"Walking Wounded"
Part 1, Chapter 3
By Kali-Chan
Hey Minna! This is the third chapter of my novella. This is
probably the second longest story I've written. The first has
nothing to do with the Sailor Suited Senshi.
Okay, disclaimer, I don't own Tsukino Usagi or any other
character, unless they are not mentioned in the manga or series.
I have no money, so please don't sue me for using the names I
previously stated I don't own.
Now, on with Chapter Three!
***************************************************************************
As Usagi wandered down her street, her mind kept playing
tricks on her. She would hear the shuffling of feet behind her or
heavy breathing. She upped her pace and kept walking. Usa didn't
know where she was going, but it didn't matter, as long as she was
away. From him and his damned control. As she arrived at the bus station,
she quickly realized that she had walked at least three hours to get there.
Her feet were throbbing and she had a migraine. All of which seemed
petty compared to what he would do if he found out her plan. What IS
your plan? Logical asked.
"I don't know," she answered aloud. A woman sitting nearby
pulled her child closer to her, thinking Usagi was a lunatic just
escaped from an asylum.
Usagi gave her a withering glance and then walked over to the
ticket window.
"How may I help you?" The booth worker asked. He seemed impatiently
tolerant. He has to do this job, she thought, I'm just another customer to
him.
"What's the next bus out of here?" she asked. Hopefully, one
would be leaving soon enough and it would be out of Kenji's reach.
"Another leaves in 20 minutes."
"Where does it go?"
"Tokyo." Usagi contemplated this momentarily. She wondered
if going from Tsuyama to Tokyo was a good idea. She quickly decided
that travelling that far would ensure her safety.
"I'll take it. How much?"
She let out a low whistle at the price and paid. Getting her
ticket, she walked back over to the waiting area and sat down. She had
no luggage and not alot of cash left. She had only taken American, because
that was all she had. Kenji had just gotten back from Chicago and hadn't
had time to exchange. She ended up paying 175 American.
Checking her watch, Usagi saw that she had at least fifteen minutes
before her train arrived. She entered the gift shop in search of a boredom
killer. Finding a shelf of books, Usagi looked through and found a book
on myths and legends. She chuckled inwardly as she remembered her high
school experiences. While reading about myths in her Literature class,
she came to the realization that Usagi meant "Rabbit". Her friend Naru
got a kick out of that.
"Naru," Usagi whispered. Naru had moved to Tokyo to attend
university. Usagi decided to look her up upon arrival. It would be
awhile, though. She checked her watch again and saw five minutes remaining.
She quickly paid for the book and went to wait for the train. It arrived
on time and she meekly climbed aboard, nervous about starting her new life.
What will I do when I get there? she asked herself. Find Naru, Logical answered.
Illogical had nothing to say to that. What if Kenji tries to find me?
she pondered. Illogical spoke up, Defend yourself and get free. Logical agreed.
For once, the two halves of Usagi came together and she felt more whole
than she had been in years.
And that both worried and excited her.
She gazed out the train window as the train rumbled out of the station
and tried to imagine what Naru would say when Usagi found her. IF she found
her. Tokyo was a big city, and Usa cold easily get lost.
15 hours later, the train rolled into Tokyo Station. Usagi was
jostled awake by the movement of the train stopping and the sound of
the wheels as they ground against the track. Another weird dream, she
thought.
In this one, she was a little girl again. Tsukino Usagi, her maiden
name. It was still her name, mind you, but Kenji had decided that she take
his name, even though they weren't married. In her dream, she had long
blonde hair in buns atop her head. Naru and her brother Shingo had called
them odangoes. The pigtails attached to them fell just below her knees.
She had to have been about 7 in her dream, and all it consisted of was
playing hide and seek with her family.
"I could hear myself from somewhere in there..." she murmured.
She remembered the house, the small, blue house in the outskirts of Osaka.
Her father, dead, was playing with her, leading her through the sinuous
turns that the house had.
"Daddy?" she remembered crying out. "Where are you?"
A voice could be herad from all around her, "Dead." And she
heard her estranged mother and deceased father singing a long dead
tune.
Her brother was in his room, playing with his teddy, and he
gazed at her with his sad brown eyes. "No one should brave the
underworld alone, Usa." And he disappeared. It all was gone. She was
left with the house of leaves.
***
Johnny dear, don't be afraid.
I will keep your secret safe.
Take me to the blind man who
Lost you in his house of blue.
***
"Hey Lady! Get up, the train's stopped!" Some man shook her out of
her thoughts. She stared, shocked, at him, nodded, and picked up her book.
As she stepped off the plane, she made a mental inventory of the
money she had. I have to get this exchanged, she thought. In American, she
had 2,000 dollars, give or take. She shouldn't have taken that much, but
she figured she would need it. She first went to the exchange window and
exchanged American for Japanese Yen. About 200,000 yen for this, she thought,
satisfied. (AN - if someone knows exchange rates, tell me. I will change this)
She then collected herself and thought back to the survival class
her friends and she had taken when they went camping for a week. Make sure
you know your environment, she told herself. She stopped by the café in the
train station and bought a map, a small helping of sashimi, and a bit of
juice to drink. She would need her strength, but first, she needed to review
the map.
Next thing, know your directions. Ask help if necessary.
She nodded and asked the café worker if he knew any good spots around
town. He nodded, and she made a note on her map of the places he mentioned.
"Crystal Towers, Crown Arcade for the younger people, Osa-P jewelry,
the Rose Gardens, Tokyo Metropolitan Arts, Juuban District and the Juuban Park,"
he said, smiling. If you need a taxi to see anything, there's a really reliable
one that I could provide the number for. And I could give you a city-wide listing
of all the best restaurants." He was very friendly.
"That'd be great, thanks." SHe smiled and he handed her a pamphlet with
restaurant listings, and also gave her the number to the cab company.
"There's also the Metro, if you want to take that." She grinned and
shook her head.
"I think I've had enough of trains for today..." she looked at his
nametag, "Shin..go..." She let the name fade off her lips as recognition
set in. "Tsukino Shingo?" She asked.
He looked at her, his brown eyes trying to place her. "I knew I recognized
you. Usagi, oh my god. Your hair. You look so..." He stepped around the counter to
hug her and told his boss he was taking his 30 minute. They sat at a table and he
quickly asked her what had been on his mind. "Usa, what are you doing here? Where's...
HE?" He asked, placing emphasis on Kenji's mere mention.
Usagi visibly shrunk. "He... uh... doesn't know I'm here. I left him, Shin.
I had to. Please don't tell anyone what happened. All I want to do is get my life
together. Please, Shingo." She asked, pleading that he not let anyone know she had
left. It was dangerous, he knew. If Shingo came after her, and he would, Usa could
be in serious trouble.
"Usa, you haven't talked to mom and I in years. What's been going on? Are
you in some kind of trouble?"
Usagi looked up at the mention of their mother's name. Tsukino Ikuko...
"Is mom here? Did you move?"
Shingo nodded and looked a bit guilty. "I'm sorry we didn't tell you, but
mother figured that this day would come and didn't want Kenji knowing where she and
I lived." He chuckled a bit and continued, "Mom always did have a sixth sense."
Usagi laughed with him and then began to look a bit forlorn. "Shin, I don't
know this city. Is it safe for me to wander around and try to find my way? I think
not. Where am I going to stay for however long? How am I going to support myself?"
She began to think she would've been better off with Kenji, but that was squashed
when Shingo spoke up.
"Usagi, if mom knew you were coming home, she wants you to stay with us.
The jab market is fairly large, and you have a University degree, you'll be fine.
Once you get used to the places around here and the different districts, you'll
be fine. How many yen do you have?" He asked, concerned. She smiled at his maturity.
He had to have been about 19 now.
"Shingo, I have enough Yen. But right now, I need to... umm.. find clothing
stores." She said, embarrassed.
He looked at her and burst out laughing. "Are those the only clothes you
brought?" He asked, pointing to the clothes on her back.
She nodded and he gave her directions to the shopping centre. "You can
actually walk there from here," he said. She looked a bit frightened, but decided
to give it a shot. He also gave her the address of his mother's house, and told
her that she should stay there until she gets on her feet.
"Okay, Shin. I will see you tonight," She said. They hugged and parted ways
until later that evening. And off she went, to shop. Something she had never done
alone in a long time.
Part 1, Chapter 3
By Kali-Chan
Hey Minna! This is the third chapter of my novella. This is
probably the second longest story I've written. The first has
nothing to do with the Sailor Suited Senshi.
Okay, disclaimer, I don't own Tsukino Usagi or any other
character, unless they are not mentioned in the manga or series.
I have no money, so please don't sue me for using the names I
previously stated I don't own.
Now, on with Chapter Three!
***************************************************************************
As Usagi wandered down her street, her mind kept playing
tricks on her. She would hear the shuffling of feet behind her or
heavy breathing. She upped her pace and kept walking. Usa didn't
know where she was going, but it didn't matter, as long as she was
away. From him and his damned control. As she arrived at the bus station,
she quickly realized that she had walked at least three hours to get there.
Her feet were throbbing and she had a migraine. All of which seemed
petty compared to what he would do if he found out her plan. What IS
your plan? Logical asked.
"I don't know," she answered aloud. A woman sitting nearby
pulled her child closer to her, thinking Usagi was a lunatic just
escaped from an asylum.
Usagi gave her a withering glance and then walked over to the
ticket window.
"How may I help you?" The booth worker asked. He seemed impatiently
tolerant. He has to do this job, she thought, I'm just another customer to
him.
"What's the next bus out of here?" she asked. Hopefully, one
would be leaving soon enough and it would be out of Kenji's reach.
"Another leaves in 20 minutes."
"Where does it go?"
"Tokyo." Usagi contemplated this momentarily. She wondered
if going from Tsuyama to Tokyo was a good idea. She quickly decided
that travelling that far would ensure her safety.
"I'll take it. How much?"
She let out a low whistle at the price and paid. Getting her
ticket, she walked back over to the waiting area and sat down. She had
no luggage and not alot of cash left. She had only taken American, because
that was all she had. Kenji had just gotten back from Chicago and hadn't
had time to exchange. She ended up paying 175 American.
Checking her watch, Usagi saw that she had at least fifteen minutes
before her train arrived. She entered the gift shop in search of a boredom
killer. Finding a shelf of books, Usagi looked through and found a book
on myths and legends. She chuckled inwardly as she remembered her high
school experiences. While reading about myths in her Literature class,
she came to the realization that Usagi meant "Rabbit". Her friend Naru
got a kick out of that.
"Naru," Usagi whispered. Naru had moved to Tokyo to attend
university. Usagi decided to look her up upon arrival. It would be
awhile, though. She checked her watch again and saw five minutes remaining.
She quickly paid for the book and went to wait for the train. It arrived
on time and she meekly climbed aboard, nervous about starting her new life.
What will I do when I get there? she asked herself. Find Naru, Logical answered.
Illogical had nothing to say to that. What if Kenji tries to find me?
she pondered. Illogical spoke up, Defend yourself and get free. Logical agreed.
For once, the two halves of Usagi came together and she felt more whole
than she had been in years.
And that both worried and excited her.
She gazed out the train window as the train rumbled out of the station
and tried to imagine what Naru would say when Usagi found her. IF she found
her. Tokyo was a big city, and Usa cold easily get lost.
15 hours later, the train rolled into Tokyo Station. Usagi was
jostled awake by the movement of the train stopping and the sound of
the wheels as they ground against the track. Another weird dream, she
thought.
In this one, she was a little girl again. Tsukino Usagi, her maiden
name. It was still her name, mind you, but Kenji had decided that she take
his name, even though they weren't married. In her dream, she had long
blonde hair in buns atop her head. Naru and her brother Shingo had called
them odangoes. The pigtails attached to them fell just below her knees.
She had to have been about 7 in her dream, and all it consisted of was
playing hide and seek with her family.
"I could hear myself from somewhere in there..." she murmured.
She remembered the house, the small, blue house in the outskirts of Osaka.
Her father, dead, was playing with her, leading her through the sinuous
turns that the house had.
"Daddy?" she remembered crying out. "Where are you?"
A voice could be herad from all around her, "Dead." And she
heard her estranged mother and deceased father singing a long dead
tune.
Her brother was in his room, playing with his teddy, and he
gazed at her with his sad brown eyes. "No one should brave the
underworld alone, Usa." And he disappeared. It all was gone. She was
left with the house of leaves.
***
Johnny dear, don't be afraid.
I will keep your secret safe.
Take me to the blind man who
Lost you in his house of blue.
***
"Hey Lady! Get up, the train's stopped!" Some man shook her out of
her thoughts. She stared, shocked, at him, nodded, and picked up her book.
As she stepped off the plane, she made a mental inventory of the
money she had. I have to get this exchanged, she thought. In American, she
had 2,000 dollars, give or take. She shouldn't have taken that much, but
she figured she would need it. She first went to the exchange window and
exchanged American for Japanese Yen. About 200,000 yen for this, she thought,
satisfied. (AN - if someone knows exchange rates, tell me. I will change this)
She then collected herself and thought back to the survival class
her friends and she had taken when they went camping for a week. Make sure
you know your environment, she told herself. She stopped by the café in the
train station and bought a map, a small helping of sashimi, and a bit of
juice to drink. She would need her strength, but first, she needed to review
the map.
Next thing, know your directions. Ask help if necessary.
She nodded and asked the café worker if he knew any good spots around
town. He nodded, and she made a note on her map of the places he mentioned.
"Crystal Towers, Crown Arcade for the younger people, Osa-P jewelry,
the Rose Gardens, Tokyo Metropolitan Arts, Juuban District and the Juuban Park,"
he said, smiling. If you need a taxi to see anything, there's a really reliable
one that I could provide the number for. And I could give you a city-wide listing
of all the best restaurants." He was very friendly.
"That'd be great, thanks." SHe smiled and he handed her a pamphlet with
restaurant listings, and also gave her the number to the cab company.
"There's also the Metro, if you want to take that." She grinned and
shook her head.
"I think I've had enough of trains for today..." she looked at his
nametag, "Shin..go..." She let the name fade off her lips as recognition
set in. "Tsukino Shingo?" She asked.
He looked at her, his brown eyes trying to place her. "I knew I recognized
you. Usagi, oh my god. Your hair. You look so..." He stepped around the counter to
hug her and told his boss he was taking his 30 minute. They sat at a table and he
quickly asked her what had been on his mind. "Usa, what are you doing here? Where's...
HE?" He asked, placing emphasis on Kenji's mere mention.
Usagi visibly shrunk. "He... uh... doesn't know I'm here. I left him, Shin.
I had to. Please don't tell anyone what happened. All I want to do is get my life
together. Please, Shingo." She asked, pleading that he not let anyone know she had
left. It was dangerous, he knew. If Shingo came after her, and he would, Usa could
be in serious trouble.
"Usa, you haven't talked to mom and I in years. What's been going on? Are
you in some kind of trouble?"
Usagi looked up at the mention of their mother's name. Tsukino Ikuko...
"Is mom here? Did you move?"
Shingo nodded and looked a bit guilty. "I'm sorry we didn't tell you, but
mother figured that this day would come and didn't want Kenji knowing where she and
I lived." He chuckled a bit and continued, "Mom always did have a sixth sense."
Usagi laughed with him and then began to look a bit forlorn. "Shin, I don't
know this city. Is it safe for me to wander around and try to find my way? I think
not. Where am I going to stay for however long? How am I going to support myself?"
She began to think she would've been better off with Kenji, but that was squashed
when Shingo spoke up.
"Usagi, if mom knew you were coming home, she wants you to stay with us.
The jab market is fairly large, and you have a University degree, you'll be fine.
Once you get used to the places around here and the different districts, you'll
be fine. How many yen do you have?" He asked, concerned. She smiled at his maturity.
He had to have been about 19 now.
"Shingo, I have enough Yen. But right now, I need to... umm.. find clothing
stores." She said, embarrassed.
He looked at her and burst out laughing. "Are those the only clothes you
brought?" He asked, pointing to the clothes on her back.
She nodded and he gave her directions to the shopping centre. "You can
actually walk there from here," he said. She looked a bit frightened, but decided
to give it a shot. He also gave her the address of his mother's house, and told
her that she should stay there until she gets on her feet.
"Okay, Shin. I will see you tonight," She said. They hugged and parted ways
until later that evening. And off she went, to shop. Something she had never done
alone in a long time.