SSailor Moon
"Reflections of a Red Rose"
Rated: PG-13
By: NeoMoon
Edited By: R Savage

Chapter Twenty-Nine:

Usa paced back and forth through the room, her eyes darting over at Micheru every few seconds.

"You got to get some rest, brat." Hotoru said softly from where she sat across from Micheru.
"Or at last let go of your transformed state."

Usa snarled at the girl, but stopped and turned to look at out the large hole where the
apartment's balcony had been. Radio reports had been coming in all day, the death toll was
thankfully small, if anything Tokyo's people were prepared for the worst earthquakes nature could
give. But the city itself?

Usa stepped closer to the hole, her eyes fixed on the darkening landscape stretching out below
her. The rain still fell, slowly putting out the fires that ravaged most of the city, but she
could smell them still. It made her sick. Turning away she walked over to Micheru, and knelt
down beside the dying woman.

"Do - Do you know how much longer." Hotoru asked from behind her, still sitting in her chair.

Usa didn't answer for a long moment, she just knelt there staring at the ashy pale face that
seemed to have drawn in onto itself. All the beauty that she had always associated with Micheru
was gone, her hair, once a beautiful green was now faded, the rings under her eyes . . .

Usa stood up quickly and resumed her pacing.

A door closed, Usa ignored it and continued to pace, only stopping when she turned and saw the
dark eyes staring right into hers. "What do you want Pu?"

Setsuna smiled at her, but there was a great sadness behind her eyes. "The truth." She said
quietly.

Usa pushed by the woman, and turned. "The truth?" She laughed. "Of all people Guardian, I
think you should know the truth."

"I think I deserve it from your mouth priestess." Setsuna's words though soft held a venomous
quality.

Usa gulped hard. "No one knows that title." She said in a voice that was so soft, it was hardly
audible.

Setsuna only smiled.

"I think I'll rest now." Usa said walking as quickly as she dared out of the room, slamming the
door behind her.

Hotoru watched silently at the small confrontation between her mentor, and her friend. She
wanted so much to go with Usa, to find out what had scared her. She knew Usa was scared, she had
known her long enough to see the soft change in her eyes, to see the small rabbit that was being
pushed further, and further into a corner. She almost jumped at the harsh sound of the door
being slammed.

She looked over at Setsuna; saw the slight tremble running up her mentor's arms, noticing the
tight clench of her lips. "Setsuna?"

The woman seemed to snap, as if Hotoru's words had acted as an anchor to a bungee cord.

Her mentor slowly turned to her, her hands shaking more and more as she made the effort to turn.

"Setsuna?"

She shook her head, her dark eyes staring at the door.

"Setsuna?"

Ami sat in the hospital's emergency waiting room, watching in silence as bodies were rushed by
her, and the dozen others that were sitting here, waiting, hoping that a missing family member
was alive, that they would be on a stretcher, and not in a body bag.

Her mind kept flashing back to the small girl she had tried to help. She fought back the tears
for the millionth time that day, and stood. She wasn't needed; she would go home, if there were
a home to go to and wait. That's all she could do.

"And you're going where?"

Ami turned quickly, or as quickly as she could with the crouch, to see Chi standing near the
reception desk, holding a bundle in her hands.

"Home." Ami said in a quiet voice. "I'm going home to wait."

"Wait for what? The next aftershock, to tear down your building?" Chi shook her head, and threw
the bundle at Ami; she caught it with a grace and speed she hadn't used in a long time.

"I'm not needed here." Ami said simply. "I'll wait until . . ." She stopped in mid sentence as
she looked at the bundle in her arms.

"Sorry, honey." Chi said, striding over to her. "You might be lame, but you got enough medical
experience."

Ami continued to stare down at the candy stripper uniform, and handed it back. "I already let
one girl die." She said softly, the little girl's dirt smeared face covering her mind. "I don't
know if I can take . . ."

"Shut up." Chi said in a low dark voice, as she slammed the clothing back at Ami. "I'm not
going to deal with your little 'bout of depression. I need your help got it?"

Ami looked up at her, ready to protest, when she saw the pain in her friend's eyes. She had
totally forgotten, she had been so wrapped up with everything else that she hadn't thought. "No
word?"

Chi shook her. "No I tried the apartment, but . . ." She turned around. "He'll be fine, now go
get cleaned up and changed, you'll be in pediatrics, your mother requested it."

Before Ami could say anything else Chi disappeared through the doors that lead to the countless
examination rooms, and ER's.

Without another word, she headed to the bathroom to change. She would help as much as she could.

Yuuichirou had searched franticly for most of the day. After the Earthquakes, he had immediately
gone to the fire shrine, but she wasn't there. Next he tried her room, but again she wasn't
there.

Since then he had searched the grounds of the temple, and now as twilight covered the sky, he was
coming to the edge of the estate's grounds. All that was left was the small pond that was almost
completely surrounded by forest.

He slowed. He'd pushed himself must of the day, ignoring the insistent pleasof Rei's Grandfather
to go to the hospital, to have his head examined. He reached up feeling the wrapping that now
covered much of his head, and one eye, and sighed, hopefully there wouldn't be much scaring. But
he wouldn't go to the hospital, not until he knew she was safe, and alive.

He continued to walk, continued to search. The light was beginning to fade quickly; night was
almost on top of him. He turned back to the temple, he would garb a flashlight, and some water,
and then he would start to search the city. Then he noticed her, a little off the gravel path
that lead to he pond, leaned comfortably against and old Sakura. Running over to her, he fell
next to her, resting his hands on her shoulders.

"Rei!" He yelled. "Rei!" He quickly moved his hands, one going to the spot between her breast,
feeling for a heart beat, the other floating just above her mouth, seeing if she still breath.

He almost laughed with relief. After quickly, and respectfully, looking for any other wounds he
picked her up and started toward the temple.

Minako stared wide-eyed at the small limp form lying in front of her. Its body lying in a pool
of dark red blood, a piece of rebar sticking out of its what once perfectly white fur. She tried
her best to hold down her stomach, and failed miserably, quickly falling hard to the ground on
her hands and knees. Her dirty mated blonde hair fell to cover her deed from anyone who might
still be alive and watching.

Usa fell to the floor almost as soon as the door slammed. She breathed in deeply trying to
control her breath, trying to control the need to rip Setsuna's throat out.

She knew! She had always known! Usa laughed as she slowly adjusted herself to sit cross legged
on the room's floor, the smile disappearing as she saw her reflection staring back at her. With
all but a thought the mirror shattered, and Usa let go of her Senshi form, letting another
uniform take it's place, the uniform of the priestess.

She slowly stood, the long black silk falling away from her, she slowly adjusted the thin baggy
sleeves of the dress, and for a second wished she hadn't smashed the mirror. Closing her eyes
she walked in a slow circle, before again sitting cross legged on the floor, and let her mind
wander.

She stood in the dark misty place. A construct of her own mind, a place deep inside where she
retreated to when she need to think in total privacy. Today though she wasn't the only one here,
another girl stood in the center, her shorter pink hair flowing behind her as she stared at Usa
with a childish, but knowing smile.

"It's been a long time." Usa said as she approached the girl.

The girl's smile grew. "You forgot all about me."

Usa shook her head. "I had no choice, it was the only way."

"Only way to what?" The girl asked, the smile leaving her face. "You're the one preaching to
everyone to embrace every aspect of themselves, yet you try to bury and destroy aspects of
yourself."

"You don't understand. If anyone ever found out how much power I have, how much of the Wise Man
resided in my heart." She shook her head. "The Queen, every incarnation of the Queen hates
darkness, and is to blind to see the beauty in the dance between the light and dark." She
stepped closer to the girl and knelt. "It Queen Serenity ever found out that her own daughter,
who is the heir of an intergalactic kingdom, where also the heir to the Black moon . . ." She
trailed off.

The girl laughed, and Usa felt a need to shove something down the child's throat to shut her up.
"So while trying to show the world the beauty in the dance of light and dark, you hid its
greatest asset, the living representation?" The girl placed her hand on Usa's arm in a pitying

motion, Usa snarled at the gesture.

"You can't understand." Usa said to softly as she stood up and started to walk away. "I've left
you behind. Do us both a favor and stay where I left you."

Mamoru groaned, as he rose from the darkness of sleep, the sharp pain in his head hitting him
like a load of bricks.

"Drink this." Said a familiar, annoying voice.

Before Mamoru could say anything a mug was pressed against his lips and warm fire was poured down
his throat.

Mamoru gagged as white-hot fire slid down his throat and rolled into his stomach. His eyes shot
open as he continued to gag. He looked up at the man who was kneeling next to him, holding a
large mug, ready to pour more of it down his throat.

"What the hell was that?" Mamoru managed to choke out.

Shinneri smiled. "Whisky." He pushed the mug at Mamoru. "Here, keep drinking, it won't get ya
too bad off."

Mamoru took the mug and slowly sipped the liquid fire. "What happened?"

Shinneri shrugged. "An earthquake I guess." He flopped down next to Mamoru.

"No shit." Mamoru hissed. "I mean to me."

"Oh!" Shinneri smiled. "You where wondering through the streets, wobbling like a drunk, if I
hadn't seen all that blood running down your face . . ." The man trailed off, then started up
again. "I tried my best ta wrap your wound, but you're still bleeding pretty bad."

Mamoru raised his hand, feeling the warm sticky liquid on his forehead.

"We should really get ya ta the hospital."

Mamoru tried to stand and fell back to the ground. "No, I got to find her."

Shinneri looked him with a concern that made him feel even worse. "Look man." Shinneri said
quietly. "I can understand your need to find your lady friend and all, but . . ."

"It isn't just that." Mamoru interrupted.

"Well what ever it is, if you go running off half cocked and hurt, you're just gonna get someone
even more hurt."

He hated to admit it, but the annoying jackass had a point. "I'll rest awhile, but no hospital."

Shinneri nodded. "Good, I'll go wit ya too, I got a certain lady of my own to find."

Makoto. He wouldn't ask now, he'd wait until the ground stopped rolling under him, and his
vision wasn't fuzzy, but he would ask. He took another sip of the whisky, and waited.

Rei smiled as she placed another piece of the puzzle into its place, and leaned back to admire
her work. Most of the forehead was completed, and the left eye was already complete. Raising
her arms above her she clasped them together and stretched, taking comfort in the fact that she
could here her bones creaking. She was getting closer; with each piece she placed into its
brother another element of reality came back to her. With a growing smile she set back to her
work, a voice urging her on as she went.

Hurry! Usa screamed to her. You must hurry, time is growing short!

She laughed as the hail and the rain fell around her, never touching. As the smell of burning
buildings and charred flesh enter her senses. Usagi looked down at her vantage point high above
the city of Tokyo, and with a flap of her wings glided downward into the city. Tonight the
streets would be bathed in blood.