Chapter 15: The Visitors
Author's Comments
I finally managed to write another chapter. I'm sorry it took so long, but it's hard to find time to write. Not only that, but when I have the time I usually feel like drawing more than writing. I finally made myself sit down and write though!
In this chapter Usagi is still depressed and her friends come bearing gifts in hope of cheering her up. There will probably be two more chapters similar to this one afterwards, but each will have different visitors and as such different reactions from Usagi.
Disclaimer: I don't own Sailor Moon.
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No matter what Mamoru tried he could not cheer up his poor pig-tailed princess. She would pull away from his touch and every time she would look his way he saw the same pain in her eyes as the day before, which for some reason would not fade. He longed to see her smile once more. He would cherish and gladly eat any ruined dish she made if he thought it would bring the old Usagi back, but she would no longer cook. It had been a week and Usagi had barely left her bed in that time. Yet he continuously tried to heal the hole in her heart, but he no longer knew how to do it, which made him grow more sad and desperate with each passing day.
"It's a beautiful sunny day outside Usako," he told her as he pulled the drapes open and hoped it would improve her mood.
Usagi didn't reply and continued to stare at the wall before her.
"Your favorite show is on; do you want to watch it?" he said as he walked over to the TV in front of the bed and pushed the button to turn it on. With in seconds pictures lit up the screen and voices filled the room.
The blonde remained silent and didn't even look towards the television.
"What would you like to eat tonight?" he asked determined to get his wife to speak. "We can have anything you want," he told her, but still she said nothing. "How about we go to your favorite restaurant?" Mamoru offered, but still nothing. "Perhaps you're just not hungry yet, would you like to go do something instead? The movies maybe, or how about shopping? You can buy whatever you like." he suggested; however, even the promise of new clothes didn't cheer Usagi up. "I'm sorry for what I've done. I should of told you. Please speak to me Usako," he said softly, not expecting a response and not getting one. Mamoru sighed at the lack of response from his wife and was about to sit down on the bed beside her when he heard the doorbell ring.
The sounding of the buzzer made Usagi's head turn towards the door, but she still refused to speak.
"I'll be right back," Mamoru said as he walked out of the room. He made his way over to the front door and opened it up to find all of Usagi's friends, including elusive Ami.
"Hello," Mina said with a big smile on her face, "We thought we'd come and try to cheer Usagi up.
"We all brought gifts," Makoto said as they all held out their presents for the pig-tailed woman.
"Hopefully you'll have more luck than I did," he told them as he sighed.
"Its that bad?" the brown-headed woman asked worriedly.
Mamoru nodded as he let all of them in. "She rarely leaves her room," he said sadly.
"Poor Usagi," Ami said with her voice full of sorrow, "I feel so bad. I wonder if I'm entirely at fault."
"You're no more responsible than the rest of us," Rei told the blue haired girl. "If only we had been strong enough to protect her none of this would have happened," the dark-headed woman said miserably.
"Even I wasn't strong enough," Hotaru said sadly as she dropped her head.
"We all feel the same way, but there isn't anything we can do to change that," Michiru said. "But the fact that we are here now gives us the chance to try to make things right."
"You're right," Mina replied.
"Well what are we waiting for?" Haruka asked. "Standing around here sure isn't going to cheer her up."
"You've got a point there," Makoto said as a sweat drop formed on her head.
"Please lead the way," Setsuna told Mamoru.
Mamoru walked back to the room Usagi sat in with everyone else following behind him. When he reached the bedroom door the pig-tailed woman was looking directly at him.
"Usako you have some guests," he told her as he entered the room stood over by Usagi.
"Hi Usagi," Haruka said as everyone filed into the now cramped room.
Without saying a word Usagi averted her eyes and began to stare at the floor.
"Don't be like that dumpling," Haruka told her, but the blonde didn't flinch.
"Hotaru you go first," Setsuna suggested.
The girl nodded and said, "I brought this for you." She walked towards the bed with a white box in her hands and held it out for the pig-tailed woman to take.
Usagi looked up at the offering before her and hesitated a minute before taking it from the dark headed girl. She slowly lifted the box to find a picture in a silver frame lying inside. She carefully removed it from the container and placed the box on the bed beside her. Usagi began to inspect the picture closer and upon doing so she saw Chibi-Usa staring back at her. Hotaru and she were standing next the happy smiling pink-headed girl. For a moment Usagi's sadness melted away and it looked as if she might smile, but her friends quickly found out that it didn't last and her sorrow shortly returned.
"Chibi-Usa," Usagi whispered as her voice cracked and a tear rolled down her cheek. She dropped the picture upon the bed and brought her head to rest on her knees as she began to cry.
"I'm sorry," Hotaru said with sorrow in her voice as her head fell and she retreated to the back of the room.
"It's alright," Setsuna told the dark headed girl beside her, but Hotaru remained saddened.
"Maybe you should all leave," Mamoru told them as he started to herd them out the door.
Rei stood off to the side as everyone left the room. Soon only she remained in the room with the blonde. Without looking up at Usagi she began to speak, "We were only trying to protect you since we couldn't do that when it came to Galaxia. We are all very sorry. It was our duty and we failed. I'd give my life to change what happened... but I can't." She dropped the package she was holding on the bed. A tear trickled down Rei's face and landed on top of it. "Please, cheer up Usagi, it's what you do best," she said before leaving the room.
"I'm sorry," Hotaru told Mamoru as he entered the living room. "I shouldn't have brought that picture."
"Don't worry Hotaru," he said, "that's the closest I've seen her come to smiling all week."
The dark headed girl looked up at him with a small sad smile upon her lips.
"I hate to have all of you come all this way for nothing," he told them.
Mina replied, "We had to try."
Mamoru nodded in response and said, "I hate to ask you to leave now, but I really must prepare Usagi's dinner. If I don't bring it to her she won't eat."
"There's no need," Makoto assured him as she held out a plastic container that was covered with a matching lid. "My present was food. I thought it might cheer her up, although now I doubt it will do much of that," she said as she sighed.
"Thanks anyway," Mamoru replied as he took the food from her hands and walked over to the door, opening it so they could leave.
"Wait," Mina said, "What should we do with the rest of the gifts?"
"I'll take them and give them to her later," he told them. "Maybe if I'm lucky one of them will cheer her up for more than a couple of seconds."
One by one the guests began to file out of the door each placing their packages in Mamoru's arms before leaving.
"Please inform us if there is any change," Ami said as she gave him her gift and walked out the door.
"I'll be sure to," he replied.
As Setsuna reached the door she turned towards Mamoru and said, "I'll drop back by soon." With that she gave him the package she was holding and continued walking out of the house.
Rei was the last to leave. "I left it with Usagi," is all she said before walking out the door.
With his arms full he slowly closed the door behind her, being cautious not to drop any of the gifts. He carefully placed them on the kitchen counter before grabbing Makoto's food and heading to the bedroom so he could tend to his wife.