That Day
By: Tisha
Rated: a low PG-13 for drama and darkness
I still can't believe what happened that day, and I suppose I
never will. It had never crossed my mind. Somehow, even through all the
trouble we faced, it never seemed real that such a thing could happen.
It was always our duty to protect her, and we did. Several times it was
with our lives. Because we trusted her, we knew she could defeat
whatever villain it was. She had so much hope and love, such a pure
heart.
Actual real life troubles never seemed a possibility when you
fought evil forces. Usagi, my dear friend, I guess she didn't believe it
either. Now I'm left praying, with all my might, that she knew how I
felt. We all loved her, but who would have guessed that things could
have fallen apart without her?
•••••••••••••••••••
Nine months earlier-
It was a horrible feeling. It washed over me out of nowhere and I
had to clutch at my heart and wonder what had happened. I knew it was
something terrible. The fire didn't tell me anything. There was no
answer at Usagi's, but the others were all home. They hadn't even felt
it. I just had to wait. I can't believe how long a night can seem when
you have to wait.
I couldn't wait anymore by six the next morning. I didn't want to
wake everyone up but I had to go to her house, I had to check. I
actually hoped that someone would come to the door in a robe and be
angry that I'd ruined their Saturday morning, hoped that over anything
else. But I didn't wake anyone up. They were all wide awake by the time
I got there. Usagi's parents and even her brother sitting in the living
room. They let me in without a word.
"Where's Usagi?" I tried to sound normal, but I don't think I did.
They looked at each other. I hated the looks in their eyes, it
just assured me that this wasn't good. My mind kept on screaming to go
home and put a pillow over my head, it wasn't happening.
"She's...missing." The single word brought on huge sobs by
Usagi's mom. I'll never forget that sentence. The way the tiny word can
slice through you and hurt worse than any physical pain. The police came
and went that day. They seemed to believe Usagi had left on her own.
That she was just some fourteen year old girl who got pregnant, or was
on drugs, and that she had just left on her own. Like she wanted to hurt
us so much. They obviously didn't know Usagi.
Her parents were hurt badly by the suggestions they made. They
knew as well as I did that Usagi didn't leave. And I knew very well they
hadn't done anything to make her leave. It all got worse when Mamoru
arrived. I had called him, along with the other girls. I thought he had
a right to know. Usagi's dad seemed uncomfortable about him being there
but I knew he'd never suspect Mamoru to do anything...or at least I
hoped.
The police questioned Mamoru. It turned out he had been with her
in the park the night before. His story stated that they had separated
at seven and went different ways. More searching done by the police for
several hours. That whole day I stayed at the Tsukino home with Minako,
Makoto, Ami and Mamoru. It seemed like a bad dream, it went on for
centuries even though it was only half a day.
At four a few policemen came back. The look on their faces made me
want to run. I wanted to cover my ears, go back in time, anything but
hear why they had come. The five of us, who loved Usagi so much, stood
behind, silently. Usagi's family were on the couch with the police. It
took a while to sink in for me. For a minute I wondered what was
happening. Why did the Tsukinos start crying? Why did Makoto have to
turn her face away? Why did Mamoru suddenly lose control? The words
seemed to spiral around me before sinking in.
Usagi was dead. She was found in the park, raped and stabbed to
death. As if that wasn't enough information to hurt so bad, the police
had more questions. All about Mamoru. It was hard to answer when all I
could see was sweet little Usagi's face. And before we knew it Mamoru
was led away in handcuffs. When I suddenly realized that I would never
get to see Usagi again, everything else came to me as well. She'd never
know how much I cared about her.
I think I ended up grabbing Minako and sobbing into her hair. I
probably mumbled some things about battles and Sailor Moon but I was so
out of it I don't think anyone would have taken note of it anyway. The
four of us left them alone later, we all cried. We cried until we
couldn't anymore. That was the worst day ever.
•••••••••••••••••••
Eight and a Half Months Earlier-
I put on a long black dress the day of Usagi's funeral. It was
such a horrible day. Everyone cried again. The Tsukinos wanted the
casket to be opened. It made it so much harder. She was still very
battered. The makeup people had helped, but her face had many cuts. Her
beautiful hair looked dirty.
Poor Mamoru. He cried so hard that day. I'd never seen anyone look
so sad, even though I felt that sad. Even on such a day he had to be
escorted by an officer since he was still being kept while they
investigated. The Policeman followed him everywhere. I watched once when
he went to the casket. He talked to her. He placed a red rose in with
her and then broke out in tears again. He started screaming something
about it wasn't supposed to happen. Chibi-Usa's name was mentioned once.
The policeman led him away before the ceremony even took place.
I thought about Usagi. She would want Mamoru to be there. I know
it would kill him inside to not be. I couldn't do anything though, they
took him away. There was a free session to speak about Usagi. Many
people went up. I did, as well as Minako, Ami, and Makoto. Others were
Naru, Umino and Motoki. I knew Luna would have wanted to but obviously
couldn't. Even in front of so many people I confessed my love for Usagi.
I spilled out my feelings to that huge group of people as I had been
unable to do for Usagi alone.
Afterwards there was a reception at Usagi's house. The four of us
slipped into Usagi's room. I found her brooch and the others said I
should keep it. We found Luna in there. Makoto said she would take her
since she lived alone anyway. It was so sad seeing her stuff. Old
homework was still sitting on the table, not done. The picture of her
and Mamoru made me almost cry again. This couldn't be happening.
•••••••••••••••••••
Eight Months Earlier-
Mamoru had been in jail for a month. The police investigated the
scene. That place in the park behind all the trees. They hadn't found
any fingerprints, no DNA as proof. Mamoru was forced to take a lie
detector test, and he passed. They still kept him in jail though.
Eventually came his trial. He had to sit there and be accused of the
rape and murder of Tsukino Usagi. Every time they said it he started
crying.
His own testimony was very convincing. He said how much he loved
her. How sorry he was for leaving her alone in the park. How he would
have killed himself to save her. The four of us defended him too. We
told the judge and jury about their love. Mamoru would never do such a
thing, we all knew it. Only one person sat up there and accused him of
such a thing. And that was Usagi's dad.
He wondered why Usagi would have kept it a secret if she was truly
dating such a nice guy. He didn't trust him because he was older. Who
knows what that jury discussed back there for those two hours. Somehow
they found Usagi's dad's story more true than everyone else's. They
actually had the nerve to stand up and say that Mamoru was guilty of
killing her. The judge let him off easy. Or at least he said he did.
Thirty years doesn't seem easy for the murder of your beloved, one that
you didn't do.
•••••••••••••••••••
Seven Months Earlier-
Poor Mamoru. I went to see him once. I told him that none of us
believed he did it. I told him that I had gone to Usagi's house and told
her dad that he didn't do it. I don't think anything I said made him
feel better though. I must not have given him any hope. I got the phone
call a few days later that he had killed himself.
Ironically, the news made me smile. It was sad since he never
should have been in there in the first place. But at least now he
wasn't. And I knew in my heart they were together. If they were together
they could be happy, even if the rest of us were not.
•••••••••••••••••••
Five months earlier-
When the monster appeared I think it filled us all with dread. We
had discussed it with Luna before. If the need be, we would have to kill
any enemies, no longer able to heal them. The monster was strong. We hit
it again and again. It was weak but it was still strong. I guess we were
weak too. Some more than others.
The bolt shot toward Mercury before any of us could jump in front.
She was knocked out. It only made us madder, we attacked harder. We
eventually killed it and went to help Mercury. We'd help her up and
everything would be fine. I guess we weren't so smart after all. She was
practically dead. We hurried her into the hospital, all of us
untranformed.
Her mom and the other doctors worked hard, but she died. Another
friend gone. It still didn't seem possible. Everyone wanted to know how
she died. We just said it was a monster that appeared and shot at her.
They seemed to believe that. It just led to one more funeral. Another
sad event. We all cried some more. Suddenly this unbeatable team of five
and one extra was down to only three. Life could never be the same.
•••••••••••••••••••
Four months earlier-
Somehow no more monsters attacked. It's a good thing too, we would
have been dead in no time without Usagi. Life had been boring. The three
of us continued school even though we didn't much bother with studying.
We never had fun. A few times we'd start to laugh and then notice the
absence of two other laughs. We'd end up crying instead.
We were all together at Makoto's when we saw it on the news. A man
was arrested and convicted for several murders. The judge had sentenced
him to death. Two days before his death he confessed to two other
murders, one of them being Usagi's. He was killed, as he would have been
if he hadn't confessed to her murder. The news station went on to say
that Usagi's boyfriend had previously been accused of her murder and he
later committed suicide in jail. They showed both of their pictures on
the TV. It was all the more strangely ironic.
•••••••••••••••••••
My very best friend in the world is dead. She saved me from my
loneliness, she showed me my destiny, which was to protect her. And I
didn't do it. She's dead because I didn't. And I guess she's in heaven,
with Mamoru and Ami. I guess she's watching me and she knows. Her death
caused two more and practically three more than that. I don't think
we'll ever truly live again. I never got to tell her that I loved her,
how much I cared about her. But I guess that's okay. She knows. I know
she knows.
**The End**
So, what do you think? That kind of came out of nowhere. I was bored
with my four other unfinished stories and I just decided to start a new
one. I didn't even form the idea until my fingers starting typing. It's
sad, I know, but that's what came out. =)
tishamoon[dot]tripod[dot]com