Taking Fate By the Hand A Sailormoon fanfic by CJ Hiko (conmoon@cruzio.com) Disclaimer: All characters belong to Naoko Takeuchi, Bandai, Kodansya Comics, and others. No profit is being made from this story. Note: This story is dedicated to my friend Cassie, who got me hocked on Kenshin and inspired me to write this story. The couple in this story is her favorite, and she helped to remind me of why they were mine. This story is told in first person. Some of the lines may sound familiar to you, that's because they are what I remember of the translations of these episodes. Also this is based on the Japanese version of SM. What else? I might write a sequel, Cassie wants me to and she is very persistent =) Probably won't happen though, I have a couple of SM fics I am writing and then I plan on writing no more. To many other anime I want to write about! So I hope you all enjoy it the way my friend did. Please send me any comments. The rain fell around her, mingling with the tears on her face. She didn't know how much longer she could hold on to her pain. Where was he when she needed him? Why wasn't he here to protect her like he always said he would? She was beginning to no longer believe in his words. He had failed her so many times before, and every time he did she would ignore it. He would have a reason, he was brainwashed, or didn't remember, or was protecting her, or had to study. She had accepted them all, but she was tired of it. Why was he never around when she needed him? She cried harder. She felt hands on her shoulder. She looked up into the blue eyes above her. "Am I not good enough." He said as he held her. "Am I not good enough." He repeated as he held her. She looked at him in shock. For the short time she had know him he had always been there for her. He laughed with her, fought with her, protected her. Nothing stopped him, even his mission. He was always there when she needed him. The rain continued to fall around them as they looked at one another. She felt something grow inside her, something new and wonderful that came only when he was there. But she was afraid of it and so she did not answer him, she just let her tears continue to fall, but now they were not just only for the one that had left her, they were also for the one that was here with her now. ***** She stood in front of him alone in the room. Her heart was beating, much more than it should have. As he spoke to her the memory of the one who had hurt her so much started to fade. "I wish I had met you sooner. I would take you away from all of this and keep you safe forever." Her heart lurched when he said that. She knew he meant it. She knew that no matter what, he would protect her. A part of her wished she had met him sooner too. She would love to have him take her away. But she had another who she was supposed to be with and yet she realized that he did not make her feel the way this one in front of her did. He moved closer to her. As she started into his eyes she thought to herself, Just this once, let me feel his love for me. What harm could it cause? Nothing can come of it. One kiss for a love that might have been. She moved forward and saw the surprise in his eyes. As his lips touched hers she closed her eyes and felt the feelings inside, the feelings that had been growing since she first met him burst free. This feeling was like nothing she had ever felt before, true love. He pulled back from her and seeing the look in her eyes he cupped her check. "I understand, I feel the same way too." With that he turned and left her alone with her feelings. What harm can one kiss cause? Nothing can come of it. She had thought, she now knew how wrong those words were. Having that one kiss she wanted more. She was no longer satisfied with the love she had known. She felt like a newborn butterfly, she had broken free of her cocoon and now she longed to fly away. But she pushed back her feelings, It can't be, I have a duty to perform, a destiny that I can't escape from. And yet, she wanted more. As she stepped out the door she looked up at the two in front of her. They seemed to know what had gone on. She saw the mirror in the shorter woman's hand. "It won't happen again. I know what is at stake. I was only saying goodbye." But she could tell that they did not believe her, and they had a right not to, since she didn't believe herself. ***** Why could she not be with him? She thought as she watched him sing. She knew the song was for her and tears filled her eyes. Her destiny was set, she had seen the future and it was not with him. She felt her heart break. She loved him, and knew that he loved her. But it could never be. Why can't it be? A small part of her mind asked. Pluto always said that the future was never set. That what they had seen was one of many possible outcomes. So why did she cling so strongly to it? Why, when she was given so many opportunities to change it has she not. Why am I blindly following what I have been told? Ever since I have been told about my past it has seemed like I have lost control of my life. Everyone has told me what to do, and I have gone along with it. Why? The answer was simple. She was afraid of what would happen if she took her own fate into her hands. She had gotten used to being coddled and being thought of as someone not capable of taking control of her life. As she listened to the words he sang she decided that was going to change. She was going to take control of her life, forget destiny, forget a past life; I am going to live my life the way I want to. With her mind set she felt a great weight lift from her heart and soul. She felt suddenly free. She smiled as she listened to his words. He looked at her as he sang the next part. "Kotaete answer for me, ima sugu answer for me." She saw the question in his eyes and smiled. She watched as his eyes widened in surprise and knew that she had made the right decision. ***** The battle was over and her friends had surrounded her. She was held in his arms. After all this time he was back with her again. It was not his fault that he had left her, he hadn't meant to. But he still went away for college. Maybe it is selfish of me to want him here with me, but I did. I don't care anymore though. She glanced down at the three below her and felt her heart lurch at the look in her eyes. She had never seen such pain and loss in another's eyes before. Her soul called out for the wounded one and she knew that there would be no going back. She had already made her decision, and now all that remained was for her to follow it. Tomorrow, tomorrow, my new life will begin. **** They all stood on top of the school to say goodbye. The other's where saying their good-byes while she remained quiet. She was a little nervous about what her friend's reactions would be, but this was something she had to do. She had to take her destiny into her own hands. She wanted to be with him. She was not afraid of what was to come. The others had fallen quiet as he came to stand in front of her. "Oda?." She stopped him with a finger on his lips. "Don't say anything. There is something I want to say first." She turned and faced the others. "Minna. Atashi wa? I don't know how to say it. You are the best friends a person can have. I will never forget you, but this is something I have to do." She turned and looked at the one she had loved in the past, "Gomen nasai, but I don't love you anymore. I don't know if I ever did. I know this will hurt you to hear, but my feelings have been clouded for so long, and your leaving didn't help any." She walked closer to the one behind her. "The one thing I know though is that Seiya makes me feel things that I have never felt before. I want the chance to see what will become of my feelings and the only way I can do that is to leave. So that is why I am going with them." She heard everyone gasp and felt as Seiya turned her around. "Are you sure Odanga? You don't know what you will be getting into. Our world is very different from yours." She looked into his eyes and nodded. "I understand, but I want to stay with you." She watched as his eyes filled with joy. She turned to look at the others. "Don't try to stop me minna. It won't work." She saw as the others nodded their heads in understanding. Makoto stepped forward. "I won't let you leave by yourself, so I am coming with you Usagi-chan." She stared her in the eye. "And you can't stop me." She nodded her head and walked up to the man who was looking at her in shook. "Mamoru, I hope one day you will understand why I have done this. This is not about you, but me. It is time I started living life for myself." She gave him a hug and then went to hug her other friends. She knew that this was not goodbye forever, they would meet again, for they were bound together. Not by a past life none of them could remember, or a destiny and future none of them could be sure of, but because they cared for one another, and that was a bond that was stronger than any other. That is what she would create with Seiya. They would be together, not because others told them to, but because they wanted to be with one another. She steeped back and stood next to Seiya. He put his arms around her and they took off into the sky. She took one last look at the home and the people she loved. She would return, and when she did, she would never leave again. But until then she had a life to live and someone to live it with. We will make or own future together. She smiled. She was ready to face whatever challenges lay ahead. ***** In a yellow car parked in front of the sea a dark haired woman smiled. "Everything will be better now, won't it Setsuna-mama?" the young girl in front of her asked. The woman nodded. Yes, everything would be better. The princess had finally taken fate into her own hands. That was all we ever wanted from you Usagi-chan. You have made your mother and I very proud. "Yes Hotaru-chan, everything is better now." And she laughed; after all they would have a wonderful future. Be happy Usagi, wherever you go! Owari. End Notes: In case you weren't able to tell this takes place during stars. Why did I write this? I have been a fan of Sailormoon for 5 years now. For the first couple of years I was a big Usagi and Mamoru fan, but as I started to learn more about the Japanese manga and anime I started to change my view. I am older and hopefully wiser and I don't think that Mamoru treats Usagi well and I know they don't have a miracle romance. (I mean in Rurouni Kenshin, Kenshin treats Kaoru better than Mamoru ever treats Usagi, and Kenshin and Kaoru have yet to proclaim their love for one another). I think Usagi deserves better and I don't think she is the ditz that people love to portray her as. I thought it was time for her to take her destiny in her own hand. Plus, in the anime and in the manga, I think Seiya is a better bet, so I wrote this. Besides as me and Cassie both think, there are too many Usagi and Mamoru stories with the same plots out there, so I decided to do something new. Let me know what you think!