Hello, hello!! I'm back!! First of all I'm going to say, right here and now, that I am going to write a sequel to "Forgotten Angel". Why? Because I don't like the way it left me and you not knowing how Usagi and Mamoru's relationship developed in the future! So, read it to find out. This story has nothing to do with FA, it's just a little short story! I have more to say, please read it at the end! Enjoy!! ^_^ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ "Peeeeeeeeeepper," Usagi sighed as she looked out over the hills, now glimmering with new fallen snow. The puppy she'd gotten for Christmas, Pepper, had run off to Kami-knows-where and now she was stuck in the frigid air searching for her. To tell the truth, Usagi was actually very worried about her new dog. Pepper was a Kerry Blue Terrier, a breed almost no one had ever heard of. The wriggling mass of blue fur was taller than a Scottie, but smaller than a golden retriever. It didn't really matter, though, because this dog was going to be her new best friend. In fact in the couple days after Christmas, Usagi and Pepper had been almost inseparable (AN: Pepper is my doggie in real life! ^_^) Usagi sighed once more, listening to the sound her boots made, clomping and crunching on the crisp snow. She inhaled some clear air and prepared to shout again: "Peeeeeeeperrrrrrr!! Geez!! Where is that dog?" Now Usagi was beginning to get worried. What if something awful had happened to her little bundle of joy? She really loved that dog. "Rrrrrfff!! Rrrfffff!!" "Pepper?" Usagi's face lit up as she saw Pepper, covered in snow, bounding in a field right across from her. "Pepper!! My poor baby, I'm so happy you're okay," exclaimed Usagi happily, as she bounded toward her "baby". She began to dash towards her dog, not seeing the barbed wire fence in her way... "OOOFFFF!! Ohhhhhhhh..," murmured Usagi, as the thick wire penetrated through her delicate skin. "Ouchhh!!" She began to pick herself off the hard ground, but found that she was, well, stuck. Her long, silky end of her odango where tangled in the angry snares of the fence. "Oh, no! Now, what do I do? I don't have anything to, gulp, c-cut them with." She spat the word "cut" out of her mouth quickly. Cut her hair? NEVER. Not unless it was just the ends. "Pepper?" "Rrruuuff!!" "Can you go get help?" Pepper can up closer and began to lick the sore Usagi's face. "Pepper," chuckled Usagi. Even now, her dogs antics were entertaining. Suddenly Pepper smelled something and her ears perked up with a start. She bounded of to chase something, kicking snow into Usagi's face. "PEPPER!! Nooo." That was her last chance. Now what would she do? It was...cold. Cold..enough to die if left out long enough. Usagi shuddered at the thought. 'Dying like this would be, so, so awful,' she thought. A lone tear blazed a trail down her face. Her she was...stuck way away from home and it was...so cold......@-->-->-->--- (Pepper's POV) "I, I smell...burgers!!! Oh, joy!! I'll worry about the little girl later!! Yummmmmm!!" @-->-->-->--- "...and so, that was basically my Christmas, Motoki." "I'm glad you went on a little vacation this year, Mamoru, I always worry about you overworking yourself," he chuckled, with a wink. "Yeah, well, this two week holiday from college and work sure has been good..." "Ruuuf! Ruuuff!!" "Hey, check it out, Mamoru!!" "What?" "A puppy. Let's let it inside!" "A puppy? Where? Motoki, we can't let it in the Crown..." "Bash! No one's here anyway, besides isn't it like negative-something degrees outside?" "Sure, probably better company than you!" "Hey, I really do miss Reika!" Motoki opened the clear, now frosted up, doors to the arcade for the puppy. "I know, gomen!" "S'okay! Let's see who this pretty doggie belongs to! Yesh, you awre wittle a pwetty puppy! Awww.." "Motoki, I never knew you *laugh* loved dogs so much," laughed Mamoru. "Yesh, ywour a good doggie, yesh we awre!!," he cooed, as Pepper began to lick his face. "I'll see who your new true love belongs to!" "Aw, shuddap Mamoru!!" "Hey, Motoki," said Mamoru thoughtfully. "Yeah?" "Did you know Usagi-chan had a puppy?" "Hmmm...oh yeah! She just got her for Christmas! Her name's Pepper,right?" "Yep. Wonder what she's doing here. Surely Usagi-chan wouldn't be foolish enough to loose this pretty wittle face." "Aww...you like her too, Mamoru." 'Hmmmm..these guys are nice, maybe they can help my girl!! Just like Lassie on that funny box the girl watches,' though Pepper. "Sure I like her, she's cute!" 'Just like Usagi-chan', he added in hismind. *whine* "Ruuuuff! Rufff!!" As the boys watched, Pepper began to dance like mad and bark and whine and cry those heart-wrenching puppy sounds. "Gee, Mamoru, I think she wants you to follow her." "Hmmm, maybe I will, I've don't have anything better to do, " he said with a grin, secretly hoping that nothing bad had happened to Usagi. "Well, you go do that, I have to stay and watch the arcade! Ja ne!" "Ja ne!"@-->-->-->--- "So little dog, where to now," I asked the wriggling mass of happiness at my feet. *whinnnnnnnnnne* I got in the car and began to drive around, hoping maybe the dog would pick up the scent of what it was looking for through the windows. She probably just wanted to chase squirrels, but better safe than sorry. We had driven maybe two miles when she began jumping up and down in my car and whining in my ear. It looked like she'd found whatever she was searching for.... I began walking through the large field Pepper had led me to, my boots crunching on the new-fallen snow. And that's when I saw her; my beloved Usagi-chan, with her hair tangled around a barbed-wire fence I wouldn't have seen if she hadn't been tangled on it. "Usagi-chan?!" I yelled and her; her tearstained face turned towards me as much as that horrid fence would allow her to turn. "M-Mamoru," she whispered, as she shivered. "Oh, Usagi-chan, how did you get yourself into this mess," I asked as I wrapped my thick jacket around her thin, trembling shoulders. "I was looking for P-Pepper and acc-accidently ran into this f-fence, and now, m-my ha-hairrrrrrrrrrrrrrr," she wailed, breaking down crying. "What else could you expect from such an odango," I said, smirking. As soon as it left my mouth I knew that I, Chiba Mamoru, had just royallymessed up. "SHUT UP!! Don't you f-feel anything," she question, wiping a wet glove across her face. "G-gomen, Usagi. Here, let me help you." "Whatever." "Really, Usagi." As I bent to look at how badly her hair was tangled, my heart twisted. Her beautiful, silky hair was wrapped all around the fence, in hundreds of tiny knots. "Just cut it, Mamoru." "Nani?" "You can't possibly *gulp* untangled it. Cut it." "Usagi....No." "Wha..?" "I'll help ya out, odango. Here, I'll untangle it," I exclaimed happily, trying to sound cheerful, even though hours of work lay ahead. "Arigatou, Mamoru." "It's okay, so odango, how's school been? Uh, I mean..." What a lame way to begin a conversation. Baka, baka, baka! I'm SO stupid! "Don't call me that-oh gomen. I'm sorry, I shouldn't have yelled at you. Gomen." "Usagi...I think I'm going to have to undo your odango to, um, untangleyou." "Okay, Mamoru." "Hai." I was pleasantly surprised to find her unusual hairstyle was not held up by elasties. It was somehow held up by itself. I gently tugged and a waterfall of golden silk pooled onto the snow, all of her, into my lap... "Kami, Usagi!! How much hair *do* you have?" "A lot," she said, giggling. "It's very...soft and pretty." "Aw, c'mon Mamoru, suuuuure!!" "No really, Usagi, you have the prettist hair I've ever seen." I was pleased to see a faint blush cover her cheeks and nose. We lapsed into a comfortable silence, as I continued to untangle her hair. (Two hours, and one sleepy puppy later! ^_^) "There, Usagi! You're free!!" "Really!!" "Sure, c'mon, let me help ya up!" I offered her my hand and she slowly rose from the ground; her hand was so warm in mine. "Here, hold this," she said, thrusting half of her shining locks into my hands. "Why?" "I have to put it back into my normal hairstyle, or it will drag on the ground, and get dirty." "Oh." I watched with rapt attention as she delicately put her hair back in to place and turned to face me. "Arigatou, Mamoru," she said softly, giving me a gentle hug. It was then that I noticed a singles strand of hair had come lose from the odango. "Usagi...you um...," I whispered as I bent close to her face to tuck the little strand behind her ear. "Yes..," she questioned, coming closer. "Um, I think you're beautiful." "Ohhh..." "So..?" Our faces were inches apart and I leaned in for the kiss.. "Ruuuf!!" "Oh!!" We both turned at the same time, to see Pepper had come between us and was barking frantically. "Don't worry, puppy, I still love you to," she said as she picked up a rather large hunk of snow. "Usagi? What's that in your- *thwok* You little!!" I reached to pick up another snowball, but Usagi snuggled beside me and looked at me thoseeyes. "But, Mamo-chan, I'm cooold," she whined. "Maybe I can warm you up, dearest," I whispered leaning in for our first kiss. We embraced for a good three minutes when I felt something cold slide down my back. "USAGIIIIIiii!!" It was one special snowy day. THE END!!! Okay a little Japanese key: Kami-God Arigatou-thank you Gomen-sorry Hai-Yes Hey, I hoped you liked it!! I might not write for awhile because I have exams coming up and I'm SO behind on studying!! Thanks for reading it!! Email me!! joeharps@ix.netcom.com Or IM me!! starbunny816 Disclaimer: (to the tune of Baby one more time) Oh reader, reader, how was I suppposed to know, that SM wasn't miiiiIINE!! Oh, reader, reader, I couldn't let it goooOOOOO, buUT please don't sue me!! Show me, how to write well, iiII need email! Tell me cuz I need to know now, OH because, my inbox is SO lonely, and I, I must confess, iiiIII need more mail, need more mail. If you don't email me, I'll go insane, drop me a LIIIiiiine, email me reader one more time!!He,he, sorry feeling musical!