The Truths of Love: Chapter two

Disclaimer: I don't own Sailor Moon. Never have, never will, so please don't sue me.

Usagi was floating. Floating in a sea of endless pain and darkness, and she didn't know if she would ever surface from this desolate abyss of nothingness. But something was calling her back. Something was trying to pull her out of this dismal place, and she reached for that thing, struggling against all that tried to hold her back, to hold her in this place.

With a gasp, her eyes flew open, and she was staring into the most beautiful pair of eyes she had ever seen. They were a deep, dark blue, and swimming with concern and fear. Those eyes anchored her. They kept her in the present for right now, and they were her only life line.

"M-Mamoru," she managed to say, though it came out as more of a croak than an intelligent word.

"Usa-chan, you're alright," Mamoru breathed. "Well, you're alive, at any rate," he amended. "Tell me what I can do for you. What do you want? What do you need? What can I--"

His voice was cut off as Usagi whimpered in fear and turned onto her side, curling up in a ball, pressing her fists to her ears.

"Go away! Just go away and leave me alone! I...I need to be alone!" She muttered, tossing fretfully on the bed, her forehead bathed in a light sheen of sweat. "Yes, go away, leave me alone, that's all. Don't hurt me anymore, please!" she cried out, and wrapped her arms around herself, curling tighter into a ball, tears leaking down her face.

Mamoru was genuinely shocked. What had happened to her? What had turned his bubbly, beautiful young Usagi into this frightened rabbit who leapt at every shadow?

"Usagi-chan..." He tried putting his hand on her shoulder only to have Usagi shrug it off, and retreat deeper into herself, her shaking becoming more intense, more sobs becoming louder at each attempt he made to comfort her, until he finally gave up and retreated from the room, shutting the door quietly behind him.

She was alone in the room. Uncurling from where she was in the bed, she lay straight, staring blankly up at the ceiling. 'I am alone,' she thought to herself. 'There is nothing left for me. Everyone is gone... the girls... mother and father and Shingo... oh, gods, Shingo... he's left me alone, dying in the plane crash that killed my parents as well...I'll never get to see him again, his sparkling eyes and his unruly head of hair... they've all left me, and now Matt has betrayed my trust, too. And now, I've pushed Mamoru away. The one person I might have had had left in the world is gone now. And I have no one to blame but myself.'

"M-Mamoru... come back..." she tried to call out, but her voice wouldn't work anymore. All that she could do was emit a soft kind of moan. So, giving up on being able to call him back, she closed her eyes and slipped into a dream filled sleep.

He was after her. She knew it, even as she would run further and further. She could feel him surrounding her, his dark laugh echoing around her.

"I'm coming for you, little bunny. You won't escape from me," his mocking voice called out to her. She ran around a corner... and straight into the chest of the person she dreaded most. Matt LaClare. There he was, holding her, a dangerous glint in his eyes. "I've caught you little bunny..."

Usagi screamed.

Mamoru had been sitting on the couch in his living room, contemplating what to do next. 'I can't call her friends... she asked me not to, and I won't betray her. What about her family? I could call them.' He thought to himself. He was about to reach for the phone when a blood curdling scream rang through his apartment.

"Usagi!" He cried, running to the bedroom and flinging the door open.

She was lying on the bed, her arms and legs flailing in the throes of a deep nightmare, unable to wake herself and bring her back to the present. Running to her side, he grabbed hold of her shoulders and pulled her to himself, holding her against his chest, trying to calm her thrashing.

Her eyes jerked open, her breathing harsh, uneven, and she looked around wildly, trying to remember where she was. That was when she realized she was being held. She muffled a scream and looked up, her eyes wide with terror. 'He's found me! He's taking me back, and I won't be able to get away again!' was her first thought. But then she realized that whoever it was that was holding her was whispering soft, soothing nothings into her hair.

'That's not right,' her mind said. 'Matt wouldn't do that. Which means that this isn't Matt... so... who is it?'

Finally able to get a better hold of herself, she forced herself to look up at the person holding her, and a breath she hadn't even realized she was holding was released when she saw it was Mamoru.

"Mamoru... I thought you were gone... I thought you'd left me, too!" She cried softly against his chest, clutching his shirt with both hands as she sobbed softly.

"Hush, Usako, all is well. I will never leave you," Mamoru whispered softly as she cried. Her heart wrenching sobs tore through his body, his heart going out to the young woman in front of him. As he spoke, he didn't seem to realize his use of the endearment Usako... it just felt so right, that he didn't even think.

Usagi stopped. Only one word seemed to seep through the haze of pain, sadness and loneliness she was feeling: Usako. Why would he call her that? And more importantly, how did he know that name? Only her father and Shingo ever knew it... Shingo... at the thought of her brother, her eyes welled up with tears again, and once more, she wept, but this time more from loss than from self pity.

Once her sobs died down, she was too exhausted to do anything but lay down. Her grip on Mamoru's shirt loosened and she fell onto the bed once more, her eyes closing. Soft sobs ripped through her body every once in awhile, until she fell asleep, tears still leaking down her cheeks. Mamoru watched as the girl quieted down, until nothing was left of her crying but the tear streaks on her cheeks.

He sat on the side of the bed, holding one of her hands, listening to the soft, rhythmic breathing as she slept, and decided that no matter what, he would not leave her side.

It was as he was holding her hand that he first noticed them. She had bruises, running up and down her arm. His eyes widened in shock, and he took hold of her other hand, gently tugging the sleeve of that arm back, wincing when she whimpered softly from pain, and saw the bruises on that arm as well. For a moment, all he saw was red, the rage in his body almost uncontrollable. He took a deep breath, and calmed himself as quickly as he could, but inside, he was raging.

Who the HELL would dare to harm this girl?! Who?! She was as innocent and sweet as could be! A new fear gripped him as he looked harder at the bruises on her arms and wrists, and, holding his breath, he slowly raised the top of her shirt, and his breath blew out. Hundreds of bruises covered her lower stomach and back, new and old. He lightly lowered her shirt back over her, trying to be as gentle as he could, so as not to cause her any more harm. Then, leaning over her, he placed the softest of kisses on her forehead, turned, and left the room.

Walking over to the couch, he collapsed, rubbing his face with a sigh. Who would want to hurt this girl? And why? She wouldn't harm a fly that was certain. He didn't understand, and he decided to call the only person he could. Motoki, his long time friend and companion.

Picking up the phone, Mamoru quickly dialed the phone number, and waited for Motoki to pick up.

After the third ring, there was a click.

"Hello?" Came a groggy voice from the other end of the line.

"Motoki, it's Mamoru. Look, I have to talk to you." Mamoru's voice trailed off, and he scrubbed a hand through his messy dark hair, trying to think of how he was going to put this without giving away his situation.

"I have this... this friend, right? And... he has a problem. See, he found Us... uh... he found someone that others thought was missing. He took her in, but when he went to call her friends, she told him not to, because she was a burden on them. But, something has happened to her, and I... HE'S not sure what to do. Should he call them and ask them to take care of her, or should he keep his promise, and not tell them anything? I...he needs your help, Motoki. I couldn't tell him what to do. Please, what is your advice?"

There was silence on the other end of the line, broken only by the sound of Motoki's breathing. Then there was a sigh.

"It depends, Mamoru. Is this girl a friend of his, or a complete stranger? Would she understand if he called the friends, or would she try to run away from both the friends, and the person who was caring for her, and inadvertently cause herself more pain?"

Mamoru was quiet for a moment, thinking it through. "No. She's not a stranger, but she would run away. I...he wants to keep her trust, but he doesn't know what to do. The girl is covered in bruises, and the guy can't get a hold of her family. He's at a loss of what to do, so he turned to me, and I turned to you."

Again, there was silence. Then Motoki spoke again.

"Mamoru, tell your friend that things will work themselves out. Tell him not to worry, because in one way or another, everything will come together. He's a good person to be worrying about what she'll think of him if he calls the friends, especially once he promised that he wouldn't. However, if the friends somehow find out about him having her, and they confront him about it, tell him that he shouldn't deny it. It'll get both the worry off HIS chest and the worry off of their chests as well, ne? That's about all I can tell you on this matter. I'm sorry I couldn't be of more help."

Mamoru shook his head with a wry grin. "You've been more of a help than you know, Motoki. I'll tell him what you said, and hopefully it should ease the doubts and worries he is going through right now. Good night, Motoki."

"Goodnight, Mamoru."

And with that, the two friends hung up. With a sigh, Mamoru stood and walked back to his bedroom, watching Usagi as she slept, on her stomach now, her arm draped over one of his pillows, holding it close to her like a stuffed animal. Her long, silvery blonde hair was spread out around her, framing her body with an almost ethereal glow. A small smile spread over his face and he whispered a soft goodnight to the sleeping girl, and closed the door behind him. Then he turned, walked to the guest bedroom, and prepared himself for bed.

As he lay in bed, he thought over the events of the day, from talking with Rei, Ami, Minako and Makoto to finding Usagi, beat up and alone in the park, to taking her home and comforting her as she cried, and then his talk with Motoki. Indeed, a lot had happened this day, and as he began to slip into the peaceful oblivion that was sleep, he promised himself that no matter what happened, he would protect Usagi. No matter what happened... he would... protect... Usagi...