In a minute they were both sprawled on solid ground, in a forest.

            "Oh, peachy."  Haruka muttered.  A quick look around told her that Mamoru was sitting on the ground, a few feet away; sulking.  "We were better off in the seventeen hundreds," she continued angrily.  "Now we have no clue as to where--or when--we are!"

            "Well, lets start walking."  Mamoru stood up gingerly.  "No good ever came to anyone that just stood around in the forest talking all day." that said, Mamoru started walking in a random direction.

            Haruka sighed and joined in.

            "Home sweet home."  Haruka joked, as they tried desperately to start a fire.  They were camped out in front of a large cave, but neither of them would go inside; on account of not knowing what kind of creatures may have already claimed it as their home.

            "Quit complaining."  Mamoru said in aggravation. He rubbed the two sticks in his hands together with vigor, but it was of no avail.  "This is bad enough anyway without you making it worse."  He continued, not letting up.

            "Well excuse me for trying to make a joke."  Haruka replied heatedly.  She got up and started to stalk off, when Mamoru laid a hand on her shoulder.

            "Where are you going?" he asked.

            "Hunting."  Haruka replied, annoyed at having to explain her reasons to him.  She shook his hand off of her shoulder--no man had ever touched her before, and she didn't feel like setting a trend.

            "Then I'm going with you."  Mamoru got up, brushing leaves off of his pants.  As means of explanation, he continued, "Who knows what could be out there."

            *Overly chivalrous bastard!*  "Well," Haruka started, scowling.  "Thank the Lord that you're coming!  We all know I can't take care of myself." She glared at him. "I'm no Usagi, Mamoru."

            "No," Mamoru said slowly.  "You're not."  There was a silence, then Mamoru spoke; his voice now soft and low, but Haruka could sense anger hidden behind his words. "Look," Mamoru took a breath, "I'm only going because I want to help hunt, okay?  I don't intend to throw myself between you and anything."

            "Fine."  Haruka grumbled.  "Just don't get in the way."

            Haruka knew that Mamoru probably wouldn't get in the way, but she was in a bad mood now because of his griping, and because she was separated from Michiru, three weeks from winter break--the day that they would go to look at houses together.  They had both been admiring a pretty beach house, with it's own private beach.  Because of a combination of Michiru's love for the ocean, and Haruka's love for Michiru, they were hoping to snag the house, even though they would be sharing it with Setsuna and Hotaru.  Thoughts of the life that she had left behind made Haruka bitter.

            The two walked on through the woods until they reached a lake, not too far from their cave.  Mamoru mumbled something, and Haruka ignored him.  *Probably more complaints,* she thought to herself.  *What a whiner.*

            "Are we gonna try to get some fish?"  Mamoru asked.  He gestured at the water, where there were some fish swimming around.  Their movement reminded Haruka of Michiru when she swam, and she had to bite her lower lip to keep her eyes from watering over.

            "Haruka...?"  Mamoru asked, breaking her trail of thought.

            "Oh, uh, sure."  Haruka mumbled.

            Rolling up their pant legs, the two waded into the cool crisp water.  After a few minutes Mamoru waded off to gather berries, mumbling about the "stupid fish".  Haruka shrugged, and sat down at the edge of the lake, pulling her feet up beside her.

            Grabbing a sharp stick, Haruka waited for the fish to swim by.  As the water calmed enough for the fish to consider braving it, Haruka became again lost in her thoughts.  *I wonder how Michiru is?*  The line of thought soon immersed her, and she almost missed the fishs' return.  They were large fish, seven and a half inches long, Haruka estimated.

            "Heh heh heh."  Haruka cackled, not sounding like herself at all.  Quickly, she stabbed the stick down, into the biggest fish.  For an instant, nothing happened, then blood tinted the water, and Haruka lifted up her stick, from which the fish was dangling.

            "Haha!" she cried in triumph.  "What luck..." Haruka grinned slyly at the bushes, where Mamoru was picking berries.  "Mamoru!"  She called. 

Mamoru turned. "What?" he called.  Haruka held up her trophy.  "You got a fish?"  Mamoru cried in shock, his eyes round like two midnight coins.

            Haruka frowned.  "Yes, I did." she answered in an annoyed tone of voice.  "What-- did you think that I couldn't?  Is that it?" she held her fish back from him, considering eating it by herself.

            "No!"  Mamoru cried out, rushing up to her, "I wasn't thinking at all."

            *You can say that again,* Haruka sighed, and smiled at her unvoiced thought.  "Fine," she replied.  "I'll share it with you." Haruka got up.  "Now let's get back to our cave."  *Our cave?* 

            The days passed quickly, and they both learned to fish.  Haruka liked fishing better, while Mamoru preferred gathering berries.  He didn't like to 'hunt' very much.

            "You know," Mamoru said one day, while they were eating a dinner which consisted of berries and fish; the usual.

            "Yep, I know."  Haruka interrupted, grinning flippantly.  This was a side to herself that she didn't get to show as much as she would have liked; mostly because she loved Michiru too much to make the aqua-haired woman her victim.

            Mamoru sighed in annoyance, but continued, "I think that it was good that we didn't get trapped with someone else; it's almost as if we've become friends." realizing what he had just admitted, Mamoru hastily added, "...In a sick, twisted way."

            Haruka nodded.  "I suppose--but I'd still rather be with Michiru."

            "And I'd rather be with Usagi."  Mamoru sighed.

            "Oh well."  Haruka shrugged.  "Pass the fish."