Thank you-
kera69love: Rei and Mamoru see their relationship differently. Whilst Rei thinks its romantic, Mamoru views it as a friendship.
Ruk: Yup, it's almost time for her to wake up!
RogueAlly: Thank you! I hope you like this chapter
SaphireShimmer: Thank you! The injuries are an important element to what's going on with her.
I really appreciate that you took the time to write to me. You're the best!
A/N: As the title implies, this chapter is focused on Usagi and those around her. I want to note that the timeline may seem quick. However the chapter takes place over a week. Each time the setting goes back to the hospital a couple days have passed from the last hospital scene. You may also notice there isn't much set up for the hospital scenes. I see it like there is a camera in the hospital room and each time we cut back the people are already there. Hope that makes sense.
Also, if you're curious about the unknown characters and their connection to mythology, I have explanations at the end of the chapter. But it's not necessary to know.
Key for Symbols:
= = ". * ." = = : Text under or above this symbol indicates that the story is current/ if it is used within a paragraph already established as current it means a change in POV
",~~," : Text under or above this mark indicates past/ if it is used within a paragraph already established as past it means a change in POV
Italics - used for character thought or emphasis.
Bold - indicates a heavy action.
As One
Chapter 6
Moon in Mourning
",~~,"
= = ". * ." = =
"~ , , ,~'"
After taking one glance at the results, Doctor Noah Derns passed them back to the intern.
"Give it to boy wonder." He gruffed.
The trainee, Orihime Inoue, swept her auburn hair behind her shoulder. It was taking all her control not to look in the folder. Dr. Derns didn't allow his interns to view any files. He was a controlling old man and preferred to work alone. Most of the time the practitioner complained about the incompetence of the upcoming generation of doctors. Paradoxically, he refused to take the time and train any of them in the best practices and skills. Neither did he offer to take interns, but due to his experience the hospital chief directed he must. Regardless, he did nothing to aid Orihime in her learning. It was frustrating.
The copper haired intern rapt firmly on Doctor Isao Ishikawa's open office door.
"Ishikawa-sensei?" The girl bowed in greeting. "Derns-sensei requested your help on a case." Isao exhaled audibly. Dern's wasn't requesting help. He was pushing the case off to him. The man was getting lazy. He stood up.
"It's a 16 year old female," she continued. "Friends reported she was attacked by one of those monsters. These are her test results." She paused and handed him the file. "For some reason she's in a coma."
In front of her, Ishikawa took his time scanning the documents. The pupils of his eyes dilated into its iron colored iris as it swept the pages left to right. Abruptly, his eyes stilled, and turned back to an earlier page. Isao flopped the page back to re-examine the information then flipped to the previous page.
"Did you notice something?"
"This is everything?" he asked, oblivious of the question she'd just posed.
"Yes Ishikawa-sensei."
"Alright, thank you." He returned to his desk and sat back down. When he didn't hear the door, he rotated his seat and discovered the grey eyed woman still standing there.
"Oh, uh" -he scratched his head- "was there something else?"
"No, but..." she fidgeted. Suddenly she was bowing, her request rushing out of her mouth like air out of a balloon. "Pleaseallowmetoassistyouinthiscasesensei."
Ishikawa was fluent in 'extreme nervous' language. Frankly, he'd argue that it was his native tongue. Officially titled a prodigy at six, he became a fully licensed doctor at twenty-two. For a kid attending school and programs half the age of his peers, it was difficult socially. He was often much too young to participate in the functions, not that it bothered him; he preferred researching new medical studies than socializing.
His passion was the same since he was a child: saving people's lives. He immersed himself in medical knowledge. After receiving an offer from Juban General, he found that most of the interns preferred to work with the older doctors and the veteran practitioners. Their decisions were understandable. He was younger than the interns and most of the nurses. No one enjoys receiving orders from a junior. Therefore, Inoue's request stunned him.
"I thought you were with Derns-sensei?"
"... it's just... I brought her in and I'd like to see it through." She was still bowed. He stared at the back of her head, auburn hair falling to the side from her ponytail.
"Of course." Orihime straightened, her eyes communicating gratitude. "Have all the information transferred over and I'll send the formal request for your assistance."
"Yes sir." She nodded. "Thank you for this opportunity. I am looking forward to learning from you."
He responded with a tight smile before she turned and left. Isao ran his hands through his coal hair. His fingers bristled against the soft spikes. Soon the strands would be an inch long, he'd need to cut it. He preferred a clean professional look, growing it out only resulted in a boyish appearance; something he worked hard to avoid. A soft beeping emitted from his wrist. On his right hand, a child's watch signaled it was time to finish up and check in on Mr. Aino. He pressed the small button on the side of the red power ranger's face.
= = ". * ." = =
The first thing she noticed was the sound of water lapping against a surface. It was dark, so very dark. But, despite the lack of light, she was unafraid. There was something that tickled the tip of... something. Something she wasn't sure of. There was something cool that came across, across something she didn't know. The coolness was followed by a discomfort. Discomfort behind her.
Feeling.
A sense of awareness filled her. A body. Her body. She focused her thoughts. Fingers. Fingers move. They go up and down, they tap, they wave.
Twitch. Consciousness spread through the rest of her being. She peeled her eyes open and was met with a haze of colored spots dancing across black.
It took a moment for her to identify things. The tickle from earlier: a slight breeze that had passed. It chilled the tip of her nose and ear. The discomfort: sand that had embedded itself into the unclothed parts of her body. She blinked repeatedly, waiting for the spots to clear. They didn't. The spots, she discovered, were apart of the inky black sky. They waltzed to and fro, traveling to the East.
Lifting her upper body the beads of sand fell off her back, briefly she dusted herself off. Standing up, she took in her surrounding. The lapping sound, she found, came from the ocean. It extended its reach up the shore, seeking to embrace all the land could offer. However, the sea couldn't seem to stretch far enough, so the water retreated and tried again.
She wasn't sure what she needed to do, but there was something tugging, urging her of...something. Feeling unsure, she sat on the shore, staring off into the skyline. Gazing up, she followed the lights journeying East; making a voyage toward a land on the horizon. She contemplated whether she should swim to it. As soon as she got there she could... Well that seems odd, she thought. She couldn't remember where she was supposed to go. In fact, she soon realized, I don't know who I am.
A sudden grating sliced the shore, interrupting her thoughts. A boy in a dark wooden boat had landed on the sand. He looked to be twelve, maybe thirteen; dark skin and salt colored hair. The first thing she noticed were his peculiar eyes: one scarlet and the other a forest brown. He looked at her skeptically before jumping out of his skiff.
"Who are you?"
"You may call me Zagreus," he replied, walking over to her. "No ones been on this eh-land in cen-tu-rees." He had a thick accent, the s's hissed like snakes. Standing next to her he pointed out to the East. "What do you see?"
"What do you mean?" The girl's eyes shifted from the boy to the land on the horizon.
"It looks diff'rent to the ones who land here." He rolled his r's as well. She was tempted to ask him why he spoke so differently. Even the tempo of his speech was antithetical, like a rough arie in staccato.
"What-What does it look like to you?"
"I sees it for what it really is, a mars."
"A marsh?" Her head spun to Zagreus. "Where? I mean what is this place? Where are we?"
"Where the five rivers meet," he replied simply. The girl shook her head, it was difficult to process. Five rivers?
"What five rivers?"
"Acheron, Cocytus, Phlegethon, Lethe, and Styx." He paused, his scarlet eye fixated on her. "I've been told to fares you a-kross."
She squinted her eyes, unsure. He was told to take me to the mainland? Why? If that were true, someone must have sent him here for me. Which meant-
"You know me?"
"Mmm," he murmured. "You don' remember?" He peered into face. As she stared back, the reddened eye faded into the dark. It was the other that began claiming dominance. It felt as if the forest brown were hunting through her mind, a bow and arrow taut, waiting to capture a moving animal. "How straints" -he stepped back- "No memories."
"Do you?" She posited once again, "know me?"
"No," he said finally. "But I know who you are to be."
The child held out his dark hand, palm up, waiting for her to grasp it. She placed hers on top and allowed him to guide her in. Once she was sitting, he made his way to the hull; pushing the vessel deeper into the water until he was waist deep in the black river.
The boy was deceptively strong. He grasped the side of the boat and effortlessly lifted himself, hovering like a gymnast balancing on the rings. With one swift movement he raised his legs from the water and landed in the boat. The entire action had been a quick and graceful one.
The salt haired boy bent down and picked up his ferro. He took no time to rest after his athletic performance. Thrusting the stick in the water, he propelled them forward. Zagreus performed the action three times and was on the shore of the mainland. She gasped in disbelief. It should have taken a day, if not days, to travel so far. His darker eye focused on her once they exited the boat, evaluating.
"Per-aps," he whispered, "your memory loss will 'elp you." Zagreus stood beside her, his scarlet eye glowing in the darkness.
"There." Her eyes followed the direction of his finger. It was a house. A white two story home with a red tiled roof. It was gated off, a wall of white cement enclosed it, and a two sided swinging gate allowed for a car to drive in. There were two balconies. The larger one was above the front door. It jutted out nicely, two green plants decorated it. One on each side provided a symmetrical look.
"It's a house... am I supposed to go there?" She asked turning her head back to the boy. He was gone.
= = ". * ." = =
They were told she was being moved to the 25th floor. They transferred her to a specialist.
"Don't worry," they said, "he's a genius."
Their praise did nothing for the Tsukino's. Three days had passed and their daughter was still unconscious. And still there were no answers. Out of the three of them, it was Shingo who was taking it the hardest. It surprised his father, as he'd only seen them argue.
He remembered receiving the call in the middle of the night. How the three had rushed to the hospital. The way they had breathed a sigh of relief to hear that she was not in critical condition. But then, after a few hours the doctors returned.
"Your daughter is in a coma."
Ikuko screamed and fell to the ground like a heap of clothing on the floor; her hair a mess, her clothing wrinkled. Kenji knelt down and held his wife, rocking her quietly as she sobbed, 'Why' and 'It can't be'. It wasn't until after his wife had calmed down that he noticed his son's reaction.
Shingo was standing in the same spot he'd received the news, his eyes staring at the wall ahead. Kenji stood up and ran his hands through his salty brown hair. He adjusted his glasses and walked over to his only son.
"Shingo..." he called. "Shingo" -he gulped- "school...I think...do you want to...go to school?" Mr. Tsukino was not very good when it came to consoling his children. When they were young, he would distract them with candies, toys, or shopping trips. But Shingo was a teenager now. He couldn't sway him with a promise of ice cream or money for the vending machine.
"Mom's phone," his pubescent voice dipped. "I need mom's phone." His father, seeking to appease his son's deadpanned state, retrieved his wife's phone. The dark blonde quickly found what he was looking for and put the receiver to his ear.
"Naru-chan," Kenji heard him say. "Can you come to Juban General and get me? Thanks." The boy handed the device back to his father and returned to his mute state.
In fifteen minutes a high pitched voice rang through the waiting room.
"Shingo-chan!" The redhead rushed over to the short teen against the wall. Her signature bow was missing. She wrapped him in her arms tightly. "What's going on? Are you okay?" She stepped back and searched for any signs of damage.
"No," he replied. Naru looked around and for the first time, noticed Mr. Tsukino attempting to console his wife. She felt her heart clench painfully and her mouth watered excessively. A sense of foreboding filled her. The girls Usagi spent so much time with were sitting in chairs on the opposite end of the room.
"No…" Naru moaned, slowly shaking her head. The thought was insistent, but refused to accept what all the signs were pointing to. "No...Shingo…" her voice trailed off. "Whe-Where is Usagi-chan?"
"She's in a coma."
She felt like the wind had been knocked out of her. She fell into the wall, using it's solid surface to keep her upright. Nevertheless her knees were still weak. She slid to the floor, her mind in shock. There must be a mistake. She had just seen her friend several hours ago. It wasn't possible.
"What happened?" she whispered.
Shingo recounted The Officer's report.
"But, I don't understand. Why would..." she paused, her eyebrows furrowed. "They argued?" she asked aloud. "I was with her…how could...I don't understand...they just...they just left her? But...what about her phone? I don't understand. It doesn't make any sense." Naru struggled to put together the story Shingo had shared. None of it made sense. She quickly messaged Umino. Usagi in hospital. staying here. not going school.
It took time for reality to set with Naru and when it did, she fell apart. She held her shins and smothered her face in her knees. Unexpectedly, a warm hand touched her forearm. Slowly, she rose head. Umino Gurio, knelt in front of her glasses perched on his nose.
"What are you doing here?" she hiccuped. He was silent, his thumb caressed her soft skin. His brown eyes focused on her teal ones. "Thank you," she said softly. He nodded in reply and sat beside her. "It just...it doesn't make sense. I should've asked her to come with us," she told her boyfriend. "Did you know she was alone? They just...they left her on her own...they-" The sadness warped into anger, her eyes focused on the three teens sitting on the other side.
"Them" -she spat- "it's their fault. Ever since they came into her life things changed. I should've said no from the start. After those girls came in her life everything went downhill, relationships, grades, spending time-
And Rei! God, why did I- I should've never let her run me off. I just let her take my best friend." She looked to Umino wildly, "Every time she'd pull Usagi away, telling me she needed her for personal problems, telling me that Usagi couldn't hang out...as if she were in charge of Usa! I can't believe I just accepted it.
Rei always wanted me out!" She stopped, her breath quickening in self-accusation. "Oh Umino-chan, why didn't I fight back? If I had held on, if I'd have stopped her from being friends with them...this never would've happened. This is all my fault" -she cried harder- "Shingo-chan, I'm so sorry."
"Naru, it's not your fault," Umino asserted quietly. "This was a freak accident."
"No!" She snapped. "It's them. They're the ones. Friends protect each other." Naru fixed her gaze on Rei, the raven haired girl hugging herself on the chair. "I hate her. I hate her."
"Will you take me home after we see her?" Shingo asked.
"Of course, I'll drive you guys," The dark haired teen responded.
"I can drive fine," his girlfriend replied.
"No. No you can't. Not when you're feeling like this."
"I said I can drive myself!" she barked. Gurio unaffected by her sharp anger, shook his head.
"Naru-chan," he said. "This darkness"-he placed a hand on her heart- "You made a promise." He took a deep breath. "I can't let you drive home when you're feeling so angry." He removed his hand from her heart and covered her hand with his. "He gave you something because of your good heart. And you made a promise you'd never follow the same road he did. You showed him the right way, stay on it."
She let out a small breath and conceded. Yes, she made a vow.
= = ". * ." = =
The hike to the house was a long one. By the time she reached the gate she was sure she'd drop of exhaustion. She followed the concrete pathway to the front door. The house had a pretty front yard, the trees and bushes were beautifully trimmed. She noticed a large tree next to the smaller balcony. The branches nearly touched the rail. How perfect, with a tree like that, it'll be easy to sneak out. She paused, staring up at the room. What made me think of that? Shaking the thought from her head, she proceeded forward.
She reached the door and posed to knock. Before the motion could be completed, her hand unconsciously made for the door knob and twisted it open. She wasn't sure what made her body move in such a way, regardless the door was unlocked and she made her way through the threshold. When she entered it felt...familiar.
"Hey! Finally!" She heard someone say. She froze, she hadn't expected people to be in the house. Why hadn't that occurred to her? Of course people would be in a house, people lived in houses. She cringed at her discovery. Would they haul her out?
"Usagi-chan hurry up! You need to pick a piece!" The disembodied voice came from her right. Her immediate thought was to run out. But her body, once again, moved of its own accord. It slipped off her shoes and made its way to a large living room.
It was a spacious area. A large fireplace reigned as the focal point of the room. The firebox opening was as tall as she was and wider as well. It was built into the far wall, where large colored stones served as it's legs and hearth. The stones were peculiar, they had no color.
Several feet away was a white rectangular coffee table surrounded by a large couch, a loveseat, and a plush chair. The furniture wasn't exactly fashionable. The couch's blue had faded, the loveseat was sunken in, and the plush chair's velvety fabric was worn off on the armrests and seat cushion.
Four people were waiting when she entered. The oldest was the man seated on the large couch. His brown hair was interwoven with white strands and glasses were perched on his nose. He was wearing a men's yellow cardigan with a white undershirt and black slacks. His body faced the coffee table, his forearm on his upper thighs, supporting the man as he leaned forward. He was staring at the table in deep thought.
Next to him sat a pretty woman. Her blue eyes were concentrated on the man beside her. Her mouth in a firm line. Her long dark hair flowed from her head in large waves. The woman's nose was flaring, her hands bunching the skirt of her orange dress.
Sitting on the floor adjacent from the couple was a young boy. He looked to be Zagreus' age, or possibly a little older. He was leaning his cheek against his hand, waiting, green eyes filled with irritation. He too wore a yellow cardigan. His dark blonde hair fell just at his eyebrows.
On the other side of the table a pretty redhead sat on the ground motioning to the empty space next to her. She had pretty teal eyes and a bow in her hair that matched. Her short hair bounced slightly as she continued to pat the carpet.
"Come on Usagi-chan!"
Usagi-chan? She thought to herself. I guess that's me. She smiled back at the ginger haired girl and sat next to her.
"Alright dad, hurry up and pick your piece already! You've been staring at them for half an hour now," the boy whined.
"Honey, if you don't hurry, we're going to pick and you'll get whatever is left over!" The woman scolded him. They must all be related.
"As the man of the house, it's my right to be the first to choose...and I choose...uhhh…"
"Oh whatever," the boy grumbled. "Onee-san you choose first. Dad's being unreasonable." Usagi sat waiting for the other girl to take her turn.
"Earth to Usagi!" The girl waved her hands in front of Usa's face, "Your brother just said to pick your game piece."
Oh! He's my brother. That must mean they're my parents. But then who's she? The pretty teal eyed girl picked up the rectangular box from the table. As she bent forward a pretty dark crystal fell forward, dangling from a chain.
"Here," the ginger said, pushing the small velvet box to her.
Usagi looked at the different marble pieces. There was a man on a chariot, a person in a running stance, a fist that with a wrap, perhaps martial arts?, a discus, a javelin, and a boxing glove. She allowed her fingers to roam the pieces and then picked up the chariot.
"Oh no," The girl with the bow said, shaking her head. "That one's no good, pick another." Usagi pouted.
"I think it's a good one," the younger boy argued. Her parents nodded in agreement.
"That's a good choice," concurred her mother. The girl beside her plucked the chariot out of her hand and replaced it with the running man.
"This one is better."
"But I don't want the running man," Usagi argued. "I want to be the chaser, not the chased!"
"Just because the character is running doesn't mean they're running away. They could be running to something."
Usagi stopped to think about the ginger's argument. That made some sense. Yea, maybe she wasn't running away but running towards something. The others quickly picked their pieces after her and began playing.
= = ". * ." = =
No animals allowed. That was what they'd told Luna. No animals- unless she was an emotional support animal. The guardian argued that she more than supported Usagi emotionally. She was her advisor, guardian, mentor, and trainer.
"We know Luna," Makoto replied apologetically. "But the hospital doesn't allow pets."
"Maybe we can sneak her in," Rei suggested. "Or… we can tell them that Luna is a support animal. They wouldn't know."
"Except it's a hospital and they have her medical records," The blue haired teen pointed out.
"Then let's go with sneaking her in."
Ami nervously walked out of the elevator to the twenty-fifth floor. Her brow covered in perspiration and the tickle of sweat dropped down her back. Trembling as she walked, she held the dark blue duffel bag to her chest. It wasn't as if the teen had never held any secrets. After all, she was Sailor Mercury. But there was a difference between hiding her alter ego and purposely breaking rules. She'd never done the latter. Rules were enacted to protect people. But now, here she was disobeying one.
= = ". * ." = =
As she stared down at her charge, Luna felt her heart squeeze painfully. I failed her. It wasn't something she wanted to admit out loud.
She had never failed at anything.
But it seemed when it came to Usagi Tsukino, the first guardian to the moon princess, all she did was fail. She couldn't get the girl to turn her life around. Instead, the teenager fell into deeper disarray and de-focus. No matter how much she lectured the girl on academic importance, physical agility, and leadership skills, it was like speaking to a doorpost. She made the blonde study twice as much, train everyday, and debrief the senshi. But the more time went on, the worse she became. It was frustrating. It only served to get Luna angrier, her lectures turned into scoldings and scoldings turned into insults, until she had gotten to the point of shaming the girl.
Now, her failures as a mentor had culminated to this. A comatose charge. It ripped into her like a knife through fabric. The cat nudged the teens hand. She had a mind to scream at Usagi. Demand she wake up. How did we get to this point? What happened?
"I did everything I knew," the cat whispered softly. She nudged Usagi's hand with her nose. "Was it me?"
When she first met the blonde, she was nothing but a child. An average girl with a large personality. Although the tiny one was somewhat clumsy, it wasn't something that constantly hindered her life. She kept an eye on her, watching from afar, assessing her soon to be mentee.
And then came the day the negaverse attacked.
She revealed herself to the tired girl. Usagi's initial reluctance to believe was understandable. Hearing that she was the guardian of the Moon entrusted to serve and find the Moon Princess sounded outrageous. Yet, the blonde's romantic imagination and naievte contributed to her agreeing to Luna's request: shout out Moon Prism Make-up.
Her first battle had been terrible. Sailor Moon screamed, ran away, and barely dodged the oncoming attacks. But to her credit, she did dodge the attacks successfully, albeit terribly. And in the end, with help of the suspicious Tuxedo Kamen, Moon defeated her first youma.
In the first several months, Moon's fighting skills progressed. Then it seemed she plateaued and all her capabilities deteriorated, in all fronts. No matter what she was told to do, nothing made a difference, it only served to further exacerbate her regression.
The cat climbed onto the blonde's lap and curled into a ball. Fat drops fell from her ruby eyes.
"I never bothered to get to know you," she admitted. "My focus on your development as a senshi overshadowed everything else." She pawed at her tears. "I realize I don't know who you are Usagi-chan." The cat looked up at Usagi's sleeping face.
"What is it that you dream of?"-she paused- "What is it that you want to be? What is it that you love? How do you feel?" She grew silent, why was it that she never asked her charge how she was doing? Why did she never ask about the girl's emotions? Why did she never ask about the blonde's feelings about being a scout? Until now, she never found Usagi Tsukino's personal life important. The only thing that mattered were bettering her credentials. She wanted to demonstrate, to the Moon Princess, that she was an excellent advisor. Luna wanted accolades for working with the senshi. How selfish. How so very selfish.
Luna had moved up to girl's face. She rubbed her head against the blonde's cheek.
"I'm so sorry I failed you."
= = ". * ." = =
The group was laughing when she caught something black run across her peripheral. What's that? She excused herself from the game. Her feet led her away from the living room to the main staircase. At the corner of her eye, on the second floor she saw it again; a blur of black. Curiosity sparked her to follow. There was something about that thing that sent off a tingle at the back of her mind.
There were two hallways on the second floor. One that went on to the right, with the railing serving as one side of the hall. The other was straight ahead, opening up to a rectangular lounge. There were four doors, and only one of them was open.
Pink. Very pink. Three of the four walls were painted in a color of pink lemonade. Darker pinks and whites accented the the walls: pillows, sheets, furniture. On the ceiling someone had strung small twinkling fairy lights. She counted two dressers: one long the other tall one; a vanity, and night stand. All the furniture were white and the tops were scattered with random items. There were several stuffed animals on the bed as well. The manga, super hero dolls, and figurines suggested a young girl lived there. On the right side was a small bathroom. She could see a sink, toilet, and bathtub. She walked past the doorway when she abruptly found herself on her back.
Whatever that black thing had was, it launched itself at her, barreling into her stomach. She hit the floor with a thump; her brain was shaking in her cranium. It was an uncomfortable feeling. And not only had she hurt her head, she also felt a slight burning sensation on her stomach.
She lifted her shirt to find several scratch marks. She touched it gingerly. It stings. However, it wasn't serious. Nothing that to be worrisome. What the hell was that? She pulled down her shirt.
Usagi was walking across the room when she spied another person. Startled, she ran into the bathroom, closing and locking it. Her heart raced in fear. She took several steps back, intending to crouch in the furthest corner. When she was near the sink the girl appeared again. Fearful, she ran to the door, completely forgetting it was already locked. The knob jammed painfully into her side; causing her to keel over. Her eyes darted around the bathroom. No one.
She left the washroom, tip toeing and glancing around the pink space. Steadily she returned to the spot she'd initially spotted the stranger. She'd been standing on the other side of the large vanity.
There she is. A blonde girl with azure eyes and small nose. She had face heart shaped face and a chin that came to a softened tip. She's so thin. When was the last time she ate? The blonde wore a seifuku, the bib navy colored, and a red bow that adorned the front. It was cute. But the most interesting thing was the girl's hair. She had such an odd hairstyle. They were put up in pigtails, but at the top they were fashioned into little buns, with the strands falling from them. Two buns, it looked a little comical.
"I like your hair," she told to the blonde. The teen directly in front of her mirrored her actions, but voiced nothing. Instead they stood staring at each other.
"Who are you?" she asked.
Once again the girl was in sync with her, but did not respond. Usagi put her hand up slowly, and watched as the girl did the same. She touched her head. I have the same hairstyle too...It dawned on her, she was staring at herself. Is that what I look like? How interesting.
The pain on her side flared; reminding her of the scratch and the hit from the door knob. She draped her arm over the area. Looking down she noticed photos scattered on top of the dressers. There were pictures everywhere. An underexposed polaroid caught her eye. Over half of it was blank. She couldn't see much, the faces were unfocused. But the right side was a little better. The outline was of a group, that much was obvious. The background suggested they were at a party, perhaps a club? The girl at the very end of the line was the most visible: short hair, black dress. In her hand she had a book. Who brings a book to a party? She also noticed that the photo made the girl's hair look blue. That's cool. I want to color my hair too. A sudden feeling of lightheadedness washed over her. Her legs took her to the bed. She needed to sit, take a short nap.
"Usagi-chan! Finish up whatever you're doing and come down!" She heard the girl shout.
= = ". * ." = =
"Alright, Aino-sama how are you feeling today…" Isao's voice faded off. His eyes bounced between the two men laughing. Mr. Aino chuckled, his shoulders shaking, slapping the bed. The other man had his back against the window wall, shoving vanilla pudding in his mouth. His dark ash colored hair was combed back, the top naturally fluffed fashionably.
"Sotaru," admonished the doctor.
"Ahh, here comes the buzz kill," the green eyed man mock whispered. "Just kidding!" Sotaru smiled at the practitioner. He pushed himself off the wall.
"Why do you insist on bothering all my patients?" Ishikawa made his way toward Mr. Aino. He started with the man's jaw; massaging the sides, hoping he wouldn't feel an abnormal growth.
"Oh, he's no bother! Your brother's visits brighten my day."
"Any problems? Pains, aches?"
"Perfect," the patient responded.
"Uh-uh," interrupted Sotaru. "Be honest now Botan-san."
"Tattle-tale" - the elder sighed in defeat- "Okay, I've been feeling a bit of pain near my chest." Isao uncovered Aino's top and examined the stitches.
"Is the pain coming from the incision or something else?"
The check up lasted another ten minutes, ending with Isao scheduling his patient an ultrasound. On their way out Satoru patted the man's hand affectionately.
"I'll be back next week Thursday" -he lowered his voice to a whisper- "Don't forget to stash some pudding for me." The old man gave him a toothy grin and nodded his head.
Satoru caught up with his brother easily. He swung his arm around the doctor's shoulder.
"Alright Saru-chan, your lunch is coming up and I'm starving. What'dya want?"
"I can't do lunch today. Derns-sensei gave me another -"
"That guy doesn't deserve the title sensei. Tell him to shove it and let's grab food."
"Here" -giving his brother his wallet- "grab us something. We can eat in my office."
"Yes!" He pumped his fist in success.
When he returned, he found his younger brother in discussion with a beautiful female doctor. Her hair was swept up in a high ponytail, exposing a milky white neck. He cleared his throat to announce himself.
"Ahh," -he gestured over to his older sibling- "Inoue-san this is my brother, Satoru. Satoru this is the intern who'll be working with me." She bowed in greeting and he returned in kind.
"Well, um, I'll be on my way out then," she excused herself. His sage green eyes followed as she left.
"Wow. She's gorgeous," he stated, handing Isao his lunch.
"She's got a boyfriend if you're wondering."
"Nope, not wondering. Just observing" -he split his chopsticks- "They transfer the new patient?"
"They're setting her up now" -taking a bite of his noodles- "I have to speak to her parents. I never like that part. I feel...awkward." His brother nodded in agreement. Isao had never been a people person. He had difficulty connecting; often remaining oblivious of those around him. It had taken him years to learn how to interact without stuttering or shying away. The ate quickly and silently.
His power ranger watch chimed. The doctor closed his lunch box and put it on his desk to finish later.
"I've got to go and speak with the family now. I'll see you at home."
= = ". * ." = =
I'm so tired.
She sighed, reluctant to go back downstairs. Was it necessary she play? Couldn't the ginger play on her own? The bed's so soft. Her body willed her to lie back, she was already sitting, why not lay down? She was tempted, but resisted remembering everyone was waiting. Usagi pushed herself off the bed.
On the bookshelf next to the bed she noticed a worn down soldier...knight? She didn't know, but it looked cool. It appeared old and in need of repainting. What a cute toy! She picked it up, examining it. It's probably my brothers. She debated bringing it down to him, but decided against it. If it was in the room, it belonged there. Putting it down, a red notebook caught her eye.
It lay attractively on the vanity, as if beckoning to be opened. A diary? My diary? That girl's diary? Her overwhelming desire to know overtook the respect of privacy. She wanted to know what was in it, secrets perhaps? A sense of caution and giddiness enveloped her. What she found surprised and disappointed her.
A date book. How lame. At the top of the page written in cute font was Usagi Tsukino. My date book. So what is it I do? She was scheduled to go to the Shinto temple almost twice a week. It read: help clean, meeting, help clean. Why the heck would she need to go to a temple so often? There weren't any robes around, so she couldn't be a priestess or trainee. Why am I always cleaning. Isn't that a janitors job? A punishment? God I must be horrible if I have to clean so much. She paced wondering what the purpose was, Usagi, ever so clumsy walked straight into the dresser. This time she really felt it. She caught the corner of it, I really need to lie down. The pain plus the exercise up to the house was creeping back into her bones.
And it was getting warm too. She wondered if they were feeding the fire, it wasn't necessary. The combination of her physical condition and the increasing heat was lulling her to sleep. She sat back down on her comforter.
There was a pounding of feet coming up the stairs. The girl was back, she stood in her doorway.
"You're just gonna leave me down there on me own?" She said, crossing her arms in irritation.
"I'm sorry, I accidentally fell and I'm just so tired from the walk, and...why is it so warm?"
"Well, sleep later! I don't want to play the game without my partner!"
= = ". * ." = =
"So, my brother" - Satoru shoved another mouth full of noodles in his mouth- "finkaturboosesavesumfingtadowivurcma." The handsome man chewed and swallowed. He leaned forward, looking up towards the sleeping blonde girl. "You don't gotta worry, Isao's a genius. If that what he thinks, then you know it's right." He kicked his feet up on the bed and continued speaking aloud.
",~~,"
Isao's older brother met the comatose patient while waiting for Botan. Walking into her room he noted her beautiful blonde hair. The machine's steady rhythm was a good sign. Her heart and brain were functioning. He grasped the railing at the end of her bed. His eyes softened in sympathy.
"Poor thing," Satoru said, touching her foot.
A shock ran through his body. He quickly removed his hand. His heart raced and his breathing became erratic. What was that? He ran his hand through his dark hair and took a deep breath. What the hell?
His footsteps echoed as he marched to Botan's room.
"Botan-san!" he greeted the older man enthusiastically. "Got me any pudding or what?"
The smile fell to the floor and he took a sharp breath in. Satoru's sage eyes darkened into juniper; the man on the bed did not resemble the one from the week prior, his skin was sallow and pale.
"My dear Satoru," he welcomed raspily. "By the look on your face, I must look like death." It took the young man a few seconds to process. He immediately picked up the smile he'd dropped and sauntered in.
"Try not to flatter yourself," he said smugly. "I just came from a pretty little lady's room. She's got me all flushed."
"Is that right?"
"Yup. So you got me that pudding or what?" Satoru bent down next to the hospital bed and picked up the insulated lunch bag; he pulled out a cup of chocolate pudding. "Ohhh Botan-san, you know me so well!" He ripped open the top and licked the foiled cover.
"So," his voice was dry, "tell me about this girl."
"It's the age-old tale of sleeping beauty. Aurora the golden haired goddess asleep, handsome knight to the rescue." The old man chuckled.
"The knight succeed?"
"Not yet, you know these stories take time. I haven't battled any fire breathing dragons yet."
"Yes, a rescue is essential. But Satoru-san, I don't think it's the knight that wakes the princess," Botan replied.
"No wonder she didn't wake up." The dark haired man shoveled another spoon of pudding in his mouth and grinned.
"And I'm also quite sure her name is Briar Rose."
"Between being named after the rising sun or a rose with thorns, I'd prefer the dawn. I'm gonna go with Aurora." The old man laughed lightly.
The folds of his skin wabbled as he replied, "I'll bet on the thorned rose. Beautiful and dangerous."
"So" -Satoru dipped his spoon in his cup and moved the dessert back and forth- "how did the surgery go? What's the news then?" A deep uncomfortable feeling filled his diaphragm.
"Well my dear friend, they say...I'm not long for this world." Ishikawa rubbed his neck in unease. Regardless of his intuition, hearing the words out loud felt like a punch in the gut. He cleared his throat.
"Have you contacted your son?" The shake of the man's head caused man to exhale loudly. Boton had been estranged from his son for over twenty years. "It's time you did."
What the old man couldn't voice was that he was much too afraid. He tried once a year on his son's birthday. However, he never got passed the secretary. She always offered her apologies and promised to pass along the message of happy birthday. When Satoru didn't receive a response he made a promise to himself, he would drag that boy here no matter the cost- well, no matter the cost on his brother's pocket book that is, as he himself had exactly $20 in his bank account.
",~~,"
"Anyway," he continued, "I've been calling like crazy. I still can't get through the first level." He ate a piece of chicken. As he chewed he thought of the amount of dead ends he reached this week. Getting in touch Tomiichi was harder than he anticipated. It was odd that Satoru would spend any time researching and working, it was opposite of his personality. But his affection for Botan was strong.
"I might have to ask for a favor." He said begrudgingly, "I dunno, I don't really wanna ask him. He's gonna expect something in return. I don't have anything to trade and he knows it." He may have to suck it up if he wanted to get his friend's son to return.
= = ". * ." = =
A feeling of guilt encapsulated her, they were all waiting on her. She stood up and her stomach growled. That's right. I haven't eaten anything all. The smell of something sweet filled the house. Food! She thought. She ran out of her room toward the kitchen when she tripped over something large. She went tumbling down the steps. She lay flat on her back.
That's it! I'm tired, I keep getting hurt and now my whole body is in pain. I'm done. What the hell did I trip over? Usagi sat up and eye moving to the top of the stairs. A large, military designed, sports bag was left haphazardly by the steps. Usagi was angry. It was like life was purposely plotting against her. Who leaves their stuff around like that? Someone can get hurt, like me! Me, I got hurt! Don't they know how to put their things away? She shook her head angrily and lay back down, looking at the ceiling.
"Naru-chan will you help her up please?" The red head walked over and extended her hand to the blonde.
"You don't look so good," she commented.
"I'm done. I've had it. I just want to go to bed."
"No! Let's finish the game! You can't just leave in the middle of it." Naru's eyes begged her friend.
"Fine! Fine!" She took the teal eyed girl's hand. She walked to the living room.
"Dad," Usagi complained, "Stop feeding the fire, it's getting too hot!"
"I wasn't!"
"So it just got bigger on its own," she scoffed.
"Look what I have!" her mother walked out with a tray of beautifully tars. The tops glossy. "They're pomegranate tarts!"
"Ohh!" Usagi rubbed her hands together. "Snack time!" Naru snatched Usa's her hand away from the tray.
"Usa! Stop getting distracted! You can eat when we're done!" The blonde pouted, looking back regretfully at the beautiful tarts.
Usagi sat next to Naru, her face somber. She wanted to sleep. She wanted to eat. She was tired of the game. She didn't care if she lost. Perhaps she could lose on purpose. She rolled the dice, and moved her running man six spaces. If they'd didn't put out the fire the flames would get out of control.
"I'll be back," Usagi said, hopping up to get the fire extinguisher from the kitchen. Walking out she passed the shiny little treats on the silver platter. They look so good. She was so hungry. Naru was in the living room, she wouldn't know. Taking the nearest one, she bit into it. She moaned, it was the best thing she'd ever tasted in her life.
She had stuffed two more into her mouth when she heard a scream. The blonde ran to the main room, her hair sailing behind her. The fire had taken over. She rushed over with fire extinguisher in hand. They needed to put out the fire. But it was getting much too big, much too fast. It was consuming the house and with each second the smoke grew denser.
"We have to get out of here!" Usa coughed. She whipped her head towards her family. I can't see anything!
"Mom! Dad! Brother! Naru! Anyone!" she shouted into the smoke. She heard nothing in return. At the corner of her eyes she saw a glint of light. Running towards it she found Naru coughing, her crystal necklace had sparkled like a beacon. She led her friend to the front door.
"Come on Usagi, let's get out. We can wait for the fire department!"
"No!" She shook her head violently. "My family's in there." She ran back in, the smoke had grown thicker. Everything was burning. Panicking she screaming for her parents, for her brother. Usagi ran blindly searching. Where was the table, she thought frantically. To the right, near the fire place. She found them lying on the floor.
"Come on guys!" She shook them. "Wake up! Wake up!" She took her mother's hand and attempted to haul her out. "Come on!" She screamed. She was much too weak. The fatigue was taking over quickly. She coughed. She ran to her brother out. She could at least try. She took him by the arm and pulled. She lost grip and her body flew backwards.
She screamed. She was on fire. She was on fire. Stop, drop, and roll. The saying flashed in her head. Following the instructions, she rolled back and forth until the fire was out. Although the fire was no longer eating away at her her skin was raw and burning. She had no skin on half of her torso. The excruciating pain and exhaustion overwhelmed her.
She was done. Tired, in pain, she was just done. She closed her eyes and gave in to what she'd wanted from the moment she walked through the doors.
There was a jerk and she felt her body flying forward. Two petite hands held fast on and she could hear them speaking.
"NO! NOT YET. Get up!" It called to her, but she refused to wake. Suddenly she was drowning. Her eyes shot open, she couldn't breathe. The two hands she had felt before still held on to her, it yanked her to the surface. She gasped for air, choking and coughing out water.
He eyes met with a beautiful pair of silvery blue.
"I just want to sleep!" Usagi cried. The woman above her wore a beautiful crème gown. She kept her hands on Usa's arms, holding her up.
"No, not yet! I know your tired Usa, but it's not time."
"I don't care, I'm just so tired, just let me sleep! Please." Her eyes fluttered closed. The silvery blonde dunked Usagi back in the water and then brought her back up.
"No! Not yet." Then, the nymph like woman bent down and embraced her.
= = ". * ." = =
The steady rhythm that once was her monitor turned into a horrifying screech; a flat line on the monitor indicating her heart had stopped. Mamoru who'd snuck in at one in the morning, had been sleeping on the chair. He vaulted out of his chair, running outside.
"SOMEONE HELP!" he yelled. Rushing back to his blonde he held her shoulders tight.
"Don't give up on me now Odango, not now!"
It took a few seconds for the nurses to wheel in the defibrillator. A copper haired women came running in, she spoke quickly to the team that entered. The doctor quickly pushed him out of the way. She was demanding the paddles, instructing them of the voltage necessary. Mamoru stood by helplessly, his hands clutching his hair in panic.
"1...2... clear!"
They jolted her body. Again, and again, and again.
"You can't do it again!" One of the nurses held the doctor's arms back. "She's been down to long. You have to call it."
The woman, hovering over the teens body, looked at the clock. Her throat burning, she announced it.
"Time of death 2:30 am."
The woman with auburn hair and a white jacket walked out in a daze. Her heart breaking. The team of nurses rolled back the machine and mournfully looked back at the girl in the bed.
And just like that everyone walked out. As if nothing had happened, Mamoru stood there unable to move. That was it. He sat down in the chair and buried his face in his palms. He was alone. Empty, again.
He heard a loud intake of air, a person nearly drowned coming up for air. Mamoru's head flew up. Her head was turned to him, her eyes fluttering open. Silvery blue. Those eyes, those aren't -
"Endymion" she smiled softly.
"What?" He asked hoarsely.
She blinked,familiar azure stared back. "Mamoru - baka? Where am I?"
Finally she woke up! So here are some notes on things I borrowed from the Greek mythology. Review and let me know what you think. This chapter was difficult to write. I wasn't able to achieve the flow I wanted.
Zagreus - son of Hades, rebirth and hunting. His red eye represents rebirth and the brown hunting. Her rebirth as Serenity. However, he did not know who she currently is (Usagi). His brown eye was able to seek through her mind. He was hunting for her identity but found she had no memories.
Island - A type of in-between, only for those to be reborn.
Mainland - The land at the cross section of the rivers was her journey to the underworld. It took the form of Usagi's home (because it was a representation of her life [Usagi's life]).
Chariot piece - Representation of death (kind of)
Running man piece - Representation of Usagi in life.
All other marble pieces - Represents different Olympic sports.
Pomegranate - taken from the story of Hades and Persephone. Once she ate six seeds she was to return to the underworld for six months. She'd have spring with above ground and then in fall/winter she would return to Hades.
Naru - A representation of life. Her main function was to deter Usagi from falling asleep or eating anything. She was to finish the game successfully (as Usagi) successfully. However things caught on fire. If Usagi had escaped with her, she would have woken up from her coma Usagi.