Oops, sorry about the messed up codes ^^;; , but I've changed it so you won't see it anymore.

Let It Go
Disclaimer: I DON'T own Sailor Moon!!!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I sat down on a stool at the bar in the Crown Arcade.

"Hi Mamoru, how are you?" I heard Motoki say. I looked up, a small smile
appearing on my face.
"Hi, I'm alright. How are you?"
He playfully slapped my shoulder and gave me a wide smile.
"I'm feeling great!" he replied enthusiastically.

I nodded slightly. I heard the bell twinkle and turned around to look at the
door. Usagi stood at the door, a smile on her face. However, something was
wrong: her bright blue eyes - which usually held laughter and happiness - were
now a mysterious dark blue, revealing sadness, uncertainty and fright.

She walked towards us and sat down next to me.

"Hi Usagi," I said as a greeting, but she didn't even look surprised about me
calling her by name. Something is definitely wrong!
"Hi Mamoru, hi Motoki," she replied listlessly, not even bothering to ask how we
were.

"Hi Usagi, how are you?" said Motoki. She gave him a smile that died quickly.
"I'm fine, thanks." she replied. Motoki seemed to buy the whole act, but she
can't fool me.
"That's good to hear, would you like something?" he asked.
"Um, a medium chocolate milkshake would be fine." she told him.

Putting my hand on her arm, I smiled reassuringly and looked deeply into her
eyes. Her eyes belied her state: on the verge of spilling tears. But she snapped
out of it and backed away.

Motoki came back. "Here's your milkshake. By the way. Mamoru, I forgot to ask
you if you want something: here's your black coffee you usually order. Just the
way you like it!" he told us, smiling warmly.
"Thanks." I replied.

I wonder what could wrong with Usagi. Maybe she failed another test... nah,
tests didn't normally make her look so sad. At the back of my mind, I heard
Motoki whisper my name. Shaking my head, I got out of my own little world.

"What? Did you say something, Motoki?" I replied foggily.
"Hey Mamoru, where's Usagi?" he asked me.
I stared at him, puzzled. Then I looked beside me. Eh? She's gone - I didn't
even hear her leave. I looked around; Usagi was nowhere to be seen. Then I
noticed something on the counter: her money for the milkshake.
"Apparently, she left." I noted, pointing at the money on the counter.

I stood up, not even bothering to take a sip of my coffee.
"Hey Motoki, I just remembered that I have to finish an essay." I said as an
excuse.
I placed some money on the counter and strode out quickly, leaving a stunned and
confused Motoki behind.

From the moment I stepped outside, I felt the cold wind breeze brush against my
skin, making me shudder. I walked, having no idea where to go to, but just
plodded on, looking around for a particular blond girl with a cute meatball
hairstyle.

I sighed. I've been looking for some time now, and I have seen still no sign of
Usagi.
It's already dark. I glanced at my watch. 7.42 PM - maybe she's already home. I
was about to give up and go home until I saw her. The sight ached my heart.

There she sat on a bench, the moonlight bathing her with its light. Her closed
eyes tried to hold back the tears that were streaming down her cheeks while she
clutched papers against her chest as though she were hugging them.

How could an angel like her - beautiful, warm, serene - be so sad?
I walked towards her and sat down next to her. She remained oblivious to my
presence.
I heard her soft cries.
"Let her go..." Usagi whispered.
It hurts so much to see her this way. I put my arm around her shoulder and
pulled her into a hug. At first, she stiffened and struggled a bit.
"Shhh, it's me - Mamoru. It's ok." and I rubbed her back and she relaxed a bit.

I was about to tell her that she doesn't have to say a thing, but before I
could, she spoke and her words broke my heart into a thousand pieces:
"It haunts me down!
I can't let it go!
Images flash through my mind
And there isn't a way out that I can find
I'm trapped...
Someone help...
I want my life to find its ease,
Live in happiness and peace
She's gone...
Oh please come back!!!"
She was shaking badly. I rubbed her back some more.
"Shh, I'm with you. What happened? I want to help you."
She didn't reply but thrust a newspaper into my hands.

Holding the newspaper in one hand, I read at the article that was underlined:

*Tragedy at Osa-P jewelry store! Store owner's daughter, Naru Osaka, killed.*

My eyes widened. Isn't that Usagi's best friend?
I read further:
*No further details will be offered, for the sake of her family and friends, who
were present during the crime.*

I got a lump in my throat. I was on the verge of tears. How could they have
killed an innocent girl? Usagi, didn't deserve to go through watching her best
friend getting killed! I clenched my fists to hold my anger in. She kept crying
softly. I hugged her tightly.

"I'm with you." I kept whispering in her ear. What more could I say? Her cries
grew louder.

"I saw her die! I saw them kill her... I can't get it out of my mind. I tried to
help her but I couldn't... They didn't let go of me..." Usagi sobbed as she
started to struggle again, as if she was in the middle of it again.
"It's me - I'm with you." I reassured her. I let her cry it all out.

She gave a heavy sigh and began talking again.
"School was over - we decided to go to her jewelry store since there was a big
sale...."

------

"Usagi!" Naru was skipping happily towards me. "There is a big sale at the
jewelry store!!!" said Naru.
"Whee, yay!!!" I yelled, and we both started jumping.

"Come one," she grabbed my hand "let's go, we don't want to miss
too much!!" and we both ran out of the school building. Once outside
we grabbed each other's hands and started swirling and giggling at the
same time. We stopped swirling when we heard our names.

"Naru, Usagi!! Wait up, where are you going??" shouted Umino at us.
I put my hands on my hips and gave a big smile.
"We're going to Naru's jewelry store, because there is this big sale."
and we both started screaming again out of excitement.
"Oh, well have fun!, I'm going back home to study." said Umino.

We skipped towards her store. "So... Usagi, What do you want to buy?"
I stopped skipping, tapping my index finger on my chin,
thinking. "Um, I like rubies, yeah probably rubies or something!"
She giggled. "Come on, what are we waiting for! Let's run!!"

We ran towards her store and stormed into the store. But stopped
dead in our tracks at the sight we saw. People were lying on the
ground, not dead but out of fear. We heard low husky voices shouting
and commanding people around. We tried to turn around and run
out of the store, but were too late and got caught.

Guys in black suits with masks on their heads grabbed us. They caught
us apart. I was so scared that I froze and couldn't move, but Naru
kept on struggling. Then the guy who held Naru slowly put his hands
around her fragile neck en tilted her up... I heard her trying to breathe,
I heard her soft cries... she struggled a bit with her legs...

I started getting dizzy. I heard the beating of my heart pounding in my ears.
"Naru!" I yelled, tears streaming down my cheeks. "Let her go! Leave her alone!"
I tried to get loose...

Then we heard sirens. The police had arrived. Then the man who held
Naru around her neck let her stand and let go of her neck and then grabbed
a knife out of his pocket and held it against her neck.
"Try to get in and I'll kill her!!!!", but apparently the policemen
hadn't heard him and a policeman got inside and then in an instant the
guy who held Naru cut...cut... h h... her.....t..t...t..throat...."

Usagi stopped with her story, her breathing increased and she started
struggling and screaming again. She squeezed her eyes shut and put her
hands on her ears and shook her head like she was trying to get it out.
I held her tight. My heart ached... I can't believe.. it's...terrible...
I cried too. She was crying and shaking uncontrollably.
"Shhh... you don't have to tell me more... I'm with you" I told Usagi.

After a while she became silent and continued her story again but not
without sobbing:
"I I I squeezed my eyes shut... and I wanted to help her and I heard
her screams and.. a a nd... t the man didn't let me go I wanted to
help her, I'm her friend I was supposed to help her!!! and now she's
dead!!!! I should've helped her!!!! It's all my fault!!!!"

------

She held tight to me. Oh my god. is that what she thinks = that this was her
fault?
"Oh My God! Usagi, don't say that!!! It's not your fault!! You did everything
you could!!! I'm sorry to say this but there was nothing that you could do. The
man held you, you were stuck. You did everything you could do!!! You are the
best friend anybody can have!!! Don't blame this on yourself when there was
nothing that you could do about it!" I told her. After a silent moment she
continued her story.

------

"Then more policemen came, they shot the guy who killed Naru, the other men
tried to escape, but they failed. I got loose a..and saw Naru lying on the
ground... I felt my stomach twisting any minute I was about to throw up..., I
could barely breathe, it was like something was choking me, I saw her limp
body...she was so pale, blood was pouring..o..out of her... neck!!! her eyes
were staring at me... and they were so blood-red... I tried to scream, I tried
to run to her and help her, but I couldn't bare to see it... I fell on my knees
and cried, I tried to block my view by putting one of my hands in front of my
eyes, I was trembling uncontrollably but it was hard to block my view...with the
other hand I tried to search for Naru... a..and then a policemen grabbed me and
told me it was too late for her..."

------

Usagi cried again. "Shhh..., let it all out. You have to let it go."
"I I I can't... it's hard, I can't get it out of my mind...
I miss her so much... I love her, she was my best friend..."

"Let's make a little start, I know you can't let it go all at once, but try it
little by little."
"The Moonlight shines upon the newspaper,
which contains a piece of your past.
Everything went in a hurry, the world didn't give you time
to rethink it, it just happened too fast.
The wind is trying to ease you
by singing its peaceful song.
Let it carry your past with it,
and let it flow.
Little by little, let it go."
I whispered in her ear. Then I helped her stand up,
I stood behind her and held her close to me.
and whispered in her ear:
"Let it go, little by little, piece by piece."
She held the newspaper in her hand and cut off the part which contained the
article.

The warm breeze, which seconds ago was cold, blew past us.
And she let the piece go.

I hugged her tightly. Pulling back, I put my hands on her shoulders and said:
"Let it go... little by little." then I caressed her cheeks
and then pulled her back into a hug.
* The sun shines,
Ever so slowly the world refines.
An angel lets her glory shower,
With the love of a flower.
The dark sky around me disappears
Just like all my fears.
You've lend me your hand
And helped me stand
Together, our love is strong to overpower our sorrow
Before I was nothing but hollow
But you found my shattered part
Healed it,
And opened my heart.
That's when I could really,
~* Let it go... *~ *
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The End
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Author's Note:
*First of all, I want to give a BIG THANKS to: 10of40, -
for editing my story. THANKS!!!! Check out 10of40's story!!!:
Defender of the Past, at ~A Sailor Moon Romance~.
*And Second, about this story (Let It Go), please R&R and tell me
what you think of it.