Soul Mates
by lady

PROLOGUE
(Written December 14, 1996)

 

It was the perfect spring day. The sun was shining brightly and a cool breeze was whistling among the trees. The gardens were filled with the rainbow colors of newly blooming flowers sprouting from the freshly toiled ground and the grass and trees were brushed with the shade of green that only spring could paint.

Even as he inhaled the fresh air and appreciated the glories of nature around him, he was very much aware of the young lady coming towards him. She was quite beautiful, he noted. She had long, blond hair, which she wore in two perfect round buns on top of her head. From the buns fell two long tail-like tresses which dropped all the way down below her hips and swayed like playful puppies in the slightly blowing breeze. Her big, blue eyes sparkled animatedly as she talked to her companion and her smoothly curved body showed a leanness which made her look taller than her average height. She was the one he was looking for, he was sure. Patiently, he waited for her to come nearer.

* * * * *

Usagi was happily discussing the exam they just finished taking with Kyle. She was pretty sure she made good marks on the test and was comparing answers with her best friend. Kyle was her schoolmate, her friend, and her wall of support all at once. He was the one who was always there whenever she needed a hand or a shoulder to cry on. Life hadn’t exactly been easy the last three years, ever since she moved to Canada. Kyle, Professor Stanton and his wife, Michelle, were the real reasons she managed to survive.

Unknowingly, the two friends headed for a particularly shadowed area outside the campus. There, a group of unruly looking teenagers were standing around watching them come nearer. By the time they noticed where they were, it was already too late. They stood in the middle of five men who were taunting them and leering at Usagi.

"Leave us alone. We don’t want any trouble," Kyle said evenly so as not to spook them.

"Well, well," the tallest one spoke, "we don’t want any trouble either. Just leave us the girl and you are free to go."

Usagi felt Kyle go tense and watched his fists clench. Kyle may be strongly built, she thought, but I don’t think he can take all five of them together. He doesn’t have any training in self-defense like I do. I have to help him.

Too late, Kyle was already moving forward and landed a punch on the speaker’s jaw, which brought him down. He managed to kick the next nearest guy before the other three charged him all together. By the time they moved away, Kyle was already lying on the ground unconscious.

* * * * *

He watched the group surround the girl and her friend from the cover of the trees. Silently, he winced when the group surrounded the man and could imagine the pain he was in. "We should help," his companion said. He nodded once and said, "Let’s go". Just then he saw the group move towards the girl and almost run from the shadows to help when.

* * * * *

Usagi saw them coming nearer and she readied herself for the fight. She may not have used her powers for a long time, and was not about to use them now, but she had taken martial arts classes for the past three years and had earned herself a black belt. She knew she could take them.

Usagi quickly threw a roundhouse kick that hit all of her attackers and followed it up with a hand chop on the neck of the nearest one. A kick in the belly took care of the next one and a judo throw rendered another one unconscious.

Finally, only the leader was left. Seeing himself standing alone and his friends scattered like dust around him, he dropped on his knees and begged Usagi to spare him, promising never to bother anybody again. She looked at him in disgust and turned her back to him heading for Kyle. She didn’t see the leader scramble away and run as if the hounds of hell were after him.

* * * * *

He stood under the tree with a look of shock on his face. He didn’t really expect her to be able to hold off the group especially without her powers. He shouldn’t have been. He’d already uncovered a lot of surprises in his search for her, not the least being her living here and being alone. It was time for some answers. He motioned to his companion that it was time to make their move and stepped forward. It was time to fulfill his destiny.

* * * * *

Usagi carefully cradled Kyle’s head on her lap and checked for a pulse. She felt it strong and sure against her fingers. Thank goodness he’s alright, she thought. She carefully brushed his hair from his forehead and was just beginning to relax when, suddenly, a pair of boots stopped in front of her. Ever so slowly, she looked up a pair of long legs encased in something white and soft, up a muscular, well built chest and into the most arresting, emerald eyes she ever saw.

to be continued...