Faint
Reflection I: Depression
Chiba Mamoru, a man who had once everything, sat on the couch of his dim apartment. He leaned his head on the soft cushion before reminiscing his thoughts. He sighed, and picked up his now cold, cup of coffee. He forced himself to drink it all at once, the bitter taste of the liquid he tasted, that he swallowed as fast as he could.
The moon was on its quarter. Its crescent shape figure glowed in the midnight sky. Mamoru glanced up to his wall clock and barely noticed the feline by his glass windows. His eyes then trailed at the single framed picture by his furniture.
They were so happy back then. His arms wrapped around her as she smiled at the camera. 'So why did it all happened?' he thought grimly.
Tsukino Usagi was his life, the only reason why he still had the strength to live on. He never knew the reason why he was so attracted to her in a way that made him insane, almost all the time she was near him. But he can't stop his heart from fluttering and beat rapidly just by the glimpse of her or inhaled her intoxicating scent.
But now he missed it all. His cold and unfeeling emotion was all he have by now. He was left by this empty feeling. It was like it froze in time. Only she could break it, only she could melt him.
The moon was still shining, casting him a warm glow of husking moonlight. It cast upon a shadow by his side. Till then, he stood up and walked to his balcony and stared at the moon helplessly. It was one of the things that reminded him greatly of her.
Bright and beautiful, with its shine that warms the cold, dark night, but not one that burns. Ever so stunning, ever so mysterious. It was a sight to capture. Him bathing under the moonlight, reminiscing of her.
Luna was on her way towards to Mina's house. She, a feline cat, was wandering out late at nights. She was worried of him, her Princess' prince.
He had barely survived when she left. So was everyone. Their once outgoing and laughing personalities had died out into an endless silence and despair. They could do nothing but blame themselves. If only they have done better. Things wouldn't happen like this.
She arrived before Mina's gate. Luna leaped to the spiked bars, to the trees then to the window that leads to Mina's bedroom.
When her paw landed on the soft mat, she knew she had done it successfully. Artemis was there on his cat- bed, pacing back and forth uneasily. His eyes glued into the ground as he made a serious yet confused- pained face. Luna could only neared him and licked his nose.
His steel blue orbs met her rufous ones.
"Luna.." he trailed and she looked at him with an evident concerned face.
"Artemis, Mamoru-san is still depressed. He couldn't accept all these happenings around us and denies it so much," Luna looked away, forcing the tears in her eyes that was beginning to leak out, to stay.
"So is Mina, and the girls too.." he looked down, muttering words of guilt as Luna was reflecting on herself by staring at her shadow by the wall.
'If only I could have see all of this coming..' she pushed the blame to herself, just like everyone did. It was a depressing life they have, ever since she left. They could never take everything back again. Especially the current situation now. It was the worst.
The feeling on helplessness bubbled up on Michiru's insides. Haruka was silent all the time too, and had been trying to cheer them all up. But it was all in vain, Hotaru knew it of course, but never did she gave up on the thought.
No fights, everything was quiet. Everyone resumed on their lives. Except of them, so was the Inners. Mamoru had it worst either.
Without her, they could not enjoy their peace. They could not resume on their lives here on Earth, without her- the center of all. Everything was so cold, distant, and uncaring, under her absence.
This is so frustrating.
The girl's barely talk, Haruka hardly touch her bike and car, Mamoru had locked himself at his apartment. Everyone was on their ways of sanctifying themselves out of the guilt. It kills them so.
Slowly and painfully, till it devours them whole.
All they could do is regret and sulk. Nothing else, nothing more. She could not be tracked. Neither of them did. Michiru on the other hand- well, her feelings were raging and unidentified. It was all like a gushing and a clashing of water. Like a whirlpool or a tsunami.
Like a hurricane raging through mercilessly into the ocean.
Seems like only Hotaru was sane enough than them. But who knew, maybe she had her own way of sulking over in regret of losing their Princess. She was acting strange lately though, this past months, but whenever Michiru notices it, Hotaru would then falter her face into a smile. Fake perhaps, just for the reason of washing the guilt for a moment. Then it would come by again, over and over.
Insanity has taken over them, and it's unstoppable.
Motoki was dusting his counter when something crossed his mind. He sighed, remembering Mamoru's helpless situation at his apartment.
He had spotted him one day, drunk and unconscious on the floor. Empty bottles were scattered, some of them were smashed into pieces. When he tried to shook him awake, Mamoru muttered over and over the apologies he had failed and his caged feelings were poured out in his drunk state.
Mamoru had cried out Usagi's name. And for the first time, Motoki saw him cry. He was like a lost little boy in the body of an adult man in his twenties. 'At least he let them all out,' Motoki thought.
Ever since then, Motoki had been visiting him daily. Making sure he ate well, and did not do things that would make the situation worser than it already was. He prepared a meal and packed them in a bag. He would force Mamoru to eat all of these, as usual, tomorrow morning.
Motoki reminded himself of forcing Mamoru out of his apartment. Nevertheless tell him to bathe himself sometime. He smelled like a rotten fish for days already.
He then placed the packed meal into the fridge. He would reheat them in the oven at dawn. Then he proceeded to lock and secure all doors and windows before walking out and shutting his arcade close for the day.
The moon glowed at him before he went on his way towards his house. Unknown to him, slithering shadows were leaping by the building at his back, chasing something that was unnoticed by anyone.
The road become foggy but Motoki never stopped for he knew his way home even if passing through a mist. He was juggling his keys by his pockets as the moon was covered by the thick grey clouds.
An adult man was chasing after two disfigured creatures with dangerous, prowling auras. He pulled out his sharp blade and swung it directly at one of the creatures' arm and the other directly hit at its chest, killing it as soon as the blade pierced through at its weak point.
His head was pounding. Pain jolted in his mind. He kneel over, dropping the sword into the ground before it gradually disappeared. Silence engulfed around the place.
A ringing tone was heard. Then it beeped. A screaming voice was shouting over the glinting screen of the phone inside his pocket.
"Hey listen up yo! Project is in the new topic lesson. So many distraction, no time for reaction. You haven't payed yet your tuition. How are you going to survive in this situation? SO HURRY THE HELL UP AND GET YOUR ASS ON THE PRINCIPAL'S OFFICE ON SUNDAY AFTERNOON BEFORE I WILL GOT A SERIOUS SCARING SHIT TENSION!" before it beeped again and the glinting faded.
He felt numb and tired. A barrier surrounded him. Soon the man lay unconscious, drifting into his slumber, his body disappeared into the night.
The winds blew, the fallen disfigured creatures turned into dust and was blown away. The place was once more silent, only the chirping of the crickets could be heard. The ground was surrounded by a fog.
Dark and still, the alley was dreadful silent just as a grave place.
Disclaimer: I don't own the characters here.
