***Part Seven***
Disclaimer: Sailormoon does not belong to me. It belongs to Naoko Takeuchi. I am not making profit of this story. Blah, blah, blah. You know the rest. Good day to you and your fellow aliens from Mars.
Chibiusa sat up and looked about the room. Something smelled really good. Stretching, she shuffled her feet towards the kitchen. She found Mamoru flipping pancakes. Leaning against him, she sleepily yawned. Mamoru looked down at her. She's changed so much over the past years. Growing up. No longer the scrawny little eight year old, but a little girl on the verge of becoming a woman. She still has so much to learn. Usagi…she's s'posed to teach her. But where is Usagi now?
"Mamoru?" Came Chibiusa's voice, older, but the song of innocence still within it.
"Hai?" He responded back.
"You and odango atama are going to…forget about this, aren't you?" She asked, her eyes growing starry. "All you have to do is apologize…you know. Just say you're sorry."
Mamoru looked up for a moment, and then back down to the pink haired girl before him. " I could say I'm sorry. But I have a feeling that there is only so much those words can do. It can't change everything. The fact that I did what I did still remains, and I don't think she'll ever forget that. It'll take a while, but I imagine…I hope…she'll forgive me." Chibiusa nodded in agreement. Mamoru flipped the last pancake and set two on each of their plates, along with one egg, a piece of toast, and a class of orange juice each.
Chibiusa took a bite into her toast. Small crumbs tumbled down her shirt. Quickly dusting off the small pieces that fell, she looked back at Mamoru to see if he noticed. Venturing that she he didn't, she continued to eat.
Mamoru looked outside the window. From the apartments, which lie on the seventh floor, he had a fairly decent view of everything. He sighed. Maybe if he picked Usagi up from school today, they could talk. Talk about what had happened and how to fix it all. If the problem was fixable, that is.
*** *** ***
Everyone starred at Usagi and Ami blankly. So the all-famous Sailor V was dead. The cheery, sometimes ditzy blonde who pounced around the halls, talking to everyone in view. "Usagi's friend," she would have been called a long time ago. But people decided to give her a chance. Once they did, they found out she wasn't such a stuck up little rich girl posing to be Sailor V. She really was Sailor V, and she was actually very nice. Making everyone's day somehow brighter. Even if it met sacrificing a little bit of her own time, she would take the time to make anyone, especially her friends, happier. She was dead.
Makoto stared at the room, a confused expression crossing her face. What's going on? Whys everyone just standing her? She found herself asking. Standing in the dead center of the crowd stood Usagi and Ami, eyes glazed with tears. Makoto made her way into the crowd, pushing and shoving passed people to make her way towards her friends. She wanted to know what was going. At long last, she reached the two. They both looked at Makoto, the tears threatening to over-flow. Makoto looked at the two.
"Uh…what, may I ask, is going on?" she questioned, one eyebrow raised.
Ami looked to Usagi. She was too chocked up in her own tears to speak. "Minako…is…" Ami started, but found it difficult to finish.
"Minako is…what?" Makoto asked.
"Dead." Usagi finished. Both Ami and Makoto's glance shifted towards Usagi.
Makoto thought it was merely a joke at first. The joke was obviously very twisted, but it couldn't be true. Minako couldn't be dead! But…Ami wouldn't joke about something like that. And Usagi…well, Usagi might. The look on her face didn't look like a very humorous one, though. A lump grew in Makoto's throat, and she found it hard to hold in the tears. She turned on one heel and fled the room, tears dancing upon her face.
*** *** ***
"Ms. Mizuno?" A young girl asked. " Have they figured out what is wrong with the girl yet?"
Ami's mother shook her head. "No, I'm afraid not. The hospital has gotten in contact with the police, and they said no evidence was found to the girl's death. The doctors, including myself, haven't been able to prove anything either. She was one of my daughter's friends, I believe. I shall give her a call at school. It could be suicide." Ms. Mizuno walked towards the office, the heels of her shoes making a small click; tap noise on the marble floors. The secretary looked up for a moment, and then back down.
"I'm sorry, miss, but you'll have to use the pay phone. The office phone is for employee's only." The secretary said as she pointed to a small sign. Ms. Mizuno cleared her throat, and the secretary's gaze returned. "Oh!" She looked at the badge on the lady's white jacket. "You're…Oh, my sincere apologies. You…of course. You can use the phone." She reached for a cordless phone and handed it to the doctor.
Ms. Mizuno made her way to the empty conference room. Dialing the schools number, she listened to the faint ringing. Someone answered. "Hello?" The voice asked. "May I help you?"
"Hai. I'd like to speak to Ami Mizuno please."
"Please hold." She heard shuffling papers and then a loud voice speaking. Into an intercom, she assumed. "Will Ami Mizuno please report to the office? She has a call waiting." She waited a few minutes until she heard her daughter familiar voice come over the receiver.
"Hai?" Ami asked, her voice steady. She wasn't really sure who it was.
"Ami. Did you know a girl named…" Ms. Mizuno paused and looked at the paper on her clipboard. "Aino Minako?"
Ami nodded, although her mother couldn't see her. Using body motion while she was talking on the phone was a habit of hers, as with many people. "Hai. Why do you ask?"
"Well. I don't know if you know yet, but she's dead. We can't figure out why. We thought maybe you are your friends would no if she was…maybe depressed?"
"No!" Ami shouted. "She was never depressed. She was always fairly happy…" Ami sighed, trailing off.
"Okay then. I guess…we'll have to put the cause of death unknown." Ms. Mizuno said. "I'll see you soon. Bye." Ms. Mizuno heard her daughter say goodbye, and hung up the receiver. She reached for her clipboard and grabbed a pen. Under the line that said cause of death…she scribbled the one word: Unknown.
*** *** ***
Rei walked into school, yawning. Not caring that she was late, she walked passed everyone else and sat down. Usagi stared at her blankly. Rei looked around and saw Usagi. Where, she asked to herself, were Ami and Minako? As if an answer to her question, Ami came into the classroom. She dug in her pockets and produced a pink slip that she handed to the teacher. The teacher nodded. Ami swished passed everyone else and took her seat. Rei looked to Usagi, who looked away. She then turned her glance towards Makoto. "Mako-chan. Where's Minako?"
Makoto stared at Rei, shock written all over her face. "You mean you don't know?"
"Know what!?" Rei asked.
"She's…" The teacher, who cleared her throat, cut off Makoto.
"Class," she started, " I have a very important announcement today. I know it's the first day of school, and you only have one week left, and Friday is the day of your graduation, but, alas, there is bad news. One of your classmates was pronounced dead this morning. The funeral…will be on Wednesday of this week." She finished, choking back tears.
"Which classmate!?" Rei shouted, sounding inpatient. Everyone stared at her. Almost the whole student body had known since this morning…except her. Why didn't she know? Rei gazed passed all the eyes that were upon her. Looking down at the empty chair, she stared blankly. It all…made sense now. Minako...hardly missed school, but she was gone today. There was a classmate deceased, and everyone else was present. Rei turned her glance back to the teachers, then to Usagi whose eyes were glazed with tears. Rei wasn't going to cry. Mina-chan is dead. I …have to except that. She nodded and looked at the teacher, who nodded back. She did not need to be told.
The teacher looked out at her class. "As you also know. There is an exam today. It will be in language and math. The next two exams will be tomorrow, and two more the day following. So six exams total in this week. You will be treated with breakfast and a snake in between. You have had plenty of time to prepare." She retrieved the exams off her desk and passed them out. "The test is multiple-choice. Please fill in the information on the front…"
She continued, explaining what to put on the front.
*** *** ***
Usagi scribbled in some answers. She knew some of it, the rest of the stuff she just guessed at. She groaned and looked at the clock. One more hour left until the break. Then the second test. Usagi bit her pencil and starred at her paper.
Ami sat patiently at her desk, finished with the first exam. She was now engrossed in a history book. One about the Civil War in America. She found it very interesting. There had been wars and other events in Japan, but she found it amusing that the people were fighting among themselves.
Rei flipped through the third page. Only two more left! Feeling confident about most her answers, she continued on the test. This isn't so hard, she thought. Maybe it's because of the group studying. She didn't know, she was just glad she could get through it without tearing the test up into pieces!
Makoto sighed, tipping her head. She was only on the second page. It was rather complicated. She hadn't exactly paid attention. Her and Usagi had been too starry eyed, looking at all the hot guys in her class. And … in group…they had been talking about those guys. Eh. Oh well, she'd get through it.
***Two Days Later***
Usagi looked down at the once so lively Minako. She lied a yellow rose, the symbolization for friendship, in her coffin. "Rest in piece, Minako-chan," She whispered as she passed the coffin. Tears fled from her eyes in a hurried stream.
Ami gazed at the young blonde girl. Upon her body laid a magnificent orange dress lined with gold. You could barely distinguish the difference between the colors. The collar was shaped in a "v" format, and cuffed in her hand was an orange rose. Her face was pale, except for the small application of blush that was applied to her cheeks. Other then the blonde hair and the normal blonde ribbon, she really did look dead. But even in death, she still looked lovely, just like the Princess of Venus. Ami lied her yellow rose in the coffin and stepped away.
Rei and Minako had been somewhat close. Actually, her and the other girls were all very close. She remembered her being very happy. She would always try to make others feel good. But who was supposed to make her feel good? Maybe it was suicide, Rei thought, recalling the conversation Ami had replayed with her and Ms. Mizuno. She never recalled Minako coming to any of the girls or any other friends for some depression reason. Rei lied the mandatory yellow rose that was given to everyone inside of Minako's coffin and walked gloomily away.
Makoto starred down. Minako had been, by far, the closest friend she had ever known. Sure, she was one of the scouts, and they were all very close. But Minako and her were like best friends. They shared everything together. All the laughter…all the pain. Putting aside her own personal emotions, Makoto sighed. They had lost one of the scouts. They would now be much weaker in combat. And what if a major enemy was to attack? Makoto didn't know. She placed the flower of friendship entwined with a red rose atop Minako's chest. She walked away, blowing her nose into a soft, welcoming tissue.
The Minister stood before everyone. " As you know, I was not very close to Aino Minako. Thus being…I would like one of her friends to speak. I can venture that she has more to say then I would." Stepping off to the side, the minister invited Usagi in his place.
It was Usagi's turn to look among both Minako's family…and her friends… and see the lose to everyone, the pain in their eyes. She cleared her throat. She didn't need a piece of paper for this speech, all she needed was past memories. "As most of you…I remember Mina-chan being a very…happy girl. If I wasn't there to add the cheerfulness in the recipe, you knew that Minako would be. I can't say…that I know what you all are going through. Because each feeling is different. Each person has a different type of emotion flowing threw them. I can say, however, that Minako was my friend. And that I will miss her dearly." Usagi produced a volleyball from behind her back. "She was an excellent student…and a fantastic friend. One of her favorite things to do was to play volleyball. Now, many people may not think that Minako was the type to play sports, always busy with her Sailor V thing," saying the words "Sailor V" Usagi reached behind her back once more and produced a comic book, "These, along with her friends," She reached behind her back once more and retrieved a picture of all of them together, "Where Minako's most cherished possessions. All though some of them may have not been worth a whole lot to anyone else, the were important to Minako." Usagi walked over to Minako's corpse, kissed it on the forehead, and set all the items in her coffin. She fled back into the crowd, and cried. It wasn't a wonderful speech…but she couldn't handle it. She was just too sad.
The minister got up. He said the blessings, and laid a cross into her coffin. People started flooding out of the cemetery. Usagi and the girls stood there one last moment as the coffin was lowered into the ground. The bowed their heads, turned, and then walked away. Aino Minako…was dead.
***To Be Continued***
^Yes. I know. They all don't go to the same schools. But I mean…I thought it would just flow better if I made it that way. And I know I'm not all that great at making up speeches…sue me. I hope you guys enjoyed it. I'm going to be working on the next part soon. And I apologize, once again, for this taking so long to write. Jaa!
Disclaimer: Sailormoon does not belong to me. It belongs to Naoko Takeuchi. I am not making profit of this story. Blah, blah, blah. You know the rest. Good day to you and your fellow aliens from Mars.
Chibiusa sat up and looked about the room. Something smelled really good. Stretching, she shuffled her feet towards the kitchen. She found Mamoru flipping pancakes. Leaning against him, she sleepily yawned. Mamoru looked down at her. She's changed so much over the past years. Growing up. No longer the scrawny little eight year old, but a little girl on the verge of becoming a woman. She still has so much to learn. Usagi…she's s'posed to teach her. But where is Usagi now?
"Mamoru?" Came Chibiusa's voice, older, but the song of innocence still within it.
"Hai?" He responded back.
"You and odango atama are going to…forget about this, aren't you?" She asked, her eyes growing starry. "All you have to do is apologize…you know. Just say you're sorry."
Mamoru looked up for a moment, and then back down to the pink haired girl before him. " I could say I'm sorry. But I have a feeling that there is only so much those words can do. It can't change everything. The fact that I did what I did still remains, and I don't think she'll ever forget that. It'll take a while, but I imagine…I hope…she'll forgive me." Chibiusa nodded in agreement. Mamoru flipped the last pancake and set two on each of their plates, along with one egg, a piece of toast, and a class of orange juice each.
Chibiusa took a bite into her toast. Small crumbs tumbled down her shirt. Quickly dusting off the small pieces that fell, she looked back at Mamoru to see if he noticed. Venturing that she he didn't, she continued to eat.
Mamoru looked outside the window. From the apartments, which lie on the seventh floor, he had a fairly decent view of everything. He sighed. Maybe if he picked Usagi up from school today, they could talk. Talk about what had happened and how to fix it all. If the problem was fixable, that is.
*** *** ***
Everyone starred at Usagi and Ami blankly. So the all-famous Sailor V was dead. The cheery, sometimes ditzy blonde who pounced around the halls, talking to everyone in view. "Usagi's friend," she would have been called a long time ago. But people decided to give her a chance. Once they did, they found out she wasn't such a stuck up little rich girl posing to be Sailor V. She really was Sailor V, and she was actually very nice. Making everyone's day somehow brighter. Even if it met sacrificing a little bit of her own time, she would take the time to make anyone, especially her friends, happier. She was dead.
Makoto stared at the room, a confused expression crossing her face. What's going on? Whys everyone just standing her? She found herself asking. Standing in the dead center of the crowd stood Usagi and Ami, eyes glazed with tears. Makoto made her way into the crowd, pushing and shoving passed people to make her way towards her friends. She wanted to know what was going. At long last, she reached the two. They both looked at Makoto, the tears threatening to over-flow. Makoto looked at the two.
"Uh…what, may I ask, is going on?" she questioned, one eyebrow raised.
Ami looked to Usagi. She was too chocked up in her own tears to speak. "Minako…is…" Ami started, but found it difficult to finish.
"Minako is…what?" Makoto asked.
"Dead." Usagi finished. Both Ami and Makoto's glance shifted towards Usagi.
Makoto thought it was merely a joke at first. The joke was obviously very twisted, but it couldn't be true. Minako couldn't be dead! But…Ami wouldn't joke about something like that. And Usagi…well, Usagi might. The look on her face didn't look like a very humorous one, though. A lump grew in Makoto's throat, and she found it hard to hold in the tears. She turned on one heel and fled the room, tears dancing upon her face.
*** *** ***
"Ms. Mizuno?" A young girl asked. " Have they figured out what is wrong with the girl yet?"
Ami's mother shook her head. "No, I'm afraid not. The hospital has gotten in contact with the police, and they said no evidence was found to the girl's death. The doctors, including myself, haven't been able to prove anything either. She was one of my daughter's friends, I believe. I shall give her a call at school. It could be suicide." Ms. Mizuno walked towards the office, the heels of her shoes making a small click; tap noise on the marble floors. The secretary looked up for a moment, and then back down.
"I'm sorry, miss, but you'll have to use the pay phone. The office phone is for employee's only." The secretary said as she pointed to a small sign. Ms. Mizuno cleared her throat, and the secretary's gaze returned. "Oh!" She looked at the badge on the lady's white jacket. "You're…Oh, my sincere apologies. You…of course. You can use the phone." She reached for a cordless phone and handed it to the doctor.
Ms. Mizuno made her way to the empty conference room. Dialing the schools number, she listened to the faint ringing. Someone answered. "Hello?" The voice asked. "May I help you?"
"Hai. I'd like to speak to Ami Mizuno please."
"Please hold." She heard shuffling papers and then a loud voice speaking. Into an intercom, she assumed. "Will Ami Mizuno please report to the office? She has a call waiting." She waited a few minutes until she heard her daughter familiar voice come over the receiver.
"Hai?" Ami asked, her voice steady. She wasn't really sure who it was.
"Ami. Did you know a girl named…" Ms. Mizuno paused and looked at the paper on her clipboard. "Aino Minako?"
Ami nodded, although her mother couldn't see her. Using body motion while she was talking on the phone was a habit of hers, as with many people. "Hai. Why do you ask?"
"Well. I don't know if you know yet, but she's dead. We can't figure out why. We thought maybe you are your friends would no if she was…maybe depressed?"
"No!" Ami shouted. "She was never depressed. She was always fairly happy…" Ami sighed, trailing off.
"Okay then. I guess…we'll have to put the cause of death unknown." Ms. Mizuno said. "I'll see you soon. Bye." Ms. Mizuno heard her daughter say goodbye, and hung up the receiver. She reached for her clipboard and grabbed a pen. Under the line that said cause of death…she scribbled the one word: Unknown.
*** *** ***
Rei walked into school, yawning. Not caring that she was late, she walked passed everyone else and sat down. Usagi stared at her blankly. Rei looked around and saw Usagi. Where, she asked to herself, were Ami and Minako? As if an answer to her question, Ami came into the classroom. She dug in her pockets and produced a pink slip that she handed to the teacher. The teacher nodded. Ami swished passed everyone else and took her seat. Rei looked to Usagi, who looked away. She then turned her glance towards Makoto. "Mako-chan. Where's Minako?"
Makoto stared at Rei, shock written all over her face. "You mean you don't know?"
"Know what!?" Rei asked.
"She's…" The teacher, who cleared her throat, cut off Makoto.
"Class," she started, " I have a very important announcement today. I know it's the first day of school, and you only have one week left, and Friday is the day of your graduation, but, alas, there is bad news. One of your classmates was pronounced dead this morning. The funeral…will be on Wednesday of this week." She finished, choking back tears.
"Which classmate!?" Rei shouted, sounding inpatient. Everyone stared at her. Almost the whole student body had known since this morning…except her. Why didn't she know? Rei gazed passed all the eyes that were upon her. Looking down at the empty chair, she stared blankly. It all…made sense now. Minako...hardly missed school, but she was gone today. There was a classmate deceased, and everyone else was present. Rei turned her glance back to the teachers, then to Usagi whose eyes were glazed with tears. Rei wasn't going to cry. Mina-chan is dead. I …have to except that. She nodded and looked at the teacher, who nodded back. She did not need to be told.
The teacher looked out at her class. "As you also know. There is an exam today. It will be in language and math. The next two exams will be tomorrow, and two more the day following. So six exams total in this week. You will be treated with breakfast and a snake in between. You have had plenty of time to prepare." She retrieved the exams off her desk and passed them out. "The test is multiple-choice. Please fill in the information on the front…"
She continued, explaining what to put on the front.
*** *** ***
Usagi scribbled in some answers. She knew some of it, the rest of the stuff she just guessed at. She groaned and looked at the clock. One more hour left until the break. Then the second test. Usagi bit her pencil and starred at her paper.
Ami sat patiently at her desk, finished with the first exam. She was now engrossed in a history book. One about the Civil War in America. She found it very interesting. There had been wars and other events in Japan, but she found it amusing that the people were fighting among themselves.
Rei flipped through the third page. Only two more left! Feeling confident about most her answers, she continued on the test. This isn't so hard, she thought. Maybe it's because of the group studying. She didn't know, she was just glad she could get through it without tearing the test up into pieces!
Makoto sighed, tipping her head. She was only on the second page. It was rather complicated. She hadn't exactly paid attention. Her and Usagi had been too starry eyed, looking at all the hot guys in her class. And … in group…they had been talking about those guys. Eh. Oh well, she'd get through it.
***Two Days Later***
Usagi looked down at the once so lively Minako. She lied a yellow rose, the symbolization for friendship, in her coffin. "Rest in piece, Minako-chan," She whispered as she passed the coffin. Tears fled from her eyes in a hurried stream.
Ami gazed at the young blonde girl. Upon her body laid a magnificent orange dress lined with gold. You could barely distinguish the difference between the colors. The collar was shaped in a "v" format, and cuffed in her hand was an orange rose. Her face was pale, except for the small application of blush that was applied to her cheeks. Other then the blonde hair and the normal blonde ribbon, she really did look dead. But even in death, she still looked lovely, just like the Princess of Venus. Ami lied her yellow rose in the coffin and stepped away.
Rei and Minako had been somewhat close. Actually, her and the other girls were all very close. She remembered her being very happy. She would always try to make others feel good. But who was supposed to make her feel good? Maybe it was suicide, Rei thought, recalling the conversation Ami had replayed with her and Ms. Mizuno. She never recalled Minako coming to any of the girls or any other friends for some depression reason. Rei lied the mandatory yellow rose that was given to everyone inside of Minako's coffin and walked gloomily away.
Makoto starred down. Minako had been, by far, the closest friend she had ever known. Sure, she was one of the scouts, and they were all very close. But Minako and her were like best friends. They shared everything together. All the laughter…all the pain. Putting aside her own personal emotions, Makoto sighed. They had lost one of the scouts. They would now be much weaker in combat. And what if a major enemy was to attack? Makoto didn't know. She placed the flower of friendship entwined with a red rose atop Minako's chest. She walked away, blowing her nose into a soft, welcoming tissue.
The Minister stood before everyone. " As you know, I was not very close to Aino Minako. Thus being…I would like one of her friends to speak. I can venture that she has more to say then I would." Stepping off to the side, the minister invited Usagi in his place.
It was Usagi's turn to look among both Minako's family…and her friends… and see the lose to everyone, the pain in their eyes. She cleared her throat. She didn't need a piece of paper for this speech, all she needed was past memories. "As most of you…I remember Mina-chan being a very…happy girl. If I wasn't there to add the cheerfulness in the recipe, you knew that Minako would be. I can't say…that I know what you all are going through. Because each feeling is different. Each person has a different type of emotion flowing threw them. I can say, however, that Minako was my friend. And that I will miss her dearly." Usagi produced a volleyball from behind her back. "She was an excellent student…and a fantastic friend. One of her favorite things to do was to play volleyball. Now, many people may not think that Minako was the type to play sports, always busy with her Sailor V thing," saying the words "Sailor V" Usagi reached behind her back once more and produced a comic book, "These, along with her friends," She reached behind her back once more and retrieved a picture of all of them together, "Where Minako's most cherished possessions. All though some of them may have not been worth a whole lot to anyone else, the were important to Minako." Usagi walked over to Minako's corpse, kissed it on the forehead, and set all the items in her coffin. She fled back into the crowd, and cried. It wasn't a wonderful speech…but she couldn't handle it. She was just too sad.
The minister got up. He said the blessings, and laid a cross into her coffin. People started flooding out of the cemetery. Usagi and the girls stood there one last moment as the coffin was lowered into the ground. The bowed their heads, turned, and then walked away. Aino Minako…was dead.
***To Be Continued***
^Yes. I know. They all don't go to the same schools. But I mean…I thought it would just flow better if I made it that way. And I know I'm not all that great at making up speeches…sue me. I hope you guys enjoyed it. I'm going to be working on the next part soon. And I apologize, once again, for this taking so long to write. Jaa!