Sailor Moon
"Reflections of a Red Rose"
By: NeoMoon
Rated: PG-13
Chapter Twenty-Two:
Her back arched, her body writhing on the bed. She screamed again, tearing out his heart as he
quickly made his way to the bed. "Usako!"
She screamed again, as his arms grabbed her shoulders. "Usako!" He screamed while he shook her.
"Usako!"
Her eyes shoot open, looking directly at him. "Don't touch me!" She screamed and pushed him
away, then rolled to the far side of the bed and sat up, her back against the headboard. She
stared at him her eyes wild, her chest rising and falling rapidly. An animal run into a corner.
"Usako." Mamoru said quietly, and moved his arm toward her. "It's me Mamoru."
Her hand moved faster then he could see pushing his away from her. "I know damn well who you
are!" She yelled, tears starting to well up in her eyes. "So stay away from me!"
Mamoru stepped back, more from shock then anything else. "What?"
"Usako." Came Chi's voice from the doorway. "What's wrong, what happened?" She asked, as she
moved over to the bed, sitting on it next to Usagi. "You can tell me, it's all right." She said
softly, like a mother soothing her child after a nightmare.
The tears that had welled up in her broke free and ran down her face. She lunged at Chi,
wrapping her arms around the girl and sobbed. "I'm so sorry."
Chi looked up at Mamoru. He simply nodded, and silently left the two girls alone in the room.
Chi's hand ran down Usagi's hair, she whispered simple assurance, and let her friend cry, rocking
back and forth every so often. Finally Chi gently pushed her friend back, and held her arms.
"What is it Usako, what happened?"
Usagi Looked at her, her eyes growing hard. She pushed Chi away from her and jumped off the bed.
"I - I can't you." She said. "Please Chi, just - just." Usagi shook her head, and turned for
the door. "Forget about me." She whispered as she left the room. Seconds passed and she could
hear the front door slamming.
Usa switched the grocery bag from one hand to the other as she quickly took a drag of her
cigarette and looked up the street at Mamoru's apartment building.
She stood by the main doors, finishing her cigarette off when the door burst opened and Usagi ran
out, and stopped." I'm sorry Usa, I really am." She said, her voice low and tired.
Usa let the cigarette fall to the ground, and stepped closer to the woman that would be her
mother, lifting her hand to grab her if need be. In a second her hand vanished and reappeared.
"Oh shit." Usa whispered, as she stared at her hand, the grocery bag slipping out of the other.
Usagi looked at her, tears were running down her face. "I'm sorry." She said again, then ran
off of into the darkened street.
Usa stood there stunned, her eyes going from her hand to where Usagi had run. Slowly her hand
dropped to her side, and she quickly fished the cigarettes from her pocket.
Setsuna wrapped her arms around her chest as a chill wind swept by. "It's started." She
whispered, and turned to look at Hotoru who was sitting on the balcony's edge. The young girl
nodded, and continued to stare at the clear night sky. "Poor Usa." She said softly. She shook
her head and looked at Setsuna. "We knew it would." She said as she pushed herself up and swung
onto the balcony. Setsuna let herself smile at the girls vitally. "Do think we should have told
them?" She said.
Hotoru shook her head. "I'm just a kid how should I know." The young girl offered Setsuna a
smile, then continued. "Honestly though, I don't know."
Setsuna sighed and leaned against the railing, and looked up at the pale crescent moon. "Too
much is happening to fast, I don't know if the correct timeline will emerge from this."
Hotoru leaned next to her, looking into the house, her small smile fading as she watched Micheru
couching on thee couch, the towel that had rested on her forehead falling to the floor. "You
mean, this wasn't supposed to happen?"
"Believe it or not little one, time isn't unmovable." Setsuna said her voice low and hushed, as
it always was when she spoke of her job. "As much as I wish it was."
Hotoru flipped around, and through her arm around her friend and mentor. "If there is one thing
you've taught me is that things always come out in the end." She said with a large smile.
Setsuna let out a small laugh, and scuffed the small girl's hair.
The balcony door slid open behind them and both women turned. Micheru, stood in the entranceway,
a blanket wrapped tightly around her, her face beading with sweat. She smiled weakly at them and
walked out, almost falling with her first step.
Hotoru ran to her almost immediately, and helped her stay up. "You should be laying down." She
scolded.
Micheru waved her suggestion away, and looked down at the girl, her smile growing. "I would of
thought you of all people would understand how boring bed rest can be."
Hotoru blushed and stuck her tongue out playfully then helped her friend to the railing.
"You sure you're alright?" Setsuna asked as she moved over to give Micheru room.
The woman sighed, and looked directly at her friend. "No, I'm dying, but some clean air can't do
me any harm." She said in a rough agitated voice.
Hotoru smiled. "Micheru we're in Tokyo, clean air doesn't exist here."
Micheru laughed, and looked at her. "Damn, that's true." She sighed, and her eyes became
serious. "I don't know how much longer I can hold out. Either the Galaxia's darkness will take
control of me, or I'll die." She shook her head, and turned around to look out at the clear
night. "Either way I want you to know I love you all."
"How sweet." Said a cold voice from behind them.
"Haruka." Micheru said, not even turning around.
Hotoru looked at Haruka then back at Micheru. "If you want . . ." She said, letting her voice
trail off.
Micheru shook her head, and turned to face her love. "Why are you here?" She asked.
Haruka smiled and pushed Hotoru out of her way as she walked to her love, placing her hand on
Micheru's cheek. "To tell you it will all be over soon and to hold on."
Hotoru hissed as she pushed off the railing, her glaive appearing in her hand. Setsuna's hand
moved to her, blocking her. She looked up at the woman to see her shaking her head.
"What do you mean?" Setsuna asked.
Haruka turned and her smile grew. "What the time witch is in the dark?" She laughed, then shook
her head. "The disturbance will be gone shortly."
"You can't he cares to much for her!" Hotoru yelled, drawing Haruka's cold eyes to her.
The woman sneered. "Then you've meet her, and still Micheru is suffering!"
"It is not in or will to decide who lives and dies." Setsuna said.
Haruka laughed. "You forget, I was welling to sacrifice Usagi, or beautiful savior. One girl
means nothing to me."
"I remember my past." Hotoru said, her voice quiet, almost withdrawn. "I remember having to
destroy countless worlds." She looked up at Haruka, her eyes welling with tears. "It was my
job, and it still hurt me! So I can't believe that you can so willing take a life!"
Haruka smiled, and turned her back on those she once called friends. "Maybe you aren't cut out
for the job then." She said coldly as she jumped of the balcony and disappeared.
Hotoru opened her hand, the glaive disappeared and she ran over to the balcony's edge and looked
over. "Damn!" She hissed and turned to see Micheru crumpled on the ground, crying.
She dropped down next to her friend, and through her arm around her. "It will be alright." She
said, knowing in her mind that things may never again be close to right. She looked up at
Setsuna; the woman nodded and knelt down on Micheru's other side. "Come on, lets get you inside,
I draw you a nice bath."
"Yeah." Hotoru said as she helped her stand. "And I'll make some tea."
Micheru looked at her, her eyes serious. "You trying to kill me?" She said, a weak smile
passing her lips.
Makoto turned as she heard a door open. Not because she had a visitor, but because there was no
door. "You." She whispered.
The red haired woman walked toward her, and collapsed in the bed with a long groan. She looked
over a Makoto and smiled weakly. "He's stubborn." She said then sat up. "But then, I already
know he'll come to me."
Makoto smiled and walked toward the blazing fire, letting it heat the chill that the woman's
confidence had brought to her. "Mamoru loves Usagi with all his heart, he'll never leave her."
She said, hoping that she sounded half as confident as the woman.
The woman shook her head. "He'll come."
"And why do you believe that?"
"Because." The woman said in a matter of fact tone. "When it comes to love, blood runs deep."
Usagi ran blindly down the neon lit streets, not caring that she was lost, not caring that the
landscape around her told her she was somewhere she wouldn't normally want to be. She slowed her
pace to a walk and quickly wiped the tears from her face.
"Usagi! Usagi-chan!" Some screamed from behind her.
Usagi turned to see Minako running toward her. The girl stopped, her hands falling to her knees
as she fought to catch her breath. She looked up at Usagi and smiled. "I've been running after
you for the last eight blocks." She said through gasps of air. "You ever think of joining the
track team?"
Usagi let a small laugh escape her lips. "What are you doing?"
Minako picked herself up and sighed. "Well, I was going to go to a nightclub, but . . ."
Usagi shook her head. "Don't worry about me."
Minako smiled." I got an idea, you want to come with me?"
"I don't . . ." Usagi started.
"Come on it will be fun!" Minako insisted.
Usagi let out a sigh of defeat and nodded. "Alright, I need a distraction anyway."
"Great." Minako said with a smile that chilled Usagi.
"Reflections of a Red Rose"
By: NeoMoon
Rated: PG-13
Chapter Twenty-Two:
Her back arched, her body writhing on the bed. She screamed again, tearing out his heart as he
quickly made his way to the bed. "Usako!"
She screamed again, as his arms grabbed her shoulders. "Usako!" He screamed while he shook her.
"Usako!"
Her eyes shoot open, looking directly at him. "Don't touch me!" She screamed and pushed him
away, then rolled to the far side of the bed and sat up, her back against the headboard. She
stared at him her eyes wild, her chest rising and falling rapidly. An animal run into a corner.
"Usako." Mamoru said quietly, and moved his arm toward her. "It's me Mamoru."
Her hand moved faster then he could see pushing his away from her. "I know damn well who you
are!" She yelled, tears starting to well up in her eyes. "So stay away from me!"
Mamoru stepped back, more from shock then anything else. "What?"
"Usako." Came Chi's voice from the doorway. "What's wrong, what happened?" She asked, as she
moved over to the bed, sitting on it next to Usagi. "You can tell me, it's all right." She said
softly, like a mother soothing her child after a nightmare.
The tears that had welled up in her broke free and ran down her face. She lunged at Chi,
wrapping her arms around the girl and sobbed. "I'm so sorry."
Chi looked up at Mamoru. He simply nodded, and silently left the two girls alone in the room.
Chi's hand ran down Usagi's hair, she whispered simple assurance, and let her friend cry, rocking
back and forth every so often. Finally Chi gently pushed her friend back, and held her arms.
"What is it Usako, what happened?"
Usagi Looked at her, her eyes growing hard. She pushed Chi away from her and jumped off the bed.
"I - I can't you." She said. "Please Chi, just - just." Usagi shook her head, and turned for
the door. "Forget about me." She whispered as she left the room. Seconds passed and she could
hear the front door slamming.
Usa switched the grocery bag from one hand to the other as she quickly took a drag of her
cigarette and looked up the street at Mamoru's apartment building.
She stood by the main doors, finishing her cigarette off when the door burst opened and Usagi ran
out, and stopped." I'm sorry Usa, I really am." She said, her voice low and tired.
Usa let the cigarette fall to the ground, and stepped closer to the woman that would be her
mother, lifting her hand to grab her if need be. In a second her hand vanished and reappeared.
"Oh shit." Usa whispered, as she stared at her hand, the grocery bag slipping out of the other.
Usagi looked at her, tears were running down her face. "I'm sorry." She said again, then ran
off of into the darkened street.
Usa stood there stunned, her eyes going from her hand to where Usagi had run. Slowly her hand
dropped to her side, and she quickly fished the cigarettes from her pocket.
Setsuna wrapped her arms around her chest as a chill wind swept by. "It's started." She
whispered, and turned to look at Hotoru who was sitting on the balcony's edge. The young girl
nodded, and continued to stare at the clear night sky. "Poor Usa." She said softly. She shook
her head and looked at Setsuna. "We knew it would." She said as she pushed herself up and swung
onto the balcony. Setsuna let herself smile at the girls vitally. "Do think we should have told
them?" She said.
Hotoru shook her head. "I'm just a kid how should I know." The young girl offered Setsuna a
smile, then continued. "Honestly though, I don't know."
Setsuna sighed and leaned against the railing, and looked up at the pale crescent moon. "Too
much is happening to fast, I don't know if the correct timeline will emerge from this."
Hotoru leaned next to her, looking into the house, her small smile fading as she watched Micheru
couching on thee couch, the towel that had rested on her forehead falling to the floor. "You
mean, this wasn't supposed to happen?"
"Believe it or not little one, time isn't unmovable." Setsuna said her voice low and hushed, as
it always was when she spoke of her job. "As much as I wish it was."
Hotoru flipped around, and through her arm around her friend and mentor. "If there is one thing
you've taught me is that things always come out in the end." She said with a large smile.
Setsuna let out a small laugh, and scuffed the small girl's hair.
The balcony door slid open behind them and both women turned. Micheru, stood in the entranceway,
a blanket wrapped tightly around her, her face beading with sweat. She smiled weakly at them and
walked out, almost falling with her first step.
Hotoru ran to her almost immediately, and helped her stay up. "You should be laying down." She
scolded.
Micheru waved her suggestion away, and looked down at the girl, her smile growing. "I would of
thought you of all people would understand how boring bed rest can be."
Hotoru blushed and stuck her tongue out playfully then helped her friend to the railing.
"You sure you're alright?" Setsuna asked as she moved over to give Micheru room.
The woman sighed, and looked directly at her friend. "No, I'm dying, but some clean air can't do
me any harm." She said in a rough agitated voice.
Hotoru smiled. "Micheru we're in Tokyo, clean air doesn't exist here."
Micheru laughed, and looked at her. "Damn, that's true." She sighed, and her eyes became
serious. "I don't know how much longer I can hold out. Either the Galaxia's darkness will take
control of me, or I'll die." She shook her head, and turned around to look out at the clear
night. "Either way I want you to know I love you all."
"How sweet." Said a cold voice from behind them.
"Haruka." Micheru said, not even turning around.
Hotoru looked at Haruka then back at Micheru. "If you want . . ." She said, letting her voice
trail off.
Micheru shook her head, and turned to face her love. "Why are you here?" She asked.
Haruka smiled and pushed Hotoru out of her way as she walked to her love, placing her hand on
Micheru's cheek. "To tell you it will all be over soon and to hold on."
Hotoru hissed as she pushed off the railing, her glaive appearing in her hand. Setsuna's hand
moved to her, blocking her. She looked up at the woman to see her shaking her head.
"What do you mean?" Setsuna asked.
Haruka turned and her smile grew. "What the time witch is in the dark?" She laughed, then shook
her head. "The disturbance will be gone shortly."
"You can't he cares to much for her!" Hotoru yelled, drawing Haruka's cold eyes to her.
The woman sneered. "Then you've meet her, and still Micheru is suffering!"
"It is not in or will to decide who lives and dies." Setsuna said.
Haruka laughed. "You forget, I was welling to sacrifice Usagi, or beautiful savior. One girl
means nothing to me."
"I remember my past." Hotoru said, her voice quiet, almost withdrawn. "I remember having to
destroy countless worlds." She looked up at Haruka, her eyes welling with tears. "It was my
job, and it still hurt me! So I can't believe that you can so willing take a life!"
Haruka smiled, and turned her back on those she once called friends. "Maybe you aren't cut out
for the job then." She said coldly as she jumped of the balcony and disappeared.
Hotoru opened her hand, the glaive disappeared and she ran over to the balcony's edge and looked
over. "Damn!" She hissed and turned to see Micheru crumpled on the ground, crying.
She dropped down next to her friend, and through her arm around her. "It will be alright." She
said, knowing in her mind that things may never again be close to right. She looked up at
Setsuna; the woman nodded and knelt down on Micheru's other side. "Come on, lets get you inside,
I draw you a nice bath."
"Yeah." Hotoru said as she helped her stand. "And I'll make some tea."
Micheru looked at her, her eyes serious. "You trying to kill me?" She said, a weak smile
passing her lips.
Makoto turned as she heard a door open. Not because she had a visitor, but because there was no
door. "You." She whispered.
The red haired woman walked toward her, and collapsed in the bed with a long groan. She looked
over a Makoto and smiled weakly. "He's stubborn." She said then sat up. "But then, I already
know he'll come to me."
Makoto smiled and walked toward the blazing fire, letting it heat the chill that the woman's
confidence had brought to her. "Mamoru loves Usagi with all his heart, he'll never leave her."
She said, hoping that she sounded half as confident as the woman.
The woman shook her head. "He'll come."
"And why do you believe that?"
"Because." The woman said in a matter of fact tone. "When it comes to love, blood runs deep."
Usagi ran blindly down the neon lit streets, not caring that she was lost, not caring that the
landscape around her told her she was somewhere she wouldn't normally want to be. She slowed her
pace to a walk and quickly wiped the tears from her face.
"Usagi! Usagi-chan!" Some screamed from behind her.
Usagi turned to see Minako running toward her. The girl stopped, her hands falling to her knees
as she fought to catch her breath. She looked up at Usagi and smiled. "I've been running after
you for the last eight blocks." She said through gasps of air. "You ever think of joining the
track team?"
Usagi let a small laugh escape her lips. "What are you doing?"
Minako picked herself up and sighed. "Well, I was going to go to a nightclub, but . . ."
Usagi shook her head. "Don't worry about me."
Minako smiled." I got an idea, you want to come with me?"
"I don't . . ." Usagi started.
"Come on it will be fun!" Minako insisted.
Usagi let out a sigh of defeat and nodded. "Alright, I need a distraction anyway."
"Great." Minako said with a smile that chilled Usagi.