The Cherry Blossom Romance-Part 1 By: Raye Maxwell **This fanfic is a SM/GW crossover. It tells the story of how the gundam pilots and the sailor senshi meet and fight for peace and justice. It also reveals a romance between Duo Maxwell and Raye Hino. If you don’t think you’d like this fic, I suggest you read it anyway. You may not like the pairing of Raye and Duo, but you still may like the story. And yes, it’s a little slow in the beginning, but I promise, it will get better. Okay, on with the story! =)** It was a beautiful spring day in Tokyo. The grass was a perfect shade of green with flowers blooming. The Cherry Blossom Festival is drawing near and at the Hikawa Jinja, everyone is preparing. Outside of the temple, birds sing a happy tune and the sun shines brightly. The front door slides open to reveal a raven-haired beauty in temple clothes. She yawns and walks out to the porch. “What a beautiful day,” she says, “I guess I’ll go tend the birds.” As she walks toward the group of birds in the cherry blossom trees, a little old man walks out the door and calls, “Raye-chan! You have a phone call dear!” Raye turns around to look at her Ojii-san. “Coming.” She runs toward the door, goes in the house, and picks up the phone. “Moshi Moshi?” she asks. “Konnichiwa Raye-chan! What’s up?” answers a familiar female voice. “Hey Minako! I’m doing fine. Whatcha doin’?” Raye answers. “Oh, nothing much. I was just wondering if you’d like to go to the mall with Makoto, Usagi, and me. Can you come?” “Well, I don’t know, I’ll have to ask Ojii-san. OJII-SAN!!! CAN I GO TO THE MALL!?” Raye screams at Ojii-san and the phone. “OW!! Raye-chan that was my ear!” Minako cried out in pain. “OOPS, gomen Mina-chan. Well, can I go Ojii-san?” “Why sure Raye-chan. Have fun with your friends. I can stay and watch over the temple myself.” Ojii-san answers. “Oh, arigatou Ojii-san. Arigatou!!” Raye cheers. “Yes! You can come! Yay!!” Minako also cheers into the phone. “So we’ll meet ya outside of Hikawa Jinja then?” “Hai, but Ami-chan’s not coming?” “Uh Uh. Nope, she has juku this afternoon and she’s going to the library after that.” “Well, that sounds like Ami, always studying. Is that all she does?!” “Sounds like it. So I’ll meet ya at the temple in a few minutes, okay?” “Okay, see ya!!” “Saynoara!” Minako says as she clicks off the phone. Raye hangs up too, then she walks toward her room at the end of the hall to change out of her temple clothes. A few minutes later, Raye comes out of her room wearing a long sleeved red shirt with a little white dress over it and brown boots. She walks out the front door and down the long stairway leading out of the Hikawa Jinja. Then Raye sees Makoto, Minako, and Usagi walking up the steps. Usagi’s big blue eyes light up as she sees Raye. “Raye-chan!” Usagi says. Makoto and Minako look up also and smile. Then as soon as they all greet each other, they start walking towards the mall. At the same time, orbiting the Earth, the gundam pilots relax in the Winner mansion on the L4 colony. Outside the mansion, Quatre Rababa Winner makes his way inside the house with an apron on and barbecue sauce in his hand. He makes his way to the back of the house, where his four friends are playing Nintendo. He opens the door to see a bishonen on the floor with long chestnut brown hair that is pulled back into its normal braid. Duo’s bright cobalt blue eyes light up as he says, “Quatre-chan, is the food ready now? I’m starving!!” Quatre smiles back  at his braided friend as he enters the room. He can now see Heero, Trowa, and Wufei sitting next to each other on the couch playing Mario Kart 64 with Duo. Wufei then looks up at Duo and says, “Maxwell!! Is all you think about is food? We’re trying to play a game here!!” “Well, EXCUSE ME Wufei for being starved to death all morning while waiting for Quatre to barbecue the steaks!!! Besides, Shinigami needs to eat too…” Duo snaps back. Quatre chuckles and answers, “Hai Duo, the food is ready finally. Come Minna, let’s go eat by the pool.” “Yay!!! I’m gonna get there first!!! Hahahaha!!!!” Duo cheers as he races for the door. Heero and Trowa look at each other and sweatdrop as Wufei mutters under his breath, “Baka Maxwell…” The five guys sit down by the pool and eat. They then finish and start to walk back inside to put their plates up, but the cell phone rings. Trowa answers it and says, “Moshi Moshi? Oh, Konnichiwa Dr. J. Hai we’re okay. Nani, another mission? Where is it located? Tokyo, Japan. Hai. Sayonara.” The four guys look at Trowa and Duo asks him, “What new mission? I thought we were at peace…” “It’s not that type of mission. It’s a different kind. There are evil youmas appearing all over Tokyo, and the Sailor Senshi need our help.” Trowa answers. They all look at each other and sweatdrop. “Okay,…” Duo responds. “Well, is that a mission accepted then?” Quatre asks shyly. The pilots look at each other and smile. “HAI!!!” they exclaim collectively as they make their way to the hangar for lift off. Heero punches in the secret password and the big doors open to reveal five very impressive gundams. Duo runs up ahead of the others and jumps into the cockpit of Deathscythe Hell. He closes the door and activates his gundam. As the others enter their gundams, they can hear Duo’s loud voice over the radio exclaiming, “Shinigami is back from Hell!!!! Hahahahahahahahaha!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!” Meanwhile, back in Tokyo, Raye, Makoto, Minako, and Usagi have shopped till they dropped. Or at least until they ran out of money. They all sit down at some benches and talk. But just then, a communicator starts to beep. Usagi picks her communicator up and clicks it on. Artemis can been seen and he says, “Konnichiwa senshi, Luna and I have great news!!” “And what might that be Artemis?” Usagi asks. “We have some people you’d would love to meet…” “Who Artemis?” Minako asks. “Why, the gundam pilots of course!! They have approved of their mission to help us and will be meeting you at 3:00 this afternoon.” “All right!! Ha-!!! We’re gonna meet the hottest bishonen on the planet, hai Mina-chan?” says Raye with a huge smile on her face. “HAI!!!” Minako exclaims and they all head off toward the base.               At the Tokyo Military Base around 3:00, The gundams land and open their cockpits. The five-bishonen jump out and head toward the building. “Well, what are we supposed to do now?” Duo asks the others. “Wait for the senshi to arrive…” Heero responds. “Oh, I can’t wait for the senshi to arrive!! I’m such a huge fan of theirs, especially Sailor Mars. She’s SO sexy and she kicks ass too!!” Duo exclaims. The others sweatdrop. Wufei snickers and responds, “Sailor Mars maybe sexy, but she can’t fight worth a damn.” “NO, you take that back Wu-Wu!!!!” Duo protests. “Don’t call me Wu-Wu, Maxwell!!!!” Wufei yells back. “Well, don’t insult Mars! Or Shinigami shall have to kick your butt!!!” “I’d just like to see you try baka Maxwell!!!” Quatre, Trowa, and Heero all look at each other and walk away from the bickering guys and towards the building. The scientists are waiting there to greet them and they walk inside the building. But Duo and Wufei still argue. About twenty minutes later, when they finally realize that they’ve been left behind, they notice a beautiful girl with long, raven-black hair walking towards them. Duo’s eyes pop out of his head as he checks the beauty out. Wufei stares at Duo then rolls his eyes. “Oh no, not another onna for Maxwell to flirt with…” he mumbles. The girl’s violet eyes are right on Duo as she approaches the drooling bishonen. Then she stops in front of him and speaks. “Well, hello there. And who might you be? Are you two gundam pilots?” Duo tries to respond, but he’s too lovestruck to say anything. But Wufei does. “Yes we are.  I’m Chang Wufei, the pilot of the gundam Shenlong. And who are you onna?” “I’m Hino Raye. It’s a pleasure to meet you both.” She responds and sticks out her hand. Duo clamps on to her hand tightly and introduces himself with starry eyes. “My name is Duo Maxwell, but I’m also known as Shinigami. I’m the pilot of the Deathscythe Hell, and you can have a ride in it anytime baby…” Duo answers in a very flirtatious and sexy tone. Raye then giggles. “Oh wow, you really would?” “Why of course baby, I’d do anything for a kawaii bishoujo like you.” Raye blushes and giggles shyly. “You don’t have to do anything for me Duo. But I would also like to say that I’m one of the Sailor Senshi that you’re here to meet. I’m Sailor Mars, also known as the Senshi of Fire.” Duo’s jaw drops to the ground. “Y…You mean you’re THE Sailor Mars?! You’ve got to be joking! That’s my favorite senshi!!!” Raye’s violet eyes light up from Duo’s comment. “No way!!! Really?! Wow, I guess we’re heading off to a great start Duo.” “Oh definitely babe. And I hope we’ll get even closer as time goes by…” As Raye and Duo continuously flirt with each other, Wufei gets really bored. Finally he gets a chance to speak. “AHEM!!! Can we go inside now, it’s really starting to get boring out here!” “OOPS, gomen Wu-chan.” Duo apologizes. Then Raye and Duo look at each other and laugh as they follow Wufei inside. Inside the base, the pilots are introduced to the senshi; Ami is there too. But Makoto looks around and realizes that Raye isn’t there. “Hey, did Raye come in with us?” “No she didn’t. I think she went outside to get the Wufei and Duo.” Minako said. “Oh,” said Mako. Then just at that moment, Wufei comes strolling in, with Duo and Raye behind them. They are making jokes and laughing amongst themselves. The others all look at them flirting with each other and they all sweatdrop. But Duo can’t stop looking into Raye’s beautiful violet eyes. Her raven hair shines with highlights of bright purple that match her eyes perfectly. Just then, Duo slips into a daydream. He’s walking along the beachshore, looking at the sunset. He then hears a whisper behind him. “Duo…” the voice sounds. He turns around to be looking at Raye, the most beautiful woman he has ever laid eyes on. She walks slowly toward him. “I have been waiting for you Duo…” “Y…You have? Why?” Duo responds shyly. “I need you Duo, don’t you realize that?” she says as she wraps her arms around Duo’s neck. Duo then grabs her tiny waist and pulls her up close to him. He shows his kawaii lopsided grin as he lifts her head so her eyes meet his. “I’ll always be here babe, whenever you need me.” Duo responds. “Oh Duo-chan, aishiteru…” Raye says as she unexpectedly lifts up and kisses Duo’s soft lips. Then he leans forward and returns the favor, locking both their lips in a long and passionate kiss. The waves crash around them, and Duo’s braid blows in the wind behind him. But just then he feels a yank. “OW!!!!!” Duo screams out in pain. His daydream is shattered when Duo looks back to see Heero yanking on his braid. “Hey, why’d you do that for?” “Because you aren’t paying attention!!” Heero snaps back. Raye giggles and sits next to Duo, actually sitting REALLY close to him. “Aw, did Heero hurt you baby. It’s okay.” She says as she crosses her legs and reaches behind Duo’s neck. She then takes his long braid in her hands and starts twirling it around her fingers. Adrenaline runs all through his body as he leans in close to her and asks her softly, “Oh, so you like the braid huh?” Oh yeah, it’s SO sexy…” says Raye in her sexy voice again. Duo blushes. But as Raye sits playing with Duo’s braid, she can’t stop thinking how kawaii and sexy this braided bishonen is. Duo Maxwell, how perfect can a guy get! He’s sexy, funny, flirtatious, and one of the best soldiers and pilots on Earth. Just then, everyone gets up to leave. Raye and Duo haven’t listened to a word anyone said. But all Duo does is grab onto Raye hand and smiles. Raye returns the smile as they get up to follow everyone else on the hardest journey of their lives. **To be continued**