The Truths of Love: Chapter three
Disclaimer: I don't own Sailor Moon. Never have, never will, so please don't sue me.
Four girls sat around a table in the Crown Arcade and Cafe, discussing the disappearance of their other friend, Usagi Tsukino.
"You guys, I'm really worried," Rei Hino muttered to the rest of the girls. "I mean, sure, Usagi misses a meeting every once in awhile, and sure she is a bit absentminded at times, but this is the fifth meeting she has missed, and I haven't even seen her in a week now." Rei's usual nonchalant attitude was gone as she confided her worries and fears to the rest of the group.
Ami Mizuno nodded her head, her azure eyes filled with worry. Though Ami was usually the rational member of the group, right now she was as concerned as everyone else was. She let out a soft, worried sigh as she said, "It's unlike her to miss so many, and what worries me even more is that I haven't even heard from her."
At that point, Motoki Furuhata, manager of the Crown Arcade and Café, came over bearing a tray of food.
"Here you go everyone. A small order of fries and a chocolate milkshake for Rei, and a small cheeseburger, everything on it for Makoto. Ami, a small hot chocolate, and Minako, two hamburgers ketchup only, a large order of fries, and a large diet soda."
The four girls smiled distractedly at Motoki as they took their food from him and resumed their conversation as he began to walk away.
"Where could she be?" Makoto asked worriedly. Being not only the tallest of the group of girls, but also the one most like the mother of the group, her response to Usagi being missing wasn't unusual. And while Usagi was good friends with everyone in the group, to Makoto, Usagi was like a little sister, or even a daughter. "What if she's sick, or running a fever, or has hypothermia, or--"
"Relax, Mako, I'm sure Usagi is fine," Minako said soothingly. "She probably just went on a vacation to get away from the stress she is going through right now, what with her family being killed in the flight and all."
Motoki paused as he listened to the girls talk, and the name Usagi brought up the memory of his conversation with Mamoru last night, and the problem that the friend had been having. Unable to help himself, he walked back over to the table.
"Girls, I got an interesting call from Mamoru last night. He says a friend of his found someone that others thought was missing. When he went to call the friends, the person he found asked him not to call them, because she said she was a burden to them. However, I get the impression that the friend is actually Mamoru himself, and from what I...ah... overheard of your conversation, I believe he may have found Usagi."
Silence greeted Motoki as he finished talking, and then, suddenly, there was an explosion of angry voices.
"He what?!"
"And he didn't tell or even call us?!"
"The nerve of him!" Makoto shouted, her fist clenched.
"I'm sure he had a good reason..."
Motoki patiently waited until the outbursts came to an end before he began speaking once more.
"Why don't you go talk to him, and find out what the situation is? It might just be that it really is a friend that found someone," he said reasonably.
"Motoki is right," Ami, always the voice of reason, said quietly. "We'll just go talk to him and find out what is going on."
That said, the four girls stood up and headed to the exit of the Crown Arcade, leaving Motoki to stare after them, shaking his head slightly and wondering what he had just done.
Mamoru was awakened to the sound of fists pounding on the door to his apartment.
"Mamoru let us in right now!" Came the muffled voice of Makoto from the other side of the door.
"Mamoru, we just want to talk to you," Ami's voice came.
Muttering to himself, he sat up on the guest bedroom and rubbed his eyes wearily, before trudging to the bathroom and grabbing a comb, running it through his disheveled hair before then walking to the door of his apartment and opening it up.
"What do you want?" He asked them quietly.
"You have Usagi, don't you?" Rei asked him bluntly.
Mamoru stared for a moment, reluctant to say or do anything, then with a sigh he pulled the door open and allowed the four girls to come in.
"I found her two days ago, the night that we all went out searching for her in the rain. She was in the park, curled up under a bush, unconscious. I wanted to call you guys to let you all know she was safe, and to see if you wanted to come and take care of her, but she told me not to. She begged me not to call any of you, because, her words were that she was a bother to you. I didn't know what to do, so I called Motoki."
The girls were silent, taking in this new information before Ami nodded once.
"Can we see her, Mamoru?" Minako asked softly.
Mamoru looked at the door to the bedroom, where Usagi had gotten to sleep only an hour before, and regretfully shook his head.
"Not now. I'm sorry, but she only just got to bed. She's been having nightmares lately, and all I gathered is that someone is after her. But whenever she wakes up, she won't talk to me about it, she just wraps her arms around her legs and rocks back and forth, crying softly. I don't know what to do, you guys. If you want to stay here for awhile until she wakes--"
At that moment a blood curdling scream rang through the apartment, and Mamoru jumped to his feet.
"It's happening again," he murmured quietly. "The nightmare she's been having."
Quickly he walked to the bedroom and opened the door, running to Usagi's side and holding her body to him, as had become routine. He held her in his arms as she thrashed, until her eyes flew open and she looked at him, and then, for the first time, she whispered something.
"He's going to find me. Please, Mamoru... don't let him hurt me anymore... don't let Matt hurt me anymore..." Her voice trailed off as sobs consumed her body. Mamoru just held her tighter, his mind swimming.
'Matt did this to her?! But why? Why would he do this? It makes no sense.' He thought.
"Don't worry, Usagi. I'll protect you. He won't find you here, and he will never hurt you again. I promise," Mamoru whispered softly against the top of her head.
Unbeknownst to the two in the bedroom, the four girls in Mamoru's apartment watched the scene quietly, their eyes filled with unhappiness.
As Mamoru laid Usagi back down, the girl now sleeping once more, the girls retreated back to the den, where they sat quietly, Minako and Makoto on the couch, Rei perched on the chair, and Ami on the floor. Mamoru walked quietly into the den as well, running a hand through his hair with a sigh.
"That's how it's been both days," he said quietly, not meeting anyone's gaze. "Almost every time she goes to sleep, nightmares haunt her dreams. The only time she gets a decent rest is when she is too emotionally and physically drained from the nightmares to think of anything as she sleeps. She'll sleep now without dreams." He paused and looked up at the girls, his eyes filled with bitterness. "He did this to her. That bastard hurt her, and she'll never be the same again. And it's my fault. I should have listened to her when she tried to tell me... I should have known she wouldn't lie..." He banged his fist on the end table he was standing next to, venting his frustration and confusion.
The four girls watched Mamoru silently. Finally Ami stood up and walked over to Mamoru, placing a hand on his shoulder.
"Mamoru, how could you have known? You and Matt have been good friends, and he's never done this before. It was only reasonable that you defended Matt. Look. It's not your fault. And none of us blame you for anything that has happened." She shot a glare at the other girls, who up until this time had been quiet, averting their gaze from Mamoru.
Minako stood up and walked to Mamoru as well, laying her hand on his other shoulder, before gently pulling him into a hug.
"Ami's right. It's not your fault. You couldn't have known what was going to happen. And thank you for taking care of our Usagi." Minako pulled back and gave Mamoru a soft kiss on the cheek. "We appreciate it."
Mamoru gave a small nod, and then walked to his recliner, where he promptly collapsed upon it and put his head in his hands.
"What am I going to do? I can't leave her. And I can't give her to you. It's not that I don't trust you, but she would freak out... She'd run away, and hurt herself more. I'm sorry, but for the time being, she has to stay here."
Makoto nodded after a moment. "We understand, Mamoru. But... would it be ok if we checked in on her every once in awhile? Not all of us together, but maybe two or three?"
Mamoru hesitated for a moment, and then nodded. "I don't see why not."
The girls nodded and then stood, heading for the door.
"We'll be back later, then, Mamoru. And thank you again."
With that, the girls walked out of the apartment, leaving Mamoru alone with Usagi once more.
Sighing, Mamoru walked to the guest bedroom once more, lying down on the guest bed, and closing his eyes. His thoughts drifted as he slowly sank into the deep state of sleep.
Her eyes opened slowly, and she looked around, taking in her surroundings.
She was in a bedroom, that much was obvious. There was the bed she was laying on, pushed to the far corner of the room, and there was a clothes chest, made of mahogany, directly beside the bed. On the other side of the room, there was a small closet, the doors thrown open, showing shirts and pants neatly hung and put away. The room itself was a dark blue, the wood paneling around the room off white. Beside the closet, there was a door, and as she got up, she went to check where it led to, and wasn't surprised when she found it led to a bathroom.
The bathroom was a beautiful cream in color and at the far end of it was a tub made of porcelain, with two tabs marked for hot or cold. There was a soft, fluffy rug outside of the shower, which was big enough to hold three or four people. Beside the toilet stood an ornate marble sink, the tabs gold plated.
Usagi shook her head in amazement at the ornate details around the room, wondering just how much a place like this must cost. It was definitely a far cry from the apartment she lived in, that was for sure.
Walking out of the bathroom and closing the door behind her, she walked over to the window that was beside the bed, looking down several stories to the ground below. Again, she shook her head as she realized this must have been one of the better rooms, for none of the noise from the city made its way to the room where she stood. Walking quietly to the only other door in the room, she opened it to find the hallway looming before her.
Walking out the door and down the hallway, she passed the guestroom, the door of it wide open. Sticking her head in, she winced when she saw the body underneath the covers, but then realized that it couldn't possibly be Matt, because he didn't live in this nice of a place. She walked into the room, trying to figure out who it was, and when she saw the tuft of ebon colored hair, a small smile appeared on her face.
'Mamo-chan,' she thought, 'thank you so much for helping me.'
Walking out of the room, she continued down the hallway, looking into the den. The walls of the den were a deep, forest green, the furniture in the room consisting of two couches, a recliner and a chair, all of them in soft shades of greens. A small table of mahogany wood sat at the back of the rectangular room, with four chairs around it.
Walking towards the table, she spotted a small cabinet with pictures on it, and she walked over to examine them. The first thing that caught her eye was a picture that was flipped down, and she frowned and moved to pick it up... and muffled a scream when the face of Matt LaClare looked out at her, smirking faintly up at the camera with his arm around Mamoru.
Biting the inside of her cheek, and knowing how foolish she was acting, but unable to help it, she turned the picture upside down again. Continuing to look at the other pictures, her brow furrowed as she realized something: there were no pictures of his parents, or, for that matter, of anyone in his family. There were scattered pictures of him and Motoki, and him and herself and the other girls, as well as a picture of him and a tall, skinny guy with aqua colored eyes and dark brown hair, who must have been the Riku character Mamoru had mentioned once or twice. But there were none of him and his parents. Shrugging, she made a mental note to ask him about that later. In the meantime, she would continue to look around the place where she was staying.
Walking into the kitchen, she looked around in awe, and the only thing she could think of was, 'Makoto would DIE to be able to cook here.' And indeed, it was like a paradise for cooks.
The latest in stove and oven technology was there. The refrigerator reached up to the ceiling, and the cupboards, upon inspection, were filled with every kind of food you could imagine. Usagi's eyebrow rose. 'He eats all of this?' She thought to herself with a wry smile. 'Interesting.' Smiling to herself, she finished the tour of the house, which consisted of another bathroom, two more guestrooms, and a study.
Walking back to the room where she was staying, she laid on the bed, feeling comfortable for the first time in awhile. Closing her eyes, she attempted to get back to sleep.
She was dreaming again.
She was in a field, the long grass blowing gently in the wind. There were brightly colored flowers all over the place, and she laughed gleefully as she bent, picking flowers left and right, making a wreathe of flowers which she set upon her head with a smile. Her friends were behind her, all four of them, each dressed in a different color dress.
Ami was dressed in a light blue, renaissance style dress, with the bodice finished under the breasts, and the rest of the fabric flowing down from there, split in half down the middle, and a darker blue where the light blue wasn't covering. In her short, azure colored hair she had a small lotus blossom.
Rei was in a dress of blood red, a spaghetti strap style gown that hung down just past her knees. Around her waist was a small red sash, which pulled the whole look together. On her feet she had red high heels, completing her outfit. Her long black hair was hanging down past her waist, and in total giving her the look of a dark angel. Her violet eyes were alight with laughter that Usagi had never seen in them before, as they were always so serious.
Makoto was dressed in a strapless forest green dress, accentuating her figure perfectly. Near the bottom of the dress was pink beading in the design of many flowers, flowing down the side and to the bottom of the dress. On her feet were small green slippers, perfect for walking through the meadow. Her auburn hair was pulled up into a ponytail on the top of her head, held in place with a green clip.
Minako was wearing a two piece orange gown, the top a softer shade of orange than the bottom was. The gown was made of the softest silks, and rippled softly with each move that she made. Her long blonde hair was pulled back into a French braid that ran halfway down her back, before it was sopped and the rest of her hair was let loose. On her feet were yellow high heeled shoes, held on with a small strap across the middle of her foot.
Usagi's own dress was a brilliant white in color, sparkling as she moved. Her head was thrown back in laughter, and her silvery blonde hair was pulled up into its usual odangos, the pigtails hanging down her back to the backs of her knees. On her feet were silver high heels. Around her neck hung a silver necklace, a small silver locket hanging in the middle.
Everyone around her was laughing and having a great time, talking and joking. Usagi sat back, watching her friends meandering through the meadow without a care in the world. The sky overhead was a brilliant blue, fluffy white clouds dotting the sky. The weather was pleasantly warm, not hot, and not cold, but just the right temperature.
Then, suddenly, everything changed.
The sky overhead turned red, and the temperature was suddenly blazing hot. The grass under Usagi's feet shriveled up and died from the immense head, and the wreathe of flowers withered and died, falling off of her head and into her hands. Looking around for her friends, she was greeted with a horrific sight: Minako, Ami, Rei and Makoto were dead, their throats slashed and their eyes wide with terror.
Usagi pressed a fist to her mouth, muffling a scream, and turned to run. Overhead, the sky was suddenly filled with the cruel face of Matt LaClare.
"Do you see what you've caused, bunny? Everyone you care about is dead now. You have no one left. No one at all. I will find you, little bunny, and you won't be able to get away again. And I will make you regret leaving me..."
Usagi ran wildly through the meadow, coming to the safety of the forest, and she slumped against the tree, crying, her body wracked with sobs. Hearing a branch crack nearby, she turned to run the other way, and ran directly into Matt LaClare's arms.
"Got you..." He hissed menacingly in her ear.
Usagi screamed.
Usagi sat bolt upright in the bed, her face bathed in sweat, her body tangled in the sheets of the bed. Her eyes were wide and terrified, and she stood up quickly, tripping over her feet and running to the guest bedroom where Mamoru was still sleeping. Running to the side of the bed, tripping over her own feet, tears streaming down her face, she touched his shoulder.
"Mamoru. Mamo-chan! Please, wake up! Please!" At the touch of her hand, Mamoru's body fell over, and she was looking into the dead eyes of the only person she'd had left in the world.
Usagi fell back with a yell, tears pouring out of her eyes.
"No, no, this isn't happening! It's not happening! He's not dead, he can't be!"
"Oh, but he is, little bunny," came the voice Usagi dreaded most. "Mamoru is dead."
"I don't believe you! No, no he's fine! He's not dead! He can't be!"
"He is, Usagi. He's gone. Come back to me Usagi."
"No, no..." she moaned softly.
"Usagi... Usagi..."
"Usagi... Usagi..." a soft voice called her name.
Usagi's eyes opened. The room was bathed in a soft light, and she looked around, and into the worried eyes of Mamoru.
"Mamoru..." she breathed softly. "But... but you were dead! I saw you! And... HE was here, and he told me you were dead, and I saw you and..." Her voice trailed off into sobs.
Mamoru held her close, whispering softly into her hair, softly stroking her back, holding her as she wept in his arms. "It was a nightmare, Usako. Just a nightmare. I'm fine; you're fine, nothing is wrong."
After a few minutes, Usagi's breathing slowed down to normal and her tears slowly came to a stop. She lay back down on the bed, her eyes open, tears still leaking down her face, but no longer with the harsh racking sobs that she'd been having before.
"Mamoru," she whispered through lips swollen from crying. "Please... don't leave me...stay with me..."
He hesitated for only a moment, and then nodded, laying beside her and hugging her body close to his.
At first, her body tensed at his touch, but after a few moments, she slowly relaxed, and leaned further into his arms, closing her eyes, her breathing slowing still more, until it was a deep, even pace.
Mamoru listened to the steady sound of Usagi's breathing, broken only by the occasional sob. Closing his eyes, and with his arms still around her, he slowly drifted off into a deep sleep.