A Deafening Scilence
Chapter 7
PG 13
Dr. Kyoki looked up at the little red blinking light on the ceiling, then back to Usagi, who had her hands pressed against her glass prison with a worried expression on her face.
"They're here," he said, typing on his computer once more. He stopped, and a TV screen popped up in front of Usagi. On it were Aishin and Mamoru walking down a hallway that led to Kyoki's lab. At the sight of her best friend and her beloved, Usagi's eyes swelled with tears.
What are you going to do with us? she asked.
"You will see, my precious."
A very wet and very bewildered Aishin and Mamoru arrived at last at the end of the hallway, where a tall stone door awaited them.
Mamoru looked down at Aishin, who was a good foot shorter than he.
"Ready?"
Aishin nodded. He took her hand, and with the other reached out to knock on the door, but before he could touch it, it opened. There before Mamoru lay the most fascinating lab he had ever seen in his career as a scientist.
"Wow." Aishin breathed. Mamoru looked up and down, right and left; everywhere he looked, he saw some new and fascinating object, but there was something seriously wrong about the place and both he and Aishin could sense it.
"This must be the work of a twisted mind," said Aishin, pointing to a row of unborn fetuses all in glass bubbles.
Suddenly they heard a booming voice that came out of nowhere and surrounded them.
"HELLO! AND WELCOME TO MY NOT SO HUMBLE KINGDOM! IF YOU LOOK STRAIGHT AHEAD I AM SURE YOU WILL SEE SOMETHING THAT WILL INTEREST BOTH OF YOU."
They did as the voice said, and watched as a black wall turned slowly around. Soon before them was the glass case that held both Aishin's other best friend and Mamoru's wife.
"USAKO!" he cried, letting go of Aishin's hand and running forward, but he was immediately repelled and he fell to ground.
"OH! Mamo-kun!" Aishin knelt down beside him and helped him stand. "Are you all right? What happened?" Mamoru rubbed his head in pain.
"I don't know. It seems as though there is some sort of force prohibiting me from going any closer."
The voice was back. It laughed sadistically. "TELL HIM WHAT HE'S WON JOHNNY! THAT'S RIGHT! VERY GOOD! I'M IMPRESSED. LOVER BOY GOT IT RIGHT! NO ONE CAN PENETRATE THIS FORCE FIELD!"
What have you done? Is he all right? Tell me! What are you going to do?
"USAKO HERE WANTS TO KNOW WHAT IS GOING TO HAPPEN NOW THAT I HAVE YOU ALL HERE. WELL, SHE'S BEEN SUCH A GOOD GUINEA PIG THAT I'LL TELL YOU. YOU SEE, NOW THAT ALL OF YOU HAVE SEEN WHAT WONDERS LIE HERE, YOU ALL MUST BE TERMINATED. I CAN'T HAVE SOMEONE ELSE USING MY IDEAS, NOW CAN I?"
"WHAT?" they all exclaimed in unison.
Mamoru fell onto his knees. "Please! Whoever you are! Don't harm Usako and Ai-chan! Take me instead! Please! Just don't harm them!
"HMMM." Kyoki mussed. "I LIKE YOUR SPIRIT. TELL YOU WHAT. IF YOU CAN REPLACE USAKO HERE WITH A WOMAN EQUAL IN BEAUTY, I WILL SPARE YOU."
Mamoru's face fell and he placed his face in his hands and wept.
Aishin bit her lip. She knew what had to happen. As she said, she would die so that Mamoru would be happy. She loved him, and she knew he would be happier with Usagi. Not to mention that there was a child's life at stake; Mamoru's child. She took a step forward.
"Hey! Hey! Mamoru-kun! Wait! Wait for me! Mamoru-kun! UMPH... WAAAAA!"
"Oh, Ai-chan! Ai-chan I'm sorry, I was just playin' around, are you OK?"
"HA HA! Gotcha! Catch me if you can!"
"WHY YOU LITTLE...!"
She took another step.
"Mamo-kun! I made a picture for you in art class today! You wanna see it?"
"Sure, uh, who are those people?"
"See, that's you and that's me, and that is Mako-chan, and that is Mina-chan."
"Why am I in gold, and the others in silver?"
"Because you are my bestest friend in the whole wide world!"
"Thanks, Ai-chan, it's really pretty."
"Mamo-kun?"
"Hmm?"
"Am I your bestest friend too?"
"Of course, Ai-chan."
She took one more step.
"Mamoru-kun! What's wrong? Why are you crying? This is your wedding day! You should be happy!"
"I am happy Ai-chan. It's just that... you've been the best friend I could ever have. You've done so much for Usako and me, and for this wedding. Just promise me one thing."
"Anything, Mamoru-kun."
"Promise me that you'll keep on being the sister you've always been. Promise that we'll still talk and hang out and have fun."
"I promise."
"Thank you so much, Ai-chan. I love you."
"I love you too... Mamoru-kun."
She stopped in front of the force field. "I will go."
Mamoru looked up and got to his feet, running over to her and grasping her tightly.
"Irojiro Aishin! What the hell do you think you're doing? I won't-" but she kissed him deeply, cutting him off. When she pulled away he looked at her, confused, but his eyes pleading.
"I love you, Chiba Mamoru. I always will."
"Ai-chan..." She put her finger to his mouth. Then before he could protest she faced the invisible dome, and looked into Usagi's eyes and smiled happily.
"COME ON KYOKI! YOU WANTED ANOTHER WOMAN? WELL HERE I AM! WHATCHA WAITING FOR? GET ON WITH IT! GIVE THIS MAN AND THIS WOMAN BACK WHAT THEY LOVE SO DEARLY. YOU GOT ME?"
Time stopped. Aishin closed her eyes. She didn't see her life flashing before her as some claim happens when you know you are about to die, but rather, her life was being played before her as if it were a movie, a long beautiful movie. No she wasn't going to die... just sleep, sleep and dream of her love for all eternity. As she drifted off she saw her mother, her father, Usagi, and Mamoru. And Mamoru. And... Mamoru.
--FIN
Chapter 7
PG 13
Dr. Kyoki looked up at the little red blinking light on the ceiling, then back to Usagi, who had her hands pressed against her glass prison with a worried expression on her face.
"They're here," he said, typing on his computer once more. He stopped, and a TV screen popped up in front of Usagi. On it were Aishin and Mamoru walking down a hallway that led to Kyoki's lab. At the sight of her best friend and her beloved, Usagi's eyes swelled with tears.
What are you going to do with us? she asked.
"You will see, my precious."
A very wet and very bewildered Aishin and Mamoru arrived at last at the end of the hallway, where a tall stone door awaited them.
Mamoru looked down at Aishin, who was a good foot shorter than he.
"Ready?"
Aishin nodded. He took her hand, and with the other reached out to knock on the door, but before he could touch it, it opened. There before Mamoru lay the most fascinating lab he had ever seen in his career as a scientist.
"Wow." Aishin breathed. Mamoru looked up and down, right and left; everywhere he looked, he saw some new and fascinating object, but there was something seriously wrong about the place and both he and Aishin could sense it.
"This must be the work of a twisted mind," said Aishin, pointing to a row of unborn fetuses all in glass bubbles.
Suddenly they heard a booming voice that came out of nowhere and surrounded them.
"HELLO! AND WELCOME TO MY NOT SO HUMBLE KINGDOM! IF YOU LOOK STRAIGHT AHEAD I AM SURE YOU WILL SEE SOMETHING THAT WILL INTEREST BOTH OF YOU."
They did as the voice said, and watched as a black wall turned slowly around. Soon before them was the glass case that held both Aishin's other best friend and Mamoru's wife.
"USAKO!" he cried, letting go of Aishin's hand and running forward, but he was immediately repelled and he fell to ground.
"OH! Mamo-kun!" Aishin knelt down beside him and helped him stand. "Are you all right? What happened?" Mamoru rubbed his head in pain.
"I don't know. It seems as though there is some sort of force prohibiting me from going any closer."
The voice was back. It laughed sadistically. "TELL HIM WHAT HE'S WON JOHNNY! THAT'S RIGHT! VERY GOOD! I'M IMPRESSED. LOVER BOY GOT IT RIGHT! NO ONE CAN PENETRATE THIS FORCE FIELD!"
What have you done? Is he all right? Tell me! What are you going to do?
"USAKO HERE WANTS TO KNOW WHAT IS GOING TO HAPPEN NOW THAT I HAVE YOU ALL HERE. WELL, SHE'S BEEN SUCH A GOOD GUINEA PIG THAT I'LL TELL YOU. YOU SEE, NOW THAT ALL OF YOU HAVE SEEN WHAT WONDERS LIE HERE, YOU ALL MUST BE TERMINATED. I CAN'T HAVE SOMEONE ELSE USING MY IDEAS, NOW CAN I?"
"WHAT?" they all exclaimed in unison.
Mamoru fell onto his knees. "Please! Whoever you are! Don't harm Usako and Ai-chan! Take me instead! Please! Just don't harm them!
"HMMM." Kyoki mussed. "I LIKE YOUR SPIRIT. TELL YOU WHAT. IF YOU CAN REPLACE USAKO HERE WITH A WOMAN EQUAL IN BEAUTY, I WILL SPARE YOU."
Mamoru's face fell and he placed his face in his hands and wept.
Aishin bit her lip. She knew what had to happen. As she said, she would die so that Mamoru would be happy. She loved him, and she knew he would be happier with Usagi. Not to mention that there was a child's life at stake; Mamoru's child. She took a step forward.
"Hey! Hey! Mamoru-kun! Wait! Wait for me! Mamoru-kun! UMPH... WAAAAA!"
"Oh, Ai-chan! Ai-chan I'm sorry, I was just playin' around, are you OK?"
"HA HA! Gotcha! Catch me if you can!"
"WHY YOU LITTLE...!"
She took another step.
"Mamo-kun! I made a picture for you in art class today! You wanna see it?"
"Sure, uh, who are those people?"
"See, that's you and that's me, and that is Mako-chan, and that is Mina-chan."
"Why am I in gold, and the others in silver?"
"Because you are my bestest friend in the whole wide world!"
"Thanks, Ai-chan, it's really pretty."
"Mamo-kun?"
"Hmm?"
"Am I your bestest friend too?"
"Of course, Ai-chan."
She took one more step.
"Mamoru-kun! What's wrong? Why are you crying? This is your wedding day! You should be happy!"
"I am happy Ai-chan. It's just that... you've been the best friend I could ever have. You've done so much for Usako and me, and for this wedding. Just promise me one thing."
"Anything, Mamoru-kun."
"Promise me that you'll keep on being the sister you've always been. Promise that we'll still talk and hang out and have fun."
"I promise."
"Thank you so much, Ai-chan. I love you."
"I love you too... Mamoru-kun."
She stopped in front of the force field. "I will go."
Mamoru looked up and got to his feet, running over to her and grasping her tightly.
"Irojiro Aishin! What the hell do you think you're doing? I won't-" but she kissed him deeply, cutting him off. When she pulled away he looked at her, confused, but his eyes pleading.
"I love you, Chiba Mamoru. I always will."
"Ai-chan..." She put her finger to his mouth. Then before he could protest she faced the invisible dome, and looked into Usagi's eyes and smiled happily.
"COME ON KYOKI! YOU WANTED ANOTHER WOMAN? WELL HERE I AM! WHATCHA WAITING FOR? GET ON WITH IT! GIVE THIS MAN AND THIS WOMAN BACK WHAT THEY LOVE SO DEARLY. YOU GOT ME?"
Time stopped. Aishin closed her eyes. She didn't see her life flashing before her as some claim happens when you know you are about to die, but rather, her life was being played before her as if it were a movie, a long beautiful movie. No she wasn't going to die... just sleep, sleep and dream of her love for all eternity. As she drifted off she saw her mother, her father, Usagi, and Mamoru. And Mamoru. And... Mamoru.
--FIN