be blind.�

Rei made a mental note to properly curse Chiba Mamoru in the morning. Usagi buried herself further against her friend. After her first hesitation at the role of protector she had been thrown into, Rei relaxed and tried to make Usagi more comfortable.

�Shhh�. I�m here, Usa-chan.�

After rocking her silently for several minutes, Usagi�s sobs died down, and she lay nostalgic in Rei�s arms. �Why? Why would he do something like that, Rei? He didn�t even tell me before he came� he just left me to find out on my own. He even said he loved me in his last letter.�

Rei�s temper pricked again. �That bastard!�

Usagi looked up at Rei�s face with reddened eyes. �Why are you so angry? I thought you always wanted him for yourself.�

Rei looked down at Usagi tenderly, all traces of her precious anger erased. �Ah Usa-chan� Some things aren�t always as they appear. You mean much more to me than some stupid crush I had four years ago.�

Usagi looked puzzled as Rei reached up and brushed the tears from her friend�s eyes.

�Come on, we�d better get back to the temple. It gets cold here at night, and I don�t want you to get sick.�

Rei gently helped Usagi to her feet.

�Why are you being so nice to me, Rei?� She sniffled, tugging her sweater closer to herself.

�Why shouldn�t I?� Rei smiled.

Usagi looked down at her feet, her face flaming in embarrassment. �I�m sorry you had to see me break down like that.�

They started walking back the way Rei had come from. �What�s there to be sorry for? I probably would have done the same thing if that had happened to me� although, my fianc� would have a few more wounds to show for what he did than what Mamo-baka got away with.�

�What did you do?� Usagi looked at Rei wide-eyed.

Rei smirked. �It�s what I didn�t do. People have a way of spreading rumors, and I confronted him in the middle of an airport...�

Usagi giggled a little at her statement. Rei gave her a soft smile as she wrapped an arm around her, pulling her closer for warmth.

�Rei-chan� Thank you for being there for me.�

Usagi rested her head on Rei�s shoulder. Rei had grown a few more inches in the past years, placing her four inches taller than Usagi. Usagi sighed as she looked at the moonbeams filtered through the treetops.

�I had always thought that I would grow up and marry Mamo� Mamoru� and have a family. Guess I was wrong, huh?�

Rei looked sharply at her friend, her voice had become bleak and devoid of any emotion. �Usa-chan, you shouldn�t take this so hard. He�s just a cheating bastard. Even though you loved him, you�ll have to get over it sometime. Perhaps you didn�t understand what you felt towards him, and just mistook it for love.�

�Then how do I know what love truly is when I find it?�

Rei looked pained for a moment before answering. �Just follow your heart. You�ll know when it�s right.�

Her eye widened as she felt Usagi�s lips touch her own. �U-Usagi-chan?�

Usagi blushed and looked down at her feet again. �G-gomen��

�Usa-chan��

Usagi looked up at her with eyes shining with unshed tears. �I�m sorry, Rei-chan, so sorry. Now you�ll hate me, I�m sorry-�

Rei touched her lips in amazement. Usagi felt that way about her? The same way she felt?

�You aren�t just using me as a replacement� are you Usa-chan?� She asked, in a tight voice.

�Rei-chan� You aren�t angry?�

�Iie, Usa-chan� But is this how you truly feel?�

�Rei-chan!� Usagi threw herself into Rei�s arms, sobbing. �I don�t know! I don�t know how I feel! But� when I think of you I get this tightness in my chest, and this pain at seeing you hurt! Nothing like I felt for- for Mamoru! And� I think I have cared for you for a long time� even when he was here with me��

Rei held Usagi close to her chest. �Usa-chan, it�s okay. Today has been a big change for you, but I�m here. I�ll always be here for you.�

�Arigato, Rei-chan.�

�Look, there�s the shrine. Let�s get you into bed.�

�Would you� you won�t leave me?� Usagi�s voice tore at Rei�s heart at the hopelessness in it.

�Iie, Koibito. I�ll always be by your side, my Hime.�

~*~*~*~*~

Hours later, they lay entwined together under the sheets of Rei�s futon. Usagi�s head was tucked under Rei�s, her koibito�s arms encircling her protectively.

�Rei-chan��

�Hai?� The voices here weary.

�Aishteru��

��In time, koibito. In time.� They cuddled closer, finally asleep, and finally content.

From above a figure watched, long tresses of silver hair trailing in the wind. Her demeanor was loving as she looked down upon her daughter, silently wishing her peace. Her choice of partners was not unexpected; she hadn�t liked her daughter�s infatuation with the earth prince from the start, his character lacking certain important elements. However, now that her daughter was not concerned for his well being� certain liberties could be taken.

Her blessing given, her form faded from the sky, her whisper drifting on the wind.

�Your heart holds the key, dear daughter. Follow it well.�

~*~*~*~*~

Started 4-29-02

Finished 4-29-02

Soooooo�. What do you think? Should I continue? Bash that Mamo-baka�s brains in? O.o;;; Or just leave it at the one time thing�.. *fingers inching towards the keyboard* Eh? Well? Let me know what ya think!!! *glomps readers* REVIEW!!!!!!