Usagi apparently had woken up before I did, because when I opened my eyes, she had disappeared from the couch. At first, I frantically searched around for her, afraid that someone snatched her during the night. Or who knows what Mother would've done..
After about ten minutes of searching around the house with no result, I checked outside. Surely enough, there was Usagi with broom in hand, sweeping around my house. "Usagi!" I yelled.
She looked up and smiled, with the bandage over her forehead. "Good morning, Rei." She continued to sweep, as I neared her.
"What are you doing? You should be resting!" I lectured, afraid that she might collapse on me, or even worse, a rock (again), and get a concussion. So many different thoughts were crossing my mind, it was hard to keep track.
"I've slept all yesterday, I can't sleep anymore!" she grinned, as she placed the broom against the wall. "I'm not too sure what happened, but I can tell you took care of me. Thank you." She smiled the most sincere smile I've ever seen, and I couldn't help but smile back.
I considered telling her the truth, that I dove, and she took the fall, but I thought it might be better to tell her when she wasn't so weak. "You just took a nasty fall, that's all. You'll be fine."
"I am fine!" she replied cheerfully, as she spun around in circles, embracing the sun's rays. "What a beautiful day, Rei! We have to do something to enjoy it!"
I sighed, as I looked down shamefully. "I have my chores to do, Usagi. I can't --"
"Done!" she interrupted. I looked up at her glowing face with curious eyes. "It's done," she continued, "I finished them up this morning."
I knitted my eyebrows together in questioning. "What do you mean?"
She took a comfortable stance, as she walked closer to me. "When I woke up this morning, your mother was already awake. She wanted to wake you up to do chores, but I couldn't let her. You looked so peaceful sleeping there!" My face relaxed, but I was still a bit curious. "She went on and on about how the chores needed to be done, but I asked her what there was to do. She gave me the list, and I finished them up right before you woke up." She beamed, congratulating herself on a well done job.
I smiled, as I put my hand to her forehead and murmured, "Maybe that knock on the head really got to you."
She took that offensively, and chased me around the house full of fury. I laughed, as I knew that Usagi.. she was my friend.
- - - -Usagi and I went out on a stroll that afternoon. For some reason, we didn't really feel like bringing along the other girls with us. It was an unspoken agreement that we wanted to spend the afternoon just the two of us.
The woods was the first place that came to mind. It was somewhere where we'd be able to get away from the everyday life, and just relax and savour each and every moment. Minutes seemed like hours, but they were wonderful. The silence between Usagi and I, between conversations, weren't akward, but peaceful.
I felt at ease with her, but I'd die before I'd ever admit that.
Just then a rustle came just behind me. I spun around with perked ears, as Usagi continued to rattle on about this and that nonsense. I hushed her with cold eyes, as she tensed up, sensing someone was indeed watching us.
Two red eyes appeared from the bushes, as I sprang to me feet, picking up Usagi along with me. "Who goes there!" I called out. Birds flapped from above, along with several caws from crows. "Show yourself, you coward!"
A snicker was heard where the two eyes were seen. Sure enough, it was that evil woman that had confronted me earlier. Usagi was confused and scared, as she clutched my arm, standing beside me. "So we meet again, dear Rei," she hissed.
"What do you want from me?" I demanded, stepping up to her. I was fearful, and I knew that she sensed that. However, I was determined not to let Usagi know. She needed a protector. I was that person that she needed.
"As I said before, you have such power held between your hands that you don't even realize. The moment of deciding is coming soon, the moment of life nears," she slurred, as she approached me softly. Her eyes burned into mine, as nothing else in the world seemed to exist. Almost as if time had stopped.
Suddenly, she snatched Usagi away from me, and held her in her arms. Usagi squirmed and shrieked, but the woman muffled her voice with her cloak. Sweat traced my face, as I yelled, "Leave her out of this!"
The woman shook her head and chuckled. "I think not."
And with that, she snapped her fingers and disappeared, with Usagi along with her. I was frozen once again, staring where she just was. No.. I fell to my knees, and buried my face in my hands. I sobbed as I thought to myself, "Usagi.. No.." I looked up in the sky and wondered where she took her. "NO!!"
