Note from the Author:

It's been a year since I've updated my page because I gave birth to my very first child! And, life as a new mom with a newborn changed EVERYTHING for me, but I love it! So, obviously, I've been busy.

I've decided to take a break from "If There Be Light, Then There Be Darkness" to work on something a little lighter. This story came to me as I was up late, rocking my baby boy. It has more of a "Crossroads in Life" feel - meaning alternate reality (no Sailor Scouts or Silver Millennium).

This story was inspired by the scene in "Sailor Moon R: The Movie" where Usagi gives Mamoru a rose. So, let's begin...

. . . . . . . . . .

It All Started with a Rose

Written by Princess Kayla

Inspired by Naoko Takeuchi's "Pretty Soldier Sailor Moon"

Chapter One

. . . . . . . . . .

JANUARY

The drums were so loud, but it wasn't a sound; it was a pounding inside. My head throbbed with beats of pain. Eyes clenched, with difficulty, I lifted my hand to my forehead and felt cloth. 'What's this?' I thought confused.

"No, no," came a voice, "don't pull at it."

With stinging discomfort, I opened my eyes. They burned, causing them to immediately water. Everything was blurry, both physically and mentally. 'Where am I?'

"There you go. That's it. Open your eyes," the voice said again.

Slowly, my vision came into focus, and I looked up to see a woman leaning over me. "Who...are...you?" The words came out ragged; my throat was so dry.

"My name is Nurse Suzuki. I've been taking of you," she touched my forehead gently, "You have a nasty cut on your head, so don't pull at this bandage, okay?"

"I'm...in the," I coughed, "hospital?"

"Here now." She lifted my back up slightly and brought a cup to my lips, "Take a sip."

Awkwardly, I tried to take a drink. Even though most of it drizzled out the corners of my mouth, the water that touched my tongue and slid down the back of my throat was overwhelmingly refreshing.

As she drew the cup away, she dabbed the water from my chin with a soft rag. I rested back. "Thank you." This time the words came out easier.

"Do you remember anything?" she asked me.

Blinking, I looked around the room. Even though I knew this was an average hospital room, I didn't recognize anything. I shook my head 'no,' instantly regretting the movement.

She nodded, "Okay. I'm going to go get your doctor. I'll be right back."

After she left, I lifted my left hand to see tape holding an IV in place. To the side of my bed were machines, monitoring my heart rate with endless beeping. I recognized everything from the many times I visited my mom and dad while they were at work.

A sense of fear fell over me. "Mom...dad..." I tried to lean up and look around. My room was empty. 'Where are they?'

Suddenly, Nurse Suzuki returned with a man dressed in a white lab coat, one similar to my dad's. "Hello there, do you remember me? I'm Dr. Ito. I work with your father."

Studying his face for a moment, I realized that I did recognize him. I nodded my head 'yes' and he grinned. "That's good. I'm so glad to see you awake," he said as he came to my side. "I know you are hurting and probably really confused. I want to ask you some questions. Is that okay?" I nodded again and he smiled. "Good." He glanced down at a clipboard in his hand, "Okay, can you tell me your name?"

"Chiba Mamoru," I replied.

"Yes," he seemed pleased. "How old are you?"

"Eight," I answered.

He wrote something on the clipboard, "Very good." He reached up and touched the IV bag. "Can you tell me what hurts?"

"My head and my arm," I cringed as I tried to lift my right arm.

He frowned, "That's expected. You bruised your shoulder very badly, but it isn't broken. However, your head was cut open when you hit it. There are four stitches. You are going to have to relax. I'm going to give you some medicine to help."

"What happened?" I asked, trying to figure out how exactly I had hit my head.

A deeper frown came to the doctor's face, "What was the last thing you remember?"

'The last thing I remember...' I tried to think as hard as I could. My memories were hazy, but images began to come to mind. "We were late going home from the New Years party..." Dr. Ito encouraged me to continue. "It was raining and really cold. Mom was worried about ice..." I paused as scarier images came to mind, "Dad was driving, but..."

Silently, I let my thoughts continue. There had been a bright light; my whole body was pulled to the right really quick. My head hit the window... That was it.

"You were in a car accident, Mamoru," Dr. Ito confirmed, "The roads had gotten really slippery from the ice and another truck hit your car. That's when you got hurt."

The beeping on the heart monitor sped up rapidly. "My mom and dad?! Where are they?!"

Nurse Suzuki placed a hand on my leg, trying to offer comfort, "Keep calm, Mamoru. Your mom and dad are being taken care of."

"Why aren't they here?" I asked desperately, "What happened to them? Why aren't they here?!"

Nurse Suzuki shushed me sympathetically as Dr. Ito explained, "Mamoru, your mom and dad were hurt badly, but we have lots of doctors and nurses doing everything they can to get them better."

I tried to pull myself up, triggering a wave of pain down my whole body. "Sweetheart, you can't get up," Nurse Suzuki insisted.

"She's right, Mamoru," Dr. Ito agreed, "If you stay still and let your body heal, I will take you to see your parents once we know that it's okay." Relaxing a bit, the beeping slowed. "That's good. Now, we're going to give you some medicine to help you rest."

Nurse Suzuki lifted a syringe to my IV and inserted it into the access point. "There. You will feel better in a minute," she smiled gently.

I let my head sink back into the pillow. An exasperated breath left me as I tried to calm myself. 'How bad are mom and dad?' I wondered fearfully, 'Are they really going to be okay?'

A warmth flowed through me as the medicine began to do its job. Against all my power, my eyes drifted shut.

. . . . .

More than a week went by before I could sit up on my own without the pain in my shoulder and head being unbearable. Even though my body was healing, my anxiety was out of control. After begging for answers every day, Dr. Ito finally presented me with the news I had been waiting for.

"I'm glad to see you sitting up so well," he commented as Nurse Suzuki helped me to get situated in a wheelchair. She hooked my IV bag to the chair, doing her best to not bother my hand.

"I get to go see my mom and dad now?" I asked eagerly.

Dr. Ito pulled a nearby chair next to me and sat down so he could look at me at eye level. He spoke slowly, "I am going to take you to see your parents today, Mamoru, but you need to be prepared for what you see."

I swallowed a hard lump that had formed in my throat.

"Your mother has been put in...a deep sleep," he seemed to be choosing the best words for me to understand. "This sleep has been helping your mother feel better. She is going to be okay, we are just working to help her wake up now."

"But, she's okay?" I wanted him to affirm.

"Yes," he nodded, "But she will not be able to talk to you right now. She's hooked up to more machines than you were, so she may look a little scary, Mamoru, but all of the machines are helping her."

I felt more reassured that she would be okay. "What about my dad?"

Dr. Ito stayed quiet for a couple of moments, and I could tell he was trying to figure out what to say. Finally, he let out a long sigh and said, "Mamoru, your father still isn't doing well. He got hurt really bad, and we are still doing everything we can to help him. But, we can't go in his room. You can see him from a window, though, okay?"

I tried to comprehend everything he was telling me, but I couldn't understand it fully. I couldn't picture what he was going to look like, and that scared me.

"Are you ready?" Nurse Suzuki asked. I nodded a hushed 'yes,' and she pushed me out of the room.

The hallway was emptier than I expected. Just the occasional nurse and doctor here and there with a patient either walking on his or her own or being pushed in a wheelchair like me. We went into an elevator and, silently, Dr. Ito, Nurse Suzuki and I rode up to the next floor.

When the doors opened, this hallway was much busier. So much so, that we had to maneuver ourselves into the pathway. All the motion made me dizzy, so I decided to look down at my lap, seeing only the shoes and wheels of people as they passed.

We made a sharp turn and the bustling sounds of the hallway faded and were replaced by many beeps and buzzing sounds. My wheelchair was brought to a halt next to a bed, and apprehensively, I lifted my head.

She didn't really look like my mom with the tubes in her mouth and bruises all over her face. Her eyes were shut, but there was a slight movement, like she was dreaming. I tried to hold onto that thought. She wasn't forced asleep; she was just dreaming sweet dreams.

Cautiously, I placed my hand on hers. I didn't dare squeeze; I was so afraid to hurt her more. Remaining perfectly still, I just stared at her, wondering if she would wake up any moment.

"See, Mamoru..." I jumped when Nurse Suzuki spoke, even though she was speaking in a whisper. "She is resting, and her body is healing."

"Yes, and we will tell you as soon as she wakes up," Dr. Ito promised.

Nodding, I gradually took my hand away from my mom's and asked, "What about my dad?"

Dr. Ito motioned to Nurse Suzuki, "Let's go see Mr. Chiba now." She began pushing my chair again, out of the room and back into the bustle of the hallway. She pushed me for what felt like forever, until we reached the very end. It was less crowded as she parked me next to a large window. Fighting against the pain in my shoulder, I straightened up and looked inside the room.

There he was. Or at least, I thought that I was looking at my dad. Machines, tubes, and cords surrounded him. His legs were wrapped in bandages and elevated. His left arm was dangling in a sling hanging from the ceiling. If I hadn't known that this was a person, I would have thought I was looking at a robot being built...or torn apart.

"Do you have any questions, Mamoru?" Dr. Ito asked, and I wondered how long I had been staring into the room. "I know how he looks is hard to understand, so I will answer any questions you have."

I bit my lip, unsure of what to say.

"It's okay if you don't have any questions right now," Nurse Suzuki stated.

I waited for a minute and then said softly, "I'm okay."

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw them exchange worried glances, but I didn't say anything.

"Are you ready to go back to your room?" she asked, and I gave a small nod. "Okay," she agreed and turned my wheelchair around.

When we arrived back at my room, Nurse Suzuki helped me back into my bed, and put my IV bag back on its pole. "Now, I'm going to bring you lunch in about an hour, so you just relax."

"Mamoru," Dr. Ito stood at the end of my bed with a supportive smile, "Your father always told me how mature you are. He said you had an old soul." I couldn't make eye contact as he talked about my dad. "But, remember, you can ask for absolutely anything you need. Okay?"

"Yes, I know." I affirmed.

"Good. Now get some rest, and I will check on you later. And, if there are any changes with your parents, I will tell you as soon as possible," he assured.

"Buzz if you need anything," Nurse Suzuki said, and they both left my room.

After seeing my parents like that, so many questions that I didn't dare ask filled my mind, and the ones I kept coming back to were, 'What happens if they die? What will I do?'

. . . . .

The lunch Nurse Suzuki brought me remained uneaten on the table next to my bed. My appetite was nonexistent since visiting my parents. I couldn't nap either; my mind wouldn't let me. I wanted to be out of this room and back with my mom and dad, but I knew Dr. Ito wouldn't let me back to see them until he thought best.

A sliver of light from outside slipped through the curtain and cast a steam of gold up over my face. My eyes watered so I quickly turned away.

'How long has it been since I've looked outside?' I pondered, letting my face turn back into the light. Against all my better judgment and my body's protest, I straightened my back and let my legs swing off the side of the bed. My shoulder burned as I leaned and pulled the rolling IV pole towards myself. Carefully, I stood, balancing myself with the pole. Little by little, I stepped over to the window, combatting against my weak legs.

I pulled back he curtain and waited as my sight adjusted to the outside world. The sun was setting behind the city's buildings. I would have thought it was a summer evening if I didn't note the bit of frost on the trees and at the edges of the puddles on the street. Suddenly, I was cold.

Moving to the window bench, I sat down, with the sun hitting my back. Though I was wishing for heat, I only felt cold, and that cold was filling ever inch of me.

That feeling made me miss my mother's hugs. Whenever I felt alone, her hugs were the best comfort. There in that empty hospital room, I longed for that comfort more than anything.

A wave of emotion hit me. All of those thoughts and worries turned into overwhelming sadness; I had never felt so alone. My eyes burned again, but this time from the tears that slipped down my cheeks. My dad had always encouraged that Chiba men were strong and in control of their emotions. Realizing that I was not in control made the tears come harder. I covered my face in my hands.

Gratefully, I let imagination send warmth to comfort me, like a soft blanket covering my lap. A strange sense of peace came over me.

"It's okay. Don't cry." I jerked from surprise and looked down to see a head, covered in golden hair, was resting on my lap. "Don't cry; I'm here," a little voice said.

Realizing this was not my imagination, I asked, "Who are you?"

The head raised and up turned the face of a young girl. Her eyes were a bright blue, and they weren't bright because of the sunlight hitting them; it was like a light was flowing out of her. She gave me a sweet smile, "I'm Usagi. Who are you?"

"Mamoru," I replied.

"Don't cry, okay? I'm here," she said with a resolve that everything truly was 'okay.'

I looked around at the rest of the empty room, "Where did you come from?"

"My mommy is having a baby today," she explained, "and I went to get her these." She revealed a small bouquet of red roses. "They're pretty, right?"

"Yes," I agreed.

"I'm going to have a baby brother," she continued with a grin, "I'm going to take good care of him." Glancing around, a confused expression covered her face, "Where is your mommy and daddy?"

"They're..." I paused and chose the word, "...sick."

"I'm sorry," she frowned, "Is that why you're crying?" Wiping my face harshly, I shrugged, not wanting to answer. She lifted her small hand and gently touched the bandage on my head, "Are you hurt?"

Staying still, I answered, "Just a little."

"Come here," she motioned for me to lean down. I did so as she stepped up on her tippy toes. My eyes widened as she gave a quick kiss on my head. "There," she smiled proudly as she moved away, "All better."

Not sure what to do, I gave a simple, "Thank you."

"Tsukino Usagi?" We both jumped as a nurse came into the room. "Little girl, are you Tsukino Usagi?" The girl nodded and the nurse sighed with relief. She leaned back out the door, "She's in here."

Quickly, a man entered the room and went straight to the little girl. "Usagi, you know you are never to leave my side like that," he leaned down to her level and touched her face, obviously more relieved than angry.

"I'm sorry, daddy," she tucked her face sheepishly.

Her dad turned to me and apologized, "I'm sorry if she was bothering you."

I disagreed, "She wasn't."

"Well, thank you," he smiled appreciatively. He took his daughter's hand and stood up. "We need to hurry back now. It's time for you to meet your new baby brother."

Her face lit up and she jumped with happiness. However, as he led her out of the room, she let go of his hand and came back to me. "Here," she extended one of the red roses to me, "it's a present."

"For me?" I asked with surprise.

"Yes," she laughed, "To get well soon."

Carefully, I took the single rose. It smelled so fresh and sweet, bringing a bit of life into the room. Just like this little girl.

She hurried to her dad's side and waved back at me, "See you again, Mamo!"

I waved slightly as they left and felt a smile pull at my lips. She said 'See you again!' as if there was no doubt in her mind.

Touching the soft petal, I knew that I would probably never see her - Usagi - again, but I would now treasure roses forever. With this rose and the memory of her bright blue eyes, I felt a sense of hope.

"Mamoru, how did you get out of bed?" Nurse Suzuki startled me as she came into the room. "Never mind," she brushed that question aside and smiled, "I have news. Your mother is awake and doing so much better."

I placed the rose against my chest, over my heart. There it was. Hope.

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Final Note from the Author:

More to come; as soon as possible. Pardon any grammatical errors and please send me encouraging reviews. - With love, Kayla -