The Crystal Tear
Aarana Sky
PG

AN: This was a story that I had originally written in 2001. I had written it as a fan fiction, but twisted it around so I could hand it in for a creative writing paper. This has always been one of my favorites. I only did a bit of editing for this one. Mostly around the names and formatting. This story is a Usagi and Mamoru piece, centered around the R break-up.

Usagi hurried through the alley, knowing that she was way past due in arriving home. She knew that she had to stop these late nights of fighting youma, or her mom would begin to think that studying at Amy's was the lie that it was. The town's clock tower struck midnight as she quickened her pace, eager to return home. She was so preoccupied with her own thoughts that she failed to notice the steady footsteps that had started following her.

Reaching the end of the alley, Usagi stopped and let out a sigh of relief. She always hated that alley, but it was the quickest way to get home. Only then did she hear the raspy breathing of someone close behind her. Way too close for comfort. She froze in place, not sure whether to scream, or run, or cry. All her training was forgotten, her mind, a panicked blank.

Suddenly, a large sweaty arm reached around her neck and covered her mouth, while the other arm wrapped around her body, pinning her arms to her sides. This was no monster that she was used to dealing with. It was a man. He was at least a foot taller than her, but it almost seemed like he was much, much taller than 6ft. He leaned forward, greedily slobbering into her ear, "Now you are going to be a good little girl aren't you?" he whispered, his voice shattering the calm night air like glass. Using his thumb, he started to stroke the side of her nose, getting more excited by the moment. At his touch, Serena flinched in repulsion and started to struggle. The man threw her against the wall, pressing up against her, trapped her like a bunny in a bear trap, his hand still covering her mouth. Her strength, though great, couldn't help her against this beast of a man. She tried, but to no avail to reach her locket. Thoughts of how to escape ran through her mind. She attempted to stomp on his boots, but they were steel-toed. Serena looked up towards her captor for the first time. She couldn't contain the gasp that escaped from her lips. God he was ugly. She thoroughly studied his face, seeing the crescent scar that ran from his ear to his mouth. She wondered where he had gotten it. From attacking others like herself she supposed. Her eyes wandered up towards his nose, which was grossly disfigured. From one too many fights she could only assume. Her dad once told her that if you break your nose too many times, it would never be the same again. At the thought of her dad, she became more desperate, close to hysteria. Still looking at her assailant, she knew at any moment things were going to get worse. She then knew in her heart what she must do. As she feigned submissiveness, the attacker grinned like the Cheshire cat at his good fortune and loosened his grip on her so that he could touch her more freely. He reached up and ripped her shirt from her shoulder down to her waist. She knew that this was her only chance, and she wasn't about to waste it. Quick as a rabbit, she jerked her knee up to his groin, and really nailed him hard. As he grabbed at himself in pain, she bit into his other hand that still kept her mouth captive. She couldn't help but gag. His hand tasted like one too many bottles of god-knows-what spilled on it. Serena skirted away and screamed bloody murder. So startled was the giant, that he could only stare at her in shock, wondering how so much noise could come from such a tiny mouth. Suddenly a dark figure crept up behind him. His intentions were to kill the man that had dared to attack her.

Usagi saw the figure creep up behind the evil man. She hoped to God that the new arrival was there to help her. As the figure crept closer, she realized it was Mamoru. Shrieking louder, Usagi now tried to distract the stranger from noticing Mamoru's presence. Catching the other man by surprise by throwing his arms around the man's neck, Mamoru tried to knock the attacker off balance. The giant reached up and grabbed at the arms that were now around his own throat, struggling to catch a breath. Usagi screamed as the giant bent forward and threw Mamoru up and over his shoulder. He crashed to the ground, his breath knocked out of him. Usagi cried out in distress and tried to go to his aid, but there was one obstacle that wouldn't let her. The stranger had reached over and grabbed her arm again. Thinking that she was now all his, he never noticed Mamoru regain his wits. Grabbing the man's legs and pulling with all his might, he wrestled the attacker to the ground, allowing him to jump on top of him. He gave him a hard right to the face, clearly breaking the man's nose and rendering him unconscious. Mamoru got up and looked over to where Usagi was cowering against the wall, too scared to move. Replacing his look of anger with one of tenderness, he moved towards her, aware that she was near the breaking point.

"Are you all right?" he whispered, not sure if she actually heard him, but knowing that somewhere in her mind she was aware of him in some way. She always was. Slowly she lifted her head and their eyes locked. Blue to blue. Sky blue to dark blue. Tears began to fill her eyes as she gazed at her hero, and the realization of what had just happened started to sink in. In a move that Mamoru didn't quite expect, she threw herself into his arms and wept. She cried and cried until there was nothing left in her except the unpleasant feeling of hiccups. He held her tightly, knowing that was what she needed right now, though he knew that it was not right, and they shouldn't be so close, no matter how much she loved him, no matter how much he loved her. To keep her safe, he must keep her away.... but then why did it hurt so much? Gently tilting her head back, he saw the tears that glistened off of her eyelashes, and felt the urge to lean down and kiss them away. To kiss away all of her hurts and pains.

She saw the worried look he gave her, and the look of love in his eyes. Usagi watched him with astonishment. She knew that he still loved her, so why did he resist? Was there something that she had done? Not that she knew. She started to get really worried when his reticence seemed to drop back into place, and all that remained was a guarded expression that as of late, she was used to seeing. Short of dropping her onto the ground, Mamoru jerked away, and made a move to escape. "Mamo-chan, wait" she called in desperation. He turned and stared, waiting for her to continue her words that he needed to hear, the ones that he knew she wanted to utter.

"I need you," she whispered softly. At first he thought it was but an errant murmur of the wind, but when he saw the look in her eyes he knew that he had heard her correctly. She needed him, and as much as it killed him, he couldn't help her. Trying to keep his own tears at bay, he turned his back to her so that she wouldn't see his inner struggle or his torment.

"You don't need me. Look, what we had was over long ago, and..."

"But why" She interrupted. "Why is it over? You never told me. Is it age? I know that you are 20, but that can't matter much..."

"It's not age" He choked out. He'd better get out of there before he really lost control of his emotions and wept like a schoolgirl.

"Then what is it?" she asked. He felt her arm on his shoulder, and jumped as if he were scalded. She shrank back. "Mamo-chan...I love you, I always will. Please tell me. It is tearing me up inside. What we had was one in a million, and I want to know how I screwed it up." Usagi waited for an explanation, but when none came she became exasperated. "Dammit! Why wont you talk to me!" She screamed. Mamoru flinched at her tone that was sharper than a thousand needles, and hurt a thousand times more.

"There really is no explanation, I just don't love you anymore." He might as well have just cut out her heart and fed it to the wolves. She certainly felt as if he had done as much.

"I gave you my heart and soul, and most importantly my love, and yet you scoff at it. Well Momoru, I hope that you are happy with the thought that I will never speak to you again, and that I will never think of you again in any way. To me, you no longer exist." Grabbing the ripped end of her shirt, she turned around and walked towards home.

Mamoru hung his head. He let a single tear fall, knowing that only he would know his pain, and that, in itself depressed him. However, he knew that in order to continue to protect her, he must stay away. It was for the best. He slowly dragged himself out of the alley, never even realizing that the man he had fought was awake, aware, and following close behind, having forgotten about the cool blonde storming away.

Usagi cried herself to sleep that night, knowing that she had just lost the best thing in her life. Tossing and turning, she had dreams of that night in the alley, of scary men with scars, and of her love, telling her that he didn't love her any more. All of a sudden all the rambling thoughts were erased, and all that was left was herself and Mamoru, looking very mournful. Somehow, instinctively she knew that this wasn't just a normal dream.

"Momo-chan, what are you doing here? Why do you look so sad?" Mamoru looked at Usagi and let out a sob of despair. He reached over and grabbed her hand, and kissed it, finally letting out all the love and emotion that he had regretfully kept inside all these months.

Usagi silently cried at his romantic caress, and knew that what her dream was telling her was that something was different, something was going to change. Mamoru never said a word, but he didn't need to. Leaning forward, he gently kissed her on the mouth. Though it was just a light caress, that kiss, to her, held more romance than all the others combined. She felt in her heart that everything would be all right and that they would be together soon. She looked up at Mamoru and saw a single tear fall. Watching it trail down his face, she watched it change until it gradually turned to crystal. A crystal tear. She caught the tear just before it fell onto the hard ground and studied it. Flawless and perfect. She looked up into the eyes of her lover and knew that this was it. She didn't know how she knew, but she did. He reached up and cupped her cheek with his hand, almost as if memorizing the contours of her face for the last time. She leaned into his hand and closed her eyes, wanting to feel the warmth of his skin, the closeness of his touch. She felt abandonment draw near however, and knew that their time was at an end. Usagi looked up into his eyes and saw his regret, his love, and his compassion.

"I love you Mamo-chan, I will always love you no matter what. I am sorry that I lied earlier. I love you with all my heart, and you will always have it." Mamoru nodded to show his understanding. He leaned forward, and in desperation, she wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him with all the love and passion that she felt for him. After too short a time, he lifted his head and whispered the few words she had been waiting to hear her whole life.

"I love you Usako...never forget that." With that, he turned and disappeared.

"Mamo-chan, wait don't leave me! Mamoru!!!!!!"

Serena awoke screaming his name. Her mother rushed into the room, ready to help her little girl in need. Her mother wrapped her arms around her little girl and let her sob. "Mamo-chan" was all that Serena could utter.

Her mother closed her eyes and prayed to God that the news she had for Usagi wouldn't kill her. She pushed her daughter away so that she could look into the tear stricken eyes of her innocent child. "Honey, there is something I have to tell you...about Mamoru-san..."

Usagi listened intently as her mother told her about how Mamoru was found last night, beaten to death, not far from their house. She explained that the culprit wasn't found, but witnesses had seen a man with a crescent scar on his face.

Serena lost herself then in hysterics. It was her fault, all her fault. He had come to save her, and he lost his life because of it. She sobbed and cried uncontrollably. Thoughts of her love ran through her mind. She thought of how much she loved Mamoru. She remembered the dream and took it as a sign that he still loved her. Sitting on her bed, she clutched with desperation a single crystal tear to her heart.