In case you don't know, I do not own Sailor Moon. If I did, it would
probably have more plot in that SuperS season. But I don't so it doesn't.
Life continues.
As a side note to new readers, all two of you, this one is right off another 'story' of mine, "It Doesn't Matter". But being completely different makes it it's own beloved partial scene of loveliness. To keep you up to date, this is well after Stars. Usagi is either recently married or has been for a while, I can't decide. Naru, after becoming increasingly distant since Sailor Moon started, has sent a letter to Usagi informing her of her impending absence, see also "It Doesn't Matter" chapter One.
~
"Abandoned? But... I didn't mean to. It... just happened." Talking to herself was a bad habit, worse when she forgot that Luna was usually listening in. Of course, Luna was keeping quiet today, her own advisory opinions locked in her kitty brain. Usagi was already upset enough, she didn't need to add to it.
The little dark haired girl that had become ChibiUsa's friend stopped by to drop it off. She looked horrible, like she hadn't slept in days, and was moving with a paranoia innate to people who think they're being followed. She tried her best to be polite, bowing at the right times, smiling when spoken to, but she still looked as if the world was out to kill her. She even came in side for tea, only calming down once the door was closed.
It wasn't until after the troubled girl had left did she find it. A pink envelope, sealed with a gold star, with her name carefully placed on the outer edge. Usagi hadn't seen one of those envelopes since high school. It was just one of those cute things that Naru would do when sending her notes and letters. The fact the was under the edge of the table that Ruruna had been sitting at was not lost on the blond, though she couldn't figure out why she would be afraid of delivering a little note from a friend.
Then she read it.
Then a pillar of her world crumbled under her.
And she didn't want to believe it. It couldn't be. They were dead, there was nothing left, all of it was gone.
But Naru wouldn't have gone so far as to get TV time for a practical joke. On all the news stations, Naru was there, and a woman with blue skin, bat wings, and a business suit. Requesting something from the government... It was really really technical. It didn't even look like Naru understood it completely, but it was happening, live for the cameras in front of her.
A part of her started to reach for her communicator, a wiser portion going for the phone instead as it was much easer to explain as she dialed Mina's cell phone number. Entire portions of her body numb from tensely wishing this was just a silly dream. One she would wake up from any moment now, snuggled against her Mamo-chan.
The answers she got were only more disheartening. "Yes, I have been out patrolling a bit lately, why do you ask?" "Well, there was this girl a few nights ago, and she was able to knock me around a bit, just some nasty bruises. You know how some of the martial artists get at times." "Well, I haven't seen her since, so I never thought it was worth bringing up." "No, It was pretty dark, and I didn't get a good look at her face." "Okay, I'll see you tomorrow at the shrine then?"
Usagi's voice was upbeat in on the phone, but that smile never quite reached her eyes. After hanging up, she read the letter again. And a third time. And while everything in it so far had been true, she couldn't... didn't want to believe it.
Little things about the letter became more apparent. The fact it smelled like Naru's perfume. The places where Naru had erased and rewritten entire sentences. The deformed spots that looked like tears. Usagi could not bring herself to stop trying to figure out what every tiny mark could be.
How long had Naru kept her secret? It sounded like there was something evil inside her best friend, something she couldn't control anymore. Apparently it told her to kill people, and hurt anyone that stood in her way. And it had been there a very long time, waiting for her to make a slip so it could run free.
All the time spent trying to save her from monsters. Trying to keep her from danger, from being hurt. And Sailor Moon still couldn't save her. All the powers, all the people saved, saving the entire planet a number of times, and she still couldn't even save her best friend. All those years fighting evil, and she never even had a clue what Naru was fighting right in front of her.
Maybe if she hadn't pushed Naru away, it could have been different. Maybe if she didn't have to hide her secret identity from her. A lot of good it did. Apparently, Naru already figured it out long ago, and still never told a soul. All the hiding was for nothing. All the excuses, the lies... for nothing.
Not that she helped the situation. Because of Sailor Moon, she couldn't be there for Naru. Because of Sailor Moon, she pushed her friend away for her own safety. Because of Sailor Moon, Naru wouldn't tell her what was wrong when she needed help most...
And because of Sailor Moon, Usagi wept.
As a side note to new readers, all two of you, this one is right off another 'story' of mine, "It Doesn't Matter". But being completely different makes it it's own beloved partial scene of loveliness. To keep you up to date, this is well after Stars. Usagi is either recently married or has been for a while, I can't decide. Naru, after becoming increasingly distant since Sailor Moon started, has sent a letter to Usagi informing her of her impending absence, see also "It Doesn't Matter" chapter One.
~
"Abandoned? But... I didn't mean to. It... just happened." Talking to herself was a bad habit, worse when she forgot that Luna was usually listening in. Of course, Luna was keeping quiet today, her own advisory opinions locked in her kitty brain. Usagi was already upset enough, she didn't need to add to it.
The little dark haired girl that had become ChibiUsa's friend stopped by to drop it off. She looked horrible, like she hadn't slept in days, and was moving with a paranoia innate to people who think they're being followed. She tried her best to be polite, bowing at the right times, smiling when spoken to, but she still looked as if the world was out to kill her. She even came in side for tea, only calming down once the door was closed.
It wasn't until after the troubled girl had left did she find it. A pink envelope, sealed with a gold star, with her name carefully placed on the outer edge. Usagi hadn't seen one of those envelopes since high school. It was just one of those cute things that Naru would do when sending her notes and letters. The fact the was under the edge of the table that Ruruna had been sitting at was not lost on the blond, though she couldn't figure out why she would be afraid of delivering a little note from a friend.
Then she read it.
Then a pillar of her world crumbled under her.
And she didn't want to believe it. It couldn't be. They were dead, there was nothing left, all of it was gone.
But Naru wouldn't have gone so far as to get TV time for a practical joke. On all the news stations, Naru was there, and a woman with blue skin, bat wings, and a business suit. Requesting something from the government... It was really really technical. It didn't even look like Naru understood it completely, but it was happening, live for the cameras in front of her.
A part of her started to reach for her communicator, a wiser portion going for the phone instead as it was much easer to explain as she dialed Mina's cell phone number. Entire portions of her body numb from tensely wishing this was just a silly dream. One she would wake up from any moment now, snuggled against her Mamo-chan.
The answers she got were only more disheartening. "Yes, I have been out patrolling a bit lately, why do you ask?" "Well, there was this girl a few nights ago, and she was able to knock me around a bit, just some nasty bruises. You know how some of the martial artists get at times." "Well, I haven't seen her since, so I never thought it was worth bringing up." "No, It was pretty dark, and I didn't get a good look at her face." "Okay, I'll see you tomorrow at the shrine then?"
Usagi's voice was upbeat in on the phone, but that smile never quite reached her eyes. After hanging up, she read the letter again. And a third time. And while everything in it so far had been true, she couldn't... didn't want to believe it.
Little things about the letter became more apparent. The fact it smelled like Naru's perfume. The places where Naru had erased and rewritten entire sentences. The deformed spots that looked like tears. Usagi could not bring herself to stop trying to figure out what every tiny mark could be.
How long had Naru kept her secret? It sounded like there was something evil inside her best friend, something she couldn't control anymore. Apparently it told her to kill people, and hurt anyone that stood in her way. And it had been there a very long time, waiting for her to make a slip so it could run free.
All the time spent trying to save her from monsters. Trying to keep her from danger, from being hurt. And Sailor Moon still couldn't save her. All the powers, all the people saved, saving the entire planet a number of times, and she still couldn't even save her best friend. All those years fighting evil, and she never even had a clue what Naru was fighting right in front of her.
Maybe if she hadn't pushed Naru away, it could have been different. Maybe if she didn't have to hide her secret identity from her. A lot of good it did. Apparently, Naru already figured it out long ago, and still never told a soul. All the hiding was for nothing. All the excuses, the lies... for nothing.
Not that she helped the situation. Because of Sailor Moon, she couldn't be there for Naru. Because of Sailor Moon, she pushed her friend away for her own safety. Because of Sailor Moon, Naru wouldn't tell her what was wrong when she needed help most...
And because of Sailor Moon, Usagi wept.