Three Oh-Nine and Three-Fifty Sevens
By: LowFlyer1080
DISCLAIMER: Sailor Moon I no own. You no sue. Driven Under by Seether I no own. You no sue. Arisugawa's Locket by Shanejayell-sensei I no own. You no sue.
!!!Author's Note!!!: Oookay, when you go about reading this story, you may get a little confused as to what the hell is going on. Don't worry, that SHOULD be happening. It is the point of this story to confuse the reader and as such if you come out at the end with the ability to piece together everything that happened and form your own conclusion as to what happened…then I have succeeded. If you come out at the end of this story utterly lost, re-read it slower, it might help. Either way I hope you enjoy this absolute mess that has spilled forth from the Maelstrom inside my head. This all came about here at work when I heard Driven Under by Seether on the radio. Beginning references made to Arisugawa's Locket by Shanejayell and a few of the couples in Jayell-sensei's stories which are set after Juri and Setsuna's wedding.
As always, any words in double quotes are spoken, single quotes and/or italics are thoughts.
The nightclub we were at was a strange one for lack of a better description. The club was a popular lesbian bar in Tokyo, but that wasn't what made it strange. Women of all walks of life, literally, could be found here. Kitsune, demon, cyborg, most of them humans, magic-users, melee fighters, off-worlders, aliens; you name it you could probably find a female from wherever it was you said. A few times you could pass the same woman but they would look different. One such notable one was the tall green-haired senshi who was married to the owner of the club, Arisugawa's Locket, one Arisugawa Setsuna. She could be seen over by the bar with her wife, Arisugawa Juri, greeting guests as they came in to the cross-dimensional nexus club. However, if you looked out on the dance floor, you'd see the same green-haired woman in the arms of a very cute, very sexy blonde named Aino Minako. And yet again, over near the book nook you might catch a glimpse of the Senshi of Time with a shorter, blue-haired Senshi, Mizuno Ami, of which was notable in her own right, the crisp boys school uniform giving her a "tough" look, while the scar across the bridge of her nose was still noticeable even in the lowlight of the club. These things were all fine and well, as long as they didn't interact with each other, the Setsuna of my timeline had told me.
I am Hino Rei, Sailor Mars. And I'm here tonight to sing a song for my one and only, my lover, my light and love, Tsukino Usagi: Sailor Moon and future queen of Crystal Tokyo. I peer out over the crowd as I ascend the stairs to the karaoke stage, amid much cheering and clapping. I find her, near the front of the stage, an evil glint in her eye masking her true emotions. Time had changed my princess, but I still knew that deep down, she was innocent. She always would be innocent to me, despite what others may say. I introduced myself as I selected the song from the machine, its digital clock displaying the time: 3:09. I stated my dedication to her and the crowd applauded. The music began and my voice filled the room:
"'Do you think I'm faking, when I'm lying next to you? Do you think that I am blind, nothing left for me to lose?'" I followed the words on screen, getting my timing down before turning away from it. I knew the words by heart. "'Must be something on your mind, something lost and left behind, Do you know I'm faking? Do you know I'm faking, when I'm lying next to you? Do you know that I am blind, to everything you ever do?'"
I smiled coyly at her, making her blush and a silly grin come to her face. She knew exactly what was going through my mind. I'd have to make sure to talk to Juri about renting a room for the night after my song was done. There wasn't any way I could wait long enough to get her home. I continued on with the song, hoping to finish as soon as possible. I would make her forget everything that had happened that night, with her and that bastard she called a boyfriend.
"Usagi. Wh-what're you doing?" Mamoru backed up, into his living room of the apartment instantly sobering at the sight of death following him slowly. Holding his hands up in defense he continued, nervousness in his voice. "C'mon, sweety. Put the gun down. I'm sorry, I shouldn't have done that. Can't we please talk?"
The stereo played quietly in the background, still on from when she was here listening to it waiting for her boyfriend to come home from work: "'Must be something on your mind, something lost for me to find. Do you know I'm faking? '"
The young blonde woman held the .357 out in front of her, the long-nose revolver leveled steadily in her calm hands. She was tired of letting this bastard hurt her. A swiftly blackening eye and ruffled hair, along with swiftly darkening bruises on her arms and legs, evidence of the struggle that had just ensued in the bedroom. Her pink button-up blouse was torn down the middle and open, the buttons missing. Her white cotton bra was still in place however, but one of the straps was broken. Her blue jeans lie forgotten in the bedroom after he had ripped them violently off her, shredding the denim down the side seams of her legs and giving her burns on her cream-colored legs, revealing pink cotton panties. "Talk? TALK?! You beat me, Mamoru! EVERYTIME you come home you beat me! This is not what love is, Mamoru. This is NOT what love is! I'm sick and tired of you and your promises of change which you break all the time. And just now you tried to rape me! How DARE you do this to me Mamo-baka! How DARE YOU?!"
Tears slid down her cheeks as for the first time hatred filled her heart. Her mind clouded over and all rational thought fled her mind. That bastard had just tried raping her after coming home drunk from the bar. This was not the man she fell in love with. And he would never be the father of her future daughter, nor the king of Crystal Tokyo. She'd make sure of that.
"'Then she told me she had a gun; it sounded like she'd used it once before on him. Then she told me she had a gun; it sounded like she'd used it once before, oh man.'"
"Please, Usako, just calm down. Give me the gun and calm down so we can talk." He said, slowly reaching forward. His body was flung violently backward and over the couch, crashing through the wooden coffee table as a loud crack echoed through the room, the magnum bullet blasting through his shoulder and crashing into the wall on the far side of the room, embedding itself in a two by four stud behind the sheet rock, just underneath the wall clock which displayed the time: 3:09.
"Give you my only means of defense? Have you lost your mind you pervert?!" Usagi stood there as the ringing from the blast bounced through her ears. She walked over and around the couch, leveling the handgun at the wounded man on the floor who was gripping his shoulder with his right hand, the pain burning through him, cowering now before the woman he had just tried to rape. His eyes widened at the smoking barrel now pointed at his head. "And just so you know, before I rip the life from your flesh…I never loved you in the first place. That was a different time, long ago. I'm not that woman anymore you bitch." She said without remorse.
"P-p-please. Usagi, I beg of you. Have mercy!" he grunted through the pain in his shoulder as blood stained his ivory carpet crimson.
"Sorry, Mamo-baka. Fresh out."
"'I guess you know I'm faking, when I tell you I love you. I guess you know that I am blind, to everything you say and do. Must be something on my mind there's nothing left for me to hide. Do you know I'm faking?'"
She pulled the trigger again and her ears rang with the bittersweet sound of cruel vengeance.
"'Then she told me she had a gun, it sounded like she'd used it once before on him. Then she told me she had a gun, it sounded like she'd used it once before, oh man.'" I continued to sing the words of the song that had just been released from my favorite band, wondering what on earth they meant, but not caring in the least. I saw the pain contort my princess's face at the words I sung. Reassuring her, I kissed her neck, my hand gently coming to rest between her breasts, right over her heart. She had to know how I felt. It was the weekend, neither of us had school and I was done with my Gate duties. I called her wondering if she wanted to spend the night this weekend, just the two of us. And here we were, lying in my bed, our clothes lay strewn about the room in our mutual need to feel each other. The clock-radio played softly in the background the CD that I had put in it as I sang the words to her, it's green display glowing the time merrily: 3:09am.
"I love you Usagi. I love you so much. I know it's been over 6 months since you left Rei, but I just want you to know I'll never leave you. I will always be right here, next to you." I kissed her lips gently, passionately. We broke apart and she replied with the words I so desperately needed to hear.
"I love you too Setsuna. I'm just sorry it took me so long to notice." My hime-chan smiled sadly.
"Don't worry about it, sweetheart." I reassured her, and continued to sing, my voice a quiet melody between us as my hand stroked her cheek, "'We have to succumb to the feelings we can never face, I need you. I breathe you. I can't go through this all again. We have to succumb to, the feelings we can never face I need you. I breathe you. I can't go through this…'" "'Then she told me she had a gun it sounded like she'd used it once before.'"
The rest of the song was lost to the two women as the princess captured the time senshi's lips once again in a burning kiss. Hands roamed slowly over their bodies as the two lovers came together once again, not able to get enough of each other. They had a lot to make up for what with all the time they had missed since they had first met. She was Usagi's first kiss, unknown to Mamoru and the others. It was a secret no one else knew about, shared between the two star-crossed lovers.
"Uuuusaaaagiiiii…" Came the cooing call. The fire senshi stalked through the hallway, the butcher knife gleamed in the moonlight from the window as a crimson liquid slowly dripped down off the blade, "C'mon now, Usa-chan, I promise I won't hurt you. I love you too much! Oh gods above I love you so much, you drive me insane!"
Blood splatters dotted her ivory skin and porcelain face; it stained her white blouse, the only thing she was wearing save for black silk panties and a black silk bra. Her steps were slow and measured, her breathing strangely calm as she moved quietly down the hallway, following the trail of blood. A haze coated her eyes, giving her a crazed look. Lightning flashed outside and a crack of thunder shook the temple walls as the storm raged.
"Stay away from me! You're not the same Rei I knew! What's happened to you?!" The frightened and desperate plea sounded through the darkened temple lit only by frequent lightning strikes seen through the windows.
"What do you mean, my love? I've always loved you like I do." Her voice horrifyingly calm as she replied, "But you just don't seem to see that…so…I have no other choice. If you don't love me, then no one shall have you." She smiled at the thought and started laughing. A low, lurching giggle crescendo-ing into a high pitched cackling laughter. Thunder once again shook the halls as she stopped in front of the slightly opened crack in the hallway linen closet's double door.
Usagi's breath stopped as her face paled. She looked up at the shadow that loomed from the small space in the door as a string of lightning strikes broke through the slit. A maniacal grin covered the miko's face as a blaze appeared in her eyes. Blood covered her left arm from the slash in her shoulder and pooled around her, she gripped her means of defense hidden in the shadows in her right hand, out of sight of the insane woman at the door.
"Usagi, what's wrong?" She whispered, lifting her arm as Usagi caught the glint of steel of the butcher knife and the glow of Rei's wristwatch: 3:09am. "Come here, my love. I'll make it so that the pain will disappear permanently. I promise I won't hurt you. I love you Usagi."
"…I love you too, Rei. I'm so sorry." The blonde whispered through her tears.
A flash of orange light and a loud boom split through the temple as the thud of a body hitting the floor resounded into a quick silence, before the sounds of the storm grew once again.
Screaming bloody murder, Usagi sat up in bed, panting and gasping for air as she clutched the bed sheets to her chest, the all-encompassing terror that shone in her eyes relayed the horrors her mind had just played for her in her hellish, nightmare-filled sleep as her body trembled and shook with fear. Calming herself down after a few minutes she looked around her. The bedroom was unfamiliar to her. The walls were a dark green from what she could tell from the nightlight on at the foot of the bed. The bed sheets she noticed looked to be a deep emerald green as well. The radio on the nightstand next to her shone its digital display merrily: 3:09am. A song was playing on it that she didn't quite recognize. A soft voice came from beside her as she felt the bed shift. She jumped slightly as arms wrapped around her shoulders.
"'Then she told me she had a gun. It sounded like she'd used it once before on him.'"
"Usa-hime. What's wrong, love?" She recognized the voice. Setsuna.
"Oh Tsuna-chan I had a horrifying nightmare!" The blonde replied shakily as she immediately clung to the senshi of time, sobbing into her nightgown as she buried her face in the guardian's chest.
"Shh, shh. It's okay. It's alright. I'm right here, sweetheart. I'm right here. It was just a bad dream, nothing more." She cooed quietly as she rocked the princess back and forth, rubbing her back in an attempt to soothe her distraught lover. "It's okay. Everything's okay. You're okay. Do you want to talk about it?"
The blonde just shook her head as her grip around the older senshi's waist. "Just hold me, Tsuna. I need to know you're real." Came the desperate whisper.
"Oh, honey." She sighed. "I'm right here and I'm not going anywhere. That I vow." She kissed her head and held her princess closely. "Rei and Mamoru can't hurt you anymore. I'm so sorry for all that's happened these past few days but they're both gone and we don't have to worry about them anymore."
"'Then she told me she had a gun. It sounded like she'd used it once before, oh man.'"
Usagi stopped sobbing immediately and looked up, the terror returning anew to her eyes as she looked up at the guardian of Time that held her in a loving embrace.
"Setsuna, what are you talking about? What do you mean they can't hurt me anymore?"
"Don't you remember Usagi?" the senshi of time questioned.
The moon-hime shook her head.
"Usagi, it's been almost 2 years since you shot and killed Mamoru in self defense. He tried to rape you, love. Six months later, after you and Rei had gotten together, you and I fell in love. When Rei found out it broke her heart, yes, but she seemed to bounce back rather quickly. Her and Minako had started seeing each other." Setsuna began, noticing the absolute horror grow in her princess' eyes. "You had gone over to the shrine to hang out with her a few months after you two broke up and we officially started seeing each other. That was when she finally snapped. That's when she tried killing you as well. It was when that big storm rolled through Tokyo almost 6 months ago, love."
The blond sat in shock for a few moments before enveloping the guardian in a tight embrace. The rest of what the beautiful woman said to her was lost on the blonde. That's when she noticed the lyrics of the song playing on the stereo across the room on Setsuna's dresser.
"'Then she told me she had a gun. She says she wants to use it on me now…'"
The gleam of something metal caught her eye on the other dresser, and the slight metallic wafting of burnt gunpowder caught her sense of smell. It was her .357 Magnum, lying in its display case with the lid still open. Next to it still stood the three spent cartridge rounds. And inside her mind, the images flashed violently before her, tormenting her further until finally…quietly…silently…she snapped.
A horrific scream was heard just before the three gunshots rang out through the quiet neighborhood. A few lights came on in other houses and apartment complexes. In a matter of seconds, sirens could be heard in the city, converging on the now deathly silent street.
Finis
A/N – Confusing? Maybe a little. Not what you expected? Possibly. Interesting read? I hope so. Worth a review or two? It'd better be. Lawl's. R and R please. All flames shall be redirected to sender via my sexy fantasy girlfriend, Mana the Dark Magician Girl, and her trusty Magic Cylinders.
REPOSTED A/N- Reposted this story with a little bit of added depth at the end of the story, as well as a reworked time. Wonder if anyone catches the hidden meaning behind the title. :)