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Living In Fear
Part 5
By Usa and Emiri
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A few days later, Usagi was able to walk around with very little pain. She fixed her hair in the usual odango style and grabbed the "letter" from her dresser. This letter was written by Mamoru. Or so it said... She had Minako come up with some mushy stuff and her friend wrote it out. This is what she was going to use to provoke Tanaka. Now, she had to find him.

Tanaka opened the door, carring a large stack of papers from work. He didn't see Usagi trapsing around the house, and she walked right into him, sending papers everywhere.

Usagi fell to the floor with a thud, her letter flying away with the rest of Tanaka's. "Gomen nasai!"

"Clumsy bitch," he quietly hissed. "You did that on purpose."

"I did not!" Usagi exclaimed, searching for the letter.

"It's alright, Usagi," he said loudly. "You can't help being a klutz."

Usagi poofed her cheeks and kept looking. "What are you looking for?" he hissed again.

"A letter..." she said, pretending to be half-distracted.

"What sort of letter?" Tanaka took care to keep his voice hushed.

Usagi smiled brightly when she found it... right under Tanaka's foot. *Perfect!* "N-nothing of importance," she told him, reaching for it. "Gomen, but you're stepping on it."

"Oh?" Tanaka reached down, and took the letter before she could. "What's this? A letter from a boy?"

He read through it quickly. "You think you're going to go meet a boy in that condition, wearing THAT?" His voice began to rise, and he waved his fist in the air.

"Nani?" Usagi asked. "I'm not wearing anything bad! And Mama said I could go out with a boy if I wanted to!"

"Oh? With whose permission?"

"She doesn't need permission to allow me to do something!" she screamed at him.

"Don't you speak to me that way." He slapped her.

Usagi fell to the ground, but she still wasn't fazed. If she wanted to get this man out of her mother's life, she really had to act. "Stop hitting me, you bastard!"

"What did you call me?" He kicked her in the stomach. "Don't you EVER speak to me that way again, young lady!"

The girl fell to the ground again, attempting to catch her breath. *This is for you, Mama...* Usagi then swung her legs around and knocked Tanaka to the floor. She learned that from Makoto.

"You're asking for punishment now!" he raged, getting up.

"Leave me alone!" Usagi got up as well, holding her side. She ran up the stairs... right into Ikuko. And Tanaka, in his blind rage, hadn't seen her yet.

"You BITCH! You're going to pay for kicking me down!"

Usagi looked into her mothers eyes, tears shining in them. "I love you, Mama," she whispered, waiting for the inevitable.

"Usagi?" Ikuko whispered in confusion.

"You SLUT! Dressed like that, going to go out with some boy...I think NOT!" He grabbed Usagi, and threw her down the stairs. "Someone needs to teach you a few lessons, little missy."

"Usagi!!!" Ikuko cried out. She watched in shock as her daughter was thrown down the stairs, hitting her head. "Masaka! Tanaka!"

"Stop it right there!" a voice hollered, causing Tanaka to stop in his tracks. Ikuko rushed past him and knelt next to her daughter.

"Venus Love Me Chain!"

"Supreme Thunder!"

Tanaka screamed in pain as the attacks hit him. Ikuko held onto her daughter and watched the Senshi in awe.

"Mars Flame Sniper!" Tanaka passed out as this attack hit, not to wake for a long time. The Senshi of Fire had made sure of that.

"Tsukino-san," Mercury said, walking over to her. "Will your daughter be all right?"

"I-I don't know... I-I'm so confused right now. C-could one of you girls call an ambulance, kudasai?"

Venus ran to call the ambulance, worridly watching Usagi-tachi.

Ikuko looked at Usagi. "Oh baby, I hope you can find it in your heart to forgive me," she whispered in tears.

**********

"My darling daughter..." Ikuko sat in the hospital room stroking her unconcious daughter's forehead. "I'm so sorry I didn't believe you, that I didn't trust you. I was so selfish...and look what my selfishness caused." A silent tear slipped down her cheek. "How could I have been so blind? And how could someone be so cruel to do this to you? He's going to pay, my darling, for doing this. I won't blame you if you never forgive me for this..."

Usagi felt someone stroking her forehead. She heard someone speaking as well, but couldn't make out the words. She wanted to leave this dark place but something was holding her back and she didn't know what. Come to think of it... she didn't seem to know anything except the pain her body was experiencing.

Ever so slowly she opened her eyes. They rested upon a lovely woman with wavy, blue hair. She seemed to have been crying. "Daijobu?" she asked.

"Usagi!" Ikuko gently hugged her. "Are *you* alright?"

Usagi gently pulled out of the woman's grasp. "Gomen, but do I...?" she trailed off as sharp pain coursed through her head.

"Do you need a nurse?" Ikuko's heart throbbed as she saw her daughter in pain.

"H-hai, kudasai..."

She blinked once at the use of the formal word, but ignored it as she
ran to find a nurse in about 0.2 seconds, and dragged her to Usagi's bedside.

Usagi greatfully took the pain medication that was given to her and settled down a bit. She hoped it wouldn't be long for them to take affect. Her head felt ready to explode. She looked up at the woman next to her. Her eyes were filled with concern over Usagi. *Why?* she thought. *Who is she?*

Finally, she couldn't stand it any longer and had to ask. "Sumimasen, demo, who are you?"

Ikuko's jaw dropped. "You...don't know?"

"Iie..."

Ikuko felt like her heart was ripping in two. Maybe this was some side effect...or she chose to forget... "I'm your mother, Usagi." Choking back tears, she added, "And I love you very much."

"I-I don't know..." Usagi felt horrible. This woman in front of her was her mother and she couldn't even recognize her. "Gomen nasai."

Ikuko didn't know what to say or do. "You have nothing to be sorry for," she finally whispered.

Usagi squeezed her eyes shut. This was too painful for her... physically and emotionally. She apologized for the fifth time before she lost consciousness.

"Usagi!"