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

No One's Fault

Part 8

By Usa and Emiri

Disclaimer in Part 1

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

Usagi sat in her bed, knees drawn up as her head rested on them. Mamoru had left already because of classes. The girls were downstairs doing... something. Tears fell unnoticed as Usagi tried to forget the slight arguement her and her father had before she left. "Papa..."

"You awake, Usagi?" Shingo asked, entering.

"Hai," Usagi replied, not moving from her position.

"What's going on with Mama?"

"She's in shock. She doesn't believe Papa's really dead..." Usagi sighed. "I barely believe it."

"Well, you should."

"Nani?" Usagi asked, raising her head. "What do you mean, Shingo?"

"It's your fault, you know. Mama's a nutcase, and this family's going to fall apart...all because you're a selfish baka!"

Usagi stared at him, eyes wide. "Nani... you're not serious, are you?"

"He went out to get you, just because you had to go on your date. You're so selfish! Baka, spoiled Usagi! You killed Papa!" With that, Shingo ran out of her room, slamming her door.

Usagi's heart shattered in a million pieces. As much as she didn't want it to be true, Shingo was right. "I killed him..." She got up out of bed and looked around her room. "There has to be a pair in her somewhere..."

**

Downstairs, the four girls heard the bang. "What was that?" Minako asked.

"I'm not sure, but I'm going to check on Usagi and Shingo," Rei said.

**

Usagi found the scissors. She stared at them a minute before picking them up. "I killed him... Papa, forgive me..." Usagi lowered the blade towards her wrist...

"Usagi!" Rei called, coming into her room. "What are you doing?!" She stared at the scissors, horrified.

Usagi eyed her friend with lifeless eyes. "I'm ridding this world of a curse, Rei-chan. Gomen ne..."

"Don't you dare!" Rei shouted, grabbing the scissors from Usagi. "Kuso!" Rei watched the trickle of blood from where she had gripped the blade too tightly.

Usagi was too far out of it to notice. She was staring out into space repeating the same thing over and over, "I killed him..."

"Who? You're not thinking..." Usagi's eyes rolled into the back of her head as she felt herself falling to the floor.

Rei grabbed Usagi before she could fall completely. "Oof, she's heavy!"

"Rei-chan?" Makoto called from the hallway. She rushed over to help her friend with Usagi. "What happened?

"She was going to try and cut herself...I stopped her just in time."

"Kami-sama... what made her decide to do that all of the sudden?"

"I don't know."

"Hey, where's Shingo gone?" Minkako asked, coming into the room.

"I think Ami-chan is with him," Makoto replied. "You know he only listens to her."

Ami came rushing up the stairs, out of breath. "Minna, he's gone!"

"Shingo?" Minako asked.

"Hai. I talked to him for a minute but the phone rang. It was Usagi-chan's grandma. She's on her way from Osaka. Anyway, when I turned around, Shingo was gone and the front door was open."

"Kuso," Makoto cursed.

"Not again. That's the second Tsukino we've had to chase down within 12 hours." Rei muttered.

Ami nodded. "Two of us should look for Shingo and the other two will stay here. I'll go..."

"I guess I'll go too," Makoto said. "Come on, Ami-chan."

Shortly after they left, there was a knock on the door. "I'll get it!" Minako said.

**

Myagi Aka knocked on the door. She had no idea what to expect. Usagi's friend, Ami, explained what had happened with Ikuko. She was going to have to help her daughter as well as her grand-children. It was going to be hard for all of them.

A girl about the age of Usagi opened the door. Aka recognized her from the picture Usagi had sent. "Aino-san, ne?"

"Hai. Are you Usagi's soba-san?"

"Hai, I am dear, please, call me Aka." She turned to the man next to her. "This is my husband, Tenchi."

"Konichiwa," Tenchi said with a nod.

"Konichiwa...oh, do come in!" Minako realized that she had been standing in the doorway for a long time.

The two smiled. Tenchi set the suitcases down as he removed his shoes. "How is everyone dealing with this, Aino-san?" he asked.

"Umm...well, Ikuko's not so well, and Usagi-chan is just hanging in there. We think she's blaming herself..."

"Kami..." Aka whispered. "Is she awake? Perhaps I should talk with her."

"You could go upstairs and check, but she just went back to bed a little while ago." Rei told them, coming downstairs. She neglected to mention that she had just removed everything potentially dangerous from Usagi's room.

"Ah, Hino-san. You're a priestess at Hikawa Jinja. Usagi thinks highly of you. Of all of you. Domo arigatou for taking care of my family..."

"We're glad to return the favor for Usagi-chan," Minako said. Aka smiled at them before disappearing upstairs.

Tenchi looked around. "Where's Ikuko?"

"She's in her bedroom," Rei said.

"What has she been doing, exactly? Mizuno-san mentioned something about running off. And where's Shingo?"

"Umm...he ran off..."

"Oi, him too?"

"Hai."Minako nodded. "Though we think he's just angry and in denial right now. He needs time to grieve."

Tenchi nodded. "I guess I'll go check on my daughter then. I'm sure he'll be back before dark."