*************
Shitsuren ("broken hearted")
Part 4
By Usa and Emiri
*************

Sailor Moon arrived in time to see Mercury and Venus dodge the snake looking youma's sharp fangs.

"Sparkling Wide Pressure!" Jupiter exclaimed.

"Mars Flame Sniper!"

The youma screamed in pain and searched for the nearest human... Sailor Moon. She jumped out of the way of it's fangs. *Remember, Tuxedo Kamen-sama won't be here! Be brave!*

Jupiter ran behind her. "Sailor Moon, don't just jump out of the way, attack it!"

She nodded and shouted, "Sailor Kick!" However, the youma had other plans and grabbed her ankle with it's mouth. She felt the fangs brake through her boots and make contact with her flesh. She cried out in pain.

"Usagi-chan!" Minako yelled. "Venus Love Me Chain!"

Mercury ran over to her. "Daijobu?"

"Un... I'm fine, It just surprised me. Let me kill this thing so we can see Chibiusa."

"Well, let's get on with it!" Mars yelled.

She glared at Mars. "Moon Spiral Heart Attack!"

"Great job, Sailor Moon!" Jupiter said, patting her on the back.

"Arigatou!"


"Ssssailor Ssssenshi! You think you're finished here? You killed my onee-sama and now you'll pay!"

"Nani yo?" they exclaimed. Before any of them could do anything, the youma wrapped itself around them all.

"Stop right there! Uncoil yourself from around my friends, you filthy reptile!"

"Chibimoon!?" Moon squealed. "What are you doing here??"

"Saving you!"

"Pink Sugar Heart Attack!"

The youma ucoiled itself as the attack hit. Sailor Moon took a breath and attacked it. "Moon Spiral Heart Attack!"

"Ano..." Moon whispered. She was feeling really light headed and dizzy and her ankle was pounding.

"Minna!" Tuxedo Mask shouted, arriving. "I see I'm too late for any action...Chibimoon, thank Kami you're alright!"

Sailor Moon couldn't see straight anymore and she felt like she was on fire. "Usagi-chan?" Ami said.

"Daijobu?" Makoto asked her. She was looking really pale.

"Look at how swollen her ankle is," Rei said.

"I wonder if that snake was poisonous," Minako mused.

Ami nodded. "Probably," she replied, scanning Usagi's ankle.

"Mamo-chan..."

"Hai, Usako?

Before she could say anything more, she sank to her knees. "Usagi-chan!" Ami exclaimed, holding her friend.

Mamoru scooped her up. "I think it's Usako's turn to visit the hospital," he said grimly. "And Chibiusa needs to get back in bed," he admonished.

"When you're right, you're right," Makoto said with a sigh.

*************

The others waited as patiently as the could from word on Usagi's condition. After a half hour of waiting, he came out. "Excuse me, are you all here for Tsukino-san?"

"Hai."

"Is she going to be alright?" Minako asked.

He sighed. "It's hard to say. The poison in the snake she was bitten by is very potent. We've administered the vaccine for it, but it may be too late. She has a high fever and is experiencing hallucinations. I have to warn you that if you chose to go in there, she won't look like she did a few hours ago."

Ami attempted to hold back her tears. "A-arigatou gozaimasu."

The man nodded and left to do his rounds. "Kami-sama..." Makoto whispered.

"Do you think we'll upset her if we go in?" Rei asked.

"It all depends on whether or not the doctor told her the prognosis, Rei-chan," Ami replied.

"Demo, if she's hallucinating..." Minako said.

Ami couldn't hold her tears in any longer. "G-gomen, I'm not thinking straight..."

"Ami-chan..." Minako hugged her friend. "You spend too much time thinking for all of us. If you don't want to go in there right now, I'll wait out here with you."

"Arigatou, Minako-chan."

Makoto decided to go in. "Is anyone else coming with me?"

"I'll come," Rei said.

"And I will too," Mamoru added.

************

Usagi tossed and turned in the hospital bed. Her head was pounding and she was burning up. However, that wasn't what she felt the most. Somehow, her friends had gotten angry with her that Chibiusa was almost killed by a car. She kept hearing them scream at her, their voices dripping with disdain.

"Usagi-baka," Rei nagged "if you weren't such a ditz, you'dve seen that car coming sooner and saved her."

"Nani, Rei-chan? Gomen nasai! I never meant for it to happen! Don't you know how much I wanted to jump in front of that car myself??"

"You're always looking for the easy way out and playing innocent," Minako said. "But we're on to you."

"You too, Minako-chan!" Usagi whispered, near tears.

"You're such a wimp," Makoto said. "You're pathetic!"

"Mako-chan! Hidoi!"

"You've failed again, Usagi," Ami said. "You'll never be good at anything if you're such a fake."

"Ami-chan..." Usagi watched them turn their backs on her. "Matte! Minna!!!!"

"How could you let this happen to me?" Chibiusa said. "You're so clumsy and good for nothing."

"I knew it... I knew it, Chibiusa. You hate me, don't you?" Usagi bowed. "Sumimasen!"

"Usagi, you disappoint me," Mamoru said.

Usagi ran to Mamoru. "Mamo-chan, surely you can't mean that! You know I tried my hardest to save her!"

"You're never good enough." He too turned away.

"Mamo-chan! Minna! Come back, onegai!!" Usagi fell to the ground, sobbing. "Gomen nasai! Forgive me!!"

"Useless!"

"Baka!"

"Irresponsible!"

Usagi screamed, kicking the sheets off of her. She sat up in bed, sweating profusely. "Kami...."

"Usagi-chan? Can you hear us?" Rei asked quietly.

Makoto eyed Rei. "She's sitting up in bed, what do you think?"

"Rei-chan? Mako-chan?" Usagi turned to the door. Mamoru was right behind them. She suddenly felt weak and laid back down.

"Usako?"

Usagi just looked at him, too tired to say anything more. Besides, wouldn't her dreams come true?

"Should I get the doctor?" Rei asked.

"I hope this is a good sign," Mamoru muttered.

"M-mam-chan..."

"Hai, Usako?"

"You won't leave my side will you?" She took a breath. "I know I'm a disappointment to you with Chibiusa and all, demo, could you make my last day here on Earth special? Onegai..."

Makoto and Rei's eyes widened at Usagi's request. "Usagi-chan, what do you mean?" Rei asked tenatively.

"What do you think I mean, Rei-chan? I'm dying... I may have been given medicine, but I can just feel my life slipping away. I'm powerless to do anything about it."

"Usagi-chan, you can't think like that," Minako said, coming into the room with the doctor behind her.

"If you're coherent and awake, it's a sign the antidote has worked," the doctor explained.

Usagi eyed the doctor warily. "I'm so tired... so hot. And my head is pounding."

"Well, you need to rest," the doctor said. "No getting up, or sitting up if you can help it. Sleep is best. And if you're worried about anyone or anything, that can also cause massive migraines right now."

"What about her ankle?" Makoto asked. "It was really swollen earlier."

"It'll be swollen for awhile, but at least the poison is neutralized."

They all thanked the doctor and he left, reminding Usagi to stay put. After a few minutes of silence, Usagi yawned. "Ano, minna..."

"Hai, Usagi-chan?" Rei said.

"I want to go to sleep now."

"Of course, Usagi-chan!" Makoto replied. "We'll see you in the morning."

"Get some rest, Usako." Mamoru smiled at her.

Usagi nodded and fell asleep before Mamoru could even shut the door.

***********

Chibiusa was happy to finally get out of the hospital. She had healed quickly, and the best news was that Usagi was also ready to leave that morning.

Usagi was a still a bit unsteady on her feet, but the doctor assured them all that she would be fine. She was also glad to hear that Chibiusa was doing good. Her injuries had healed quickly which had shocked the doctors.

"Are you all ready to go?" she asked Usagi when she and Ikuko reached her room.

"Un..." came her quite response.

Usagi was still uncertain about things. Did her friends really say what she heard in her mind? She didn't think they would, but she heard them...

"I"m all better!" Chibiusa danced arund. "Let's go home! I miss my room."

Ikuko laughed with a smile. "All right, let's go, girls!" Usagi lagged behind. "Usagi?"

"Coming, Mama."

"I hope you're not still blaming yourself," Chibiusa whispered.

"Nani?" Usagi laughed. "Iie, I'm fine."

Inside her mind was screaming... *It's your fault, Usagi! She could have been killed!*

Chibiusa nodded slowly. "Okei..."

***********

When Usagi reached the top step of Hikawa Shrine, she sank to the ground. It had really taken a lot out of her. *This will probably affect my performance as a Senshi... Not that it was anything spectacular before...*

"It's Usagi-chan!" Minako cried, running to give her friend a hug.

"And Chibiusa-chan!" Rei said.

"Ko -breath- nichiwa, -breath- minna!"

"Usagi-chan's out of shape," Rei grinned. "Should we do more training?"

Usagi glared at Rei, but said nothing. Ami helped her up. "Daijobu?"

"Hai," she replied. "Arigatou."

"Let's go eat cake!" Chibiusa cried.

"Haaaiii!" Usagi exclaimed.

"She's much better," Makoto said with a laugh.

"Usagi can never resist food," Rei said.

"Shut up, Rei-chan!" she growled then sat down in front of the cake.

Ami stared at her friend. Something was not right. "Ano... We're glad you and Chibiusa-chan are feeling better!"

"Arigatou!" Now Ami was really confused. One second she's angry, the next she's genki.

"Usagi-chan, are you feeling alright?" Minako asked.

"Hai, but I'm a bit a hungry," she said, smiling at Minako.

"Well, let's EAT!" Chibiusa exclaimed. "My body is all healed up and it wants food."

"Okay!" Ami stood up to slice the cake. "Hmm... lets see. 1/3 of 2/5..."

Everyone sweatdropped. "Ami-chaaaan!"

"Hehe... gomen!" she said, and sliced it.

An hour later, the girls were outside chatting. Usagi wasn't saying very much. She was still a bit tired and out of it.

"Ne, Chibiusa, have you talked to your mother yet?" Ami asked.

"Um...not yet..." Chibiusa found the ground interesting. "I mean, she'd already know, ne?"

Makoto put a hand on the younger girl's shoulder and leaned down to whisper, "Don't you think you should?" She then pointed out Usagi, who was sitting a few feet away, chin on her knees.

"What should I say, Mako-chan?"

"Whatever is in your heart."

Chibiusa crossed to Usagi. "I know you're still blaming yourself for what happened to me...but it wasn't your fault. And I'm all better, see."

"Chibiusa..." Usagi looked up at her future daughter. "I can't help but think it. If I had been paying more attention to you..."

"It's not your fault...please stop thinking it is. Let's forget about it, okei?"

Usagi sighed. "I can't stop thinking about it. I can't forget about it. You almost died!"

"Usagi, that's enough!" Rei yelled. She slapped Usagi across the face. "I hate you when you're like this! IT WASN'T YOUR FAULT!!!!"

"Itai!" Usagi cried out. She put a hand to her cheek. That was going to bruise. She stood up. "What the hell was that for, bitch!"

Rei was dumbfounded. "Gomen, Usagi-chan," she said with tears in her eyes.

"Gome, gomen, gomen! That's all I hear from you! What kind of friend are you?? You're always picking on me, saying I'm worthless. I already know that, you don't have to remind me! Now you're slapping me around, well I won't stand for it!" Usagi stood up and looked Rei in the eye. "I hate you!" she screamed, socking Rei in the nose.

"Itai!" Rei cried, hearing and feeling a sickening crack.

"Usagi-chan, Rei-chan! Stop it, onegai!" Ami cried.

Makoto got up to keep Usagi away from Rei. "Usagi-chan, what's wrong with you?"

"Me?? You're asking what's wrong with me?" Instead of letting her answer, Usagi stormed away.

Minako ran to see if Rei's bleeding nose was alright. "I think it's broken...I never meant..."

"We know, Rei-chan," Ami replied. "Usagi-chan is just very emotional right now. It's probably a side affect of the poison. I'll have to see what kind it was..."

***********

Mamoru was walking to the store to get some milk(hey, these things happen) when he saw a very ticked looking Usagi.

He crossed the street to see her, carefully avoiding the oncoming traffic. "Usako! Matte!"

Usagi didn't look up until Mamoru was in front of her. "Nani?" she asked, still a bit ticked.

"What's wrong, Usako?" he asked, studying her.

"Gomen ne," she replied with a sigh. "I didn't mean to snap at you."

"How'd you get that bruise on your cheek?"

She put her hand up to it again. "Um... Rei-chan and I got into a fight..."

"Rei hit you? Naze?"

"It doesn't matter now, but she hate's me, I'm sure." Usagi took a deep breath. "I-I broke her nose."

"Nani YO? WHY?" Mamoru couldn't help the raising of his voice."

She jumped. He never raised his voice to her. "Gomen..." she cried, running off.

Mamoru grabbed her arm. "We're going to go back the shrine, Usa. And the I think you need to get checked back into the hospital. The venom might've given you some side effects."

"Mamo-chan, I don't want to go back there!" Usagi felt a sharp pain in her head and fell limp into his arms.

Mamoru went to a phone and called the shrine. "Moshi moshi, Hino Residence, Kino Makoto speaking."

"Mako-chan, it's Mamoru. What the hell happened?"

"Nani? Have you talked to Usagi-chan or something?"

Figuring he had, Makoto went on to explain what went on between her two friends. "Then Usagi-chan ran off."

"I saw her, and she said that her and Rei got into a fight. Then she collapsed. I'm going to take her back to the hospital, but I wanted to find out what exactly happened."

"Kami... do you need us to come?" she asked.

"No, it's alright. I'll call later." Mamoru hung up and took Usagi back to the hospital.