Usagi rolled over in the bed and cuddled closer to Seiya. 'Mamo-chan,' she thought happily and sighed. Her dreams that night had all been scattered, and she was unsure of what to think. Usagi reached her hand up and gently ran it along Seiya's face with her eyes still closed. She was enjoying her moment with the one she thought was her boyfriend.
Seiya opened his eyes and froze, realizing he had been in the bed longer then he had planned. He felt his face flush red.
Usagi cuddled even closer and held her face next to Seiya's.
Seiya tried to say something, but nothing came out of his mouth as he was frozen in place.
Usagi slowly opened her eyes and stared at Seiya in front of her and quickly sat up. Growing very worried, she quickly moved over to the edge of the bed and sat on the edge of the bed. Her memories of the night were scattered.
'What happened?' Her mind screamed.
"Odango?" Seiya sat up slowly.
Usagi turned back towards him with tears in her eyes.
"Odango, are you feeling any better?" He asked, noticing the sad look on her face. "I didn't mean to stay in the bed for that long, I must have fallen asleep. I was just trying to warm you up, remember?" Seiya knew that Usagi thought that something had happened between them. "Look, we're still dressed, Usagi." He said softly.
Usagi looked down at her clothing and let out a loud sigh of relief.
"Gomen, Seiya-kun," She turned back towards him. "I should have trusted you." She smiled. "I remember how sick I was feeling last night, and you just were here to help me feel better."
"I didn't mean to make you feel uncomfortable." Seiya threw off the covers and stood up. "I'll leave if you want me to."
"Iie!" Usagi said a louder then she had planned.
Seiya looked at her oddly.
"I don't want to get lost here." She said quietly.
Seiya nodded. "Okay then, would you like to go to breakfast?"
"Breakfast?" Usagi suddenly perked up.
Seiya grinned and walked over and put on his shoes. "Well, why don't you use the mirror over there and fix your hair?"
Usagi got up out of the bed and laughed in the mirror. "Look at my hair, I'm such a mess." She picked up a brush and started to take down her hair and then brush it.
Seiya turned and watched her brush her long golden locks, and he smiled gently to himself.
Usagi finished her hair and then expertly tied it into two buns on the top of her head. Turning her head gently, side to side, she nodded. She looked in the mirror at Seiya, who was watching her with a happy expression.
"You done watching me?" She asked to the mirror image of Seiya.
Seiya blushed and looked away, and Usagi smiled. "Well, you can always fix your hair," She walked over to him and handed him the brush.
"Yeah," Seiya untied his hair and shook his head.
"Wow," Usagi sat down next to him on the bed and took a small portion of his hair in her hands.
"What?" Seiya brushed the hair on his right side.
"Your hair is so pretty," She rubbed it. "And so soft."
"Arigato," Seiya smiled.
"Can I brush it?" Usagi looked up at him.
Seiya turned towards her. "You brush it?"
She nodded.
"Uh," He thought a moment. "Sure." He handed her the brush.
"Arigato!" She squealed and took the brush and started to run it through Seiya's long locks. Seiya closed his eyes and shivered a little. Not since he was little and his Mom brushed his hair had anyone ever done that sort of a small favor.
"It's so gorgeous and black," Usagi said, sighing. "Mamo-chan would never let me brush his hair, he always said that I'd mess it up." She stopped brushing a moment and sighed ruefully. "Demo," She looked up and smiled. "You're hair is so gorgeous."
Seiya blushed slightly. "Well, I don't do much with it normally."
"I know, I know." Usagi nodded and reached her hand out to Seiya's.
"Huh?" Seiya asked.
"Hair tie," She said.
"Oh," Seiya handed her the white ribbon and she brushed his hair into a ponytail and then tied it.
"Don't give it a bow," Seiya scowled. "Yaten did that once."
"He did?" Usagi giggled.
"Yeah, my hands were hurt and I asked him to tie it, and he did it in a bow, and Taiki didn't tell me until like hours later and after a photo shoot. Then Yaten laughed really hard. The evil one . . ."
Usagi giggled. "Well, it's fine." She smiled. "All done."
Seiya stood up and looked in the mirror. "Looks good." He nodded. "Want to go to breakfast?" He turned towards Usagi. She was staring off into space. "Usagi?" He asked. He still got no response, and so he walked over to her and waved his hand in front of her face.
"Oh," She looked at him. "Gomen," She grinned. "Just hungry."
"I bet you are," Seiya smiled even though he was seriously worried about her. "Come on," He offered his arm to her and she stood up and took it, smiling.
The two left the room and walked down the breakfast. Usagi thought it was weird that their dining room was run like a restaurant. A servant brought them to a table and they sat down amongst many other people, people Usagi assumed were nobles.
"Seiya," Usagi said quietly.
"Yeah?" He asked.
"Why does this place run like a restaurant?" She looked around at the busy servants.
Seiya shrugged. "I don't know, that's just how it's always been." He drank a little from a glass with blue liquid in it. Usagi picked up her glass and looked at it and then smelled it suspiciously.
"Tastes like milk." Seiya informed her.
"Milk?" She eyed the contents suspiciously.
"Yep," Seiya nodded. "Would I lie to you?" He asked, his face serious.
She looked into his gentle blue eyes and then shook her head. "No, you wouldn't." She then took a sip and found it to taste like milk, only creamier. She smiled. "Hai, tastes like milk."
Then a servant brought them breakfast and they started to eat.
~~~~~~~~~
"Would I lie to you?" Sailor Star Healer asked.
A tall woman with long brown hair shook her head. "I just can't believe that, though. You know how faithful Usagi is to her boyfriend."
"Well, maybe they broke up or something and that was the real reason she came here." Sailor Star Healer mused.
The woman sighed and shook her head, her violet eyes deep in thought.
"Maker," Sailor Star Healer sighed. "I'm not lying to you. I really am telling you what I saw."
Sailor Star Maker looked up at her companion and nodded. "Maybe we need to talk to them and get the real story."
"Iie!" Sailor Star Healer blushed. "Then they would know I was spying on them!"
"Then what do you expect me to do?" She asked.
Sailor Star Healer shrugged. "I don't know, but I just had to tell someone!"
"Well, I'm going to breakfast," Sailor Star Maker started to walk away.
Sailor Star Healer quickly caught up. "You don't think that Eternal Sailor Moon is hurt badly, do you?"
"I have no idea," Sailor Star Maker sighed.
The two walked in silence for a moment until they got to the dining room, and Sailor Star Healer turned towards her companion.
"Don't tell them I told you, okay? Just act natural."
"Do you think we should de-transform?" Sailor Star Maker asked.
"Maybe she would be more used to us that way." Sailor Star Healer nodded. The two quickly de-transformed and walked into the dining room. A servant walked up to them to show them to their seats but Yaten shook his head.
"Iie, just get two chairs." He instructed and they walked over to the table that Seiya and Usagi were eating at.
Usagi looked up and a large grin spread across her face. "Taiki-san, Yaten-kun!" She stood up and hugged them each in turn.
"It's nice to see you, Usagi-san." Taiki bowed.
The servant brought them over two chairs and they sat down.
"How have you been feeling, Usagi?" Yaten asked.
"Oh, I felt really ill last night," Usagi nodded and poked her breakfast with her fork. "I actually had gotten a horrible case of the chills." Usagi nodded.
"I had to get her four blankets, and even then she wasn't warm." Seiya nodded.
Yaten raised an eyebrow at Taiki, and the two nodded.
"I see, but you are feeling better now?" Yaten asked.
Usagi blushed. "Hai, much better." She looked up at Seiya shyly, which made Taiki and Yaten look at each other suspiciously.
"How is Mamoru-san?" Taiki asked, rather roughly.
Usagi looked up at him, surprised and then smiled. "He's fine, he's going to college right now. He is studying to be a doctor."
"And everything between you two is fine?" Yaten asked and Seiya shot him a look that was a little angry.
Usagi looked a little surprised. "Well, why wouldn't it be?" She asked, looking at Yaten innocently.
Yaten shrugged. "I was just wondering. Sometimes people can grow apart, or change over a short amount of time."
"Oh," Usagi nodded.
Seiya shot Yaten a dirty look, and Yaten smiled at Seiya.
"How was your evening, Seiya?" He asked as a smile spread across his face.
"It was just fine, and I was very surprised to see Odango."
"I'm glad, I thought it would be nice to surprise you." Yaten smiled as servant brought them over some food.
"It was a little rude to not tell me about her being here, but I appreciate the thought." Seiya sighed.
"How is Earth, Usagi-san?" Taiki asked as he cut a small piece of food and put it into his mouth.
"Earth is doing well." Usagi nodded.
The group was silent for a moment as they ate.
"So, Odango . . .want me to take you on a tour of the palace?" Seiya's eyes sparkled.
"Sure!" Usagi grinned.
A servant walked over and bowed deeply to Usagi.
"Serenity-sama," She bowed.
"Hai?" Usagi asked.
"This just came for you through the mail." The servant handed her a letter.
"Arigato," Usagi bowed her head and took the letter and the servant bowed and then left.
"Who is it from?" Yaten asked.
"Oh, it's from Mamo-chan!" Usagi announced happily. She looked up at Seiya. "I'll have to take a rain-check on that tour, I want to write back to him right away." She stood up.
"Sure thing," Seiya stood up and smiled. "I'll take you to your room." Inside of Seiya was hurting.
"I'll see you to later, okay?" She bowed to Taiki and Yaten.
"Hai, see you later." Taiki waved and the two left the room.
"Suspicious if you ask me," Yaten ate another bite.
"Usagi is very innocent. I doubt anything happened if she was that excited to get the letter." Taiki took a drink.
"That may be so, but I still want to keep an eye on them." Yaten nodded.
"Hai." Taiki agreed.
~~~~~~~~~~
Seiya brought Usagi to her room and then stood near the door.
"So, you want me to wait for you or something?" He asked, leaning up against the open door frame.
"Oh, you don't have to," She waved to him and then sat down at a desk that was in the room.
"Well, I don't want you to get lost, so I'll wait." Seiya smiled and then sat down in a chair next to the bed and took a book out of the bookshelf and pretended to read. He was really watching Usagi. She opened up the letter and then started to read. It read:
Usa-ko,
How is school going? School here is fine. Gomen about not being able to see you off. I had to meet a friend to study for an exam. I hope you are studying hard, I don't want you to have the same problems you had at normal school. I'm not going to have much time to write to you, so the letters might be scarce, but remember to study hard, and if I get a break I might come and see you.
Mamoru
Usagi frowned at the letter. 'It had no feeling . . .it felt like he put no love into the letter.' Usagi felt tears start to come to his eyes. 'He thinks that studying with a friend is more important then seeing me off?' Usagi tried to wipe her eyes and think nothing of it. 'Iie, he still loves me, it's just that he is busy and must have been tired when he wrote it.' She reasoned.
Seiya watched Usagi wipe her eyes and felt a pang of sadness for Usagi.
Usagi rubbed her eyes and then took out a pen and paper and started writing.
Dearest Mamo-chan,
I want to thank you for you letter, and say that I love you. It is very different here, but everyone is very nice. I promise I'll study hard to make you proud of me, and to make a good wife and mother for Chibi-Usa-chan. I hope all of your studies are going well and I send my love. Please write back whenever you get a chance; I'm lonely without you, my love.
Love forever and ever,
Usagi
Usagi reread the letter and sighed. She folded it up and put it into an envelope and addressed it to him. She paused a moment, deep in thought as she idly stared at the letter in her hand.
Seiya was quiet as he watched Usagi stare off into space.
"Oi, Odango," He then said, and she was snapped out of her daydream. Seiya looked at her fondly. "Want to go on that tour now?" He asked.
She nodded and stood up, clutching the letter to her chest. "Where can I put this so it will get delivered?" She asked.
"I'll show you where the mail room is." Seiya smiled and started out the door, and Usagi walked by him, quietly.
"What did Mamoru say?" Seiya asked.
"Oh," Usagi looked up at him and smiled. "He just told me to have fun while I was away." Her smile faded for a moment.
"Well, that's good." Seiya nodded. He was quiet for a moment, thinking deeply. He then smiled. "Okay, well, we'll start with the throne room, right here," Seiya pointed to a set of elaborate doors.
"This is where Kakyuu-hime entertains and greets all of the palace guests."
Usagi nodded, and took everything in, not speaking much.
Seiya showed her the mailroom, the gardens, the library, and the training room.
Seiya walked into the training room and turned towards Usagi and grinned.
"Fancy a challenge, Odango?" He asked, grinning devilishly.
"I would," Usagi sighed, "But you would be way too sad when I beat you."
"Is that a challenge?" Seiya looked a little angry.
"Iie," Usagi laughed.
"Come on, just a friendly match of skills," Seiya smiled.
Usagi shook her head.
"Are you scared of me, Odango?" Seiya prodded.
"I am not." Usagi scowled.
"Then come on," Seiya grabbed her hand and tugged gently.
"I SAID NO!" Usagi almost screamed. Seiya's face was covered with shock, and Usagi covered her hand with her mouth, and slowly sunk to the floor.
"Usagi?" Seiya walked over to her and knelt next to her.
"No, no, no. Please no. Please stop . . .please." Usagi had covered her ears with her hands and was shaking her head back and forth with her eyes closed, trembling.
"Usagi?" Seiya reached out and gently touched her shoulder
Usagi broke down into sobs, "No, not yet, please . . .please . . .not here. Please . . .wait . . ." Usagi sobbed.
Seiya was shocked. He had no idea what was wrong with her.
"I thought . . ." She whispered, still rocking back and forth.
"Odango?" Seiya asked, loudly. 'It's just me, Seiya."
Usagi didn't open her eyes. "I never would, you know that! Please . . .stop!" Usagi cried.
Seiya reached over and took her hands off of her ears. "Usagi, open your eyes." He commanded.
Seiya could feel Usagi's trembling in her hands as she slowly opened her eyes and looked at Seiya.
"Seiya?" She asked, trembling.
"Hai," Seiya smiled. "Are you going to be okay?" He asked, slowly, so he wouldn't confuse her.
Usagi looked around a moment and then back at him and nodded. "You'll protect me, won't you?" She asked, her eyes were filled with tears.
Seiya nodded alarmed with what he had been witnessing. "I promise I'll keep you safe no matter what." He smiled.
Usagi's lips trembled before she quickly threw her arms around Seiya, hugging him tightly. Seiya quickly put his arms around her and hugged her back.
"Usagi, I'm going to help you stand up now, okay?" He asked.
"Okay," Usagi hadn't moved. Seiya started to get up, helping Usagi up and still hugging her.
Usagi then slowly let go of Seiya and started to walk, but was a little wobbly.
"Here," Seiya threaded his arm through hers. "Just in case." He smiled and started walking with her very slowly. "How about I bring you back to your room and you can take a nap?" He asked.
"Sure." Usagi nodded.
Seiya brought Usagi back to her room and helped her get into her bed.
"Now, I'll be right here until you fall asleep, and then I need to go and see Kakyuu for a minute, and I'll be right back. If you wake up and I'm not here, I'll be right across the hallway." Seiya was seated in the chair next to the bed.
Usagi nodded and then slowly closed her eyes.
Seiya watched her for a while until she fell into a fitful sleep, and then he got up and left the room.
He walked out the door and went into the throne room, where Kakyuu was discussing plans for her niece's marriage between a prince from a neighboring planet.
"Excuse me, Kakyuu-sama." Seiya bowed.
Kakyuu turned and looked at Seiya and smiled. "What is it, Fighter?" She asked.
"I need to talk to you about something." He sighed.
"Okay," Kakyuu nodded and then stood up. "Please excuse me for a moment," She nodded to the planners and they bowed. She walked over to Seiya and they walked out of the room into the hallway.
"What is wrong, Fighter?" She asked.
"It's . . .Usagi." Seiya sighed and ran his hand through his hair.
"What happened?" She asked.
"Well, I brought her into the training room and I asked her if she wanted to spar . .."
"Fighter, did anyone tell you?" Kakyuu asked.
"Tell me what?" Seiya looked a little shocked.
Kakyuu looked away for a moment. "Serenity-sama is here because she was in danger." She paused and looked away. "Eternal Sailor Moon's wings have been shattered."
Seiya looked at Kakyuu; horrified.
Kakyuu looked up at him sadly, and then nodded.
"What . . ." He said quietly. "What happened?"
"They aren't sure." Kakyuu shook her head.
"She seemed to be suffering a relapse." Seiya looked up at Kakyuu. "When we were in the training room, she fell to the ground and started crying. She kept saying, 'No, please no,' and 'stop it, please' and things like that." Seiya grew worried.
Kakyuu looked at him in surprise. "Then do you think that Usagi knew who hurt her?"
Seiya looked away, "I think she might have an idea." He sighed and then turned back to Kakyuu. "But why would she lie to me and tell me that she was here on vacation?" He grew a little angry.
Kakyuu smiled and placed her hand on his shoulder. "Can't you see it Fighter, she wanted to protect you from the truth." She smiled, her red eyes glimmering. The red haired Princess smiled ironically. "Although, it seems that Eternal Sailor Moon could beat Galaxia, she couldn't protect herself from her real threat, something she hasn't been able to tell anyone about yet."
Seiya balled his hands into fists at his sides. "I'll kill whoever hurt her, I swear it! I'll protect Usagi no matter what, even if I die in the process!" Seiya started to get worked up and didn't notice that Usagi's door had been opened a crack and Usagi had been listening.
"Seiya, calm down." Kakyuu sighed. "As soon as we figure out what happened to Serenity-sama, it's then we can really help her."
"I'm not leaving her side until we find out what has hurt her!" Seiya felt tears start to form in his eyes, helpless feeling tears. "If I had just stayed on Earth . . .I could have protected her . . ." He mumbled, and brushed away the tears angrily.
Kakyuu sighed and placed her hands onto Seiya's shoulder. "Fighter, I know hearing this is hard for you, but you mustn't blame yourself. Not even her closest friends knew about this. Nobody saw it coming, so how would you be able to protect her?"
Seiya thought a moment and then shrugged.
"You see?" She smiled. "Now, I want you to be happy . . .for Serenity-sama if nothing else, she needs time to heal."
Seiya looked up at her and nodded. "Hai, I'll try and be happy, just for her."
Kakyuu opened the door to the Throne Room and started to go back inside, and Usagi quietly shut the door to her room without Seiya noticing.
Kakyuu shut the door behind her, and Seiya stood in the hallway trying to compose himself. He took a deep breath and then walked over to Usagi's room and walked inside. He was surprised to find Usagi standing near the window of the room.
"Odango," Seiya smiled. "Up already?"
She turned around and smiled. "Hai, Seiya-kun." She walked over to him and much to Seiya's surprise, she threw her arms around him and hugged him tightly.
Seiya felt his face flush and Usagi closed her eyes tightly and small tears squeezed out of the sides of her eyelids.
They stood there for a few moments, and Seiya slowly placed his arms around Usagi, savoring the feeling of being next to her. They stood like that for a few more moments before Usagi pulled back and grinned.
Seiya smiled at her.
"I promised you we would always be friends, didn't I?" She asked, smiling.
"Hai," Seiya's heart sunk as he heard the word 'friends'.
"Well, it seems I haven't been able to keep that promise, ne?" She asked, tipping her head to the side.
"I don't understand." Seiya shook his head.
Usagi walked over to the bed and sat down, offering the bed next to her for Seiya.
Seiya sat down next to her and looked at her intently.
"Ma . . ." She started and then trailed off, not sure how to start. She let out a breath and then started again. "Once you left and things on Earth settled down a bit, Ma . . ." She stopped again and then continued. "Mamo-chan started to hang out with different friends. Most of them were from college since he decided to stay in Japan." She sighed and looked down at her hands, her ring finger still bearing the token of Mamoru's love. "One of his friends . . ." She stopped a moment and swallowed. "Matsuyo . . .started hanging out at Mamoru's apartment more and more until it seemed like his lived there and became Mamoru's shadow." Usagi turned the ring on her finger so the heart shaped jewel was pointed away from view. "And that's when it started happening." She stiffened and continued on. "Matsuyo would always tell me things, like how pretty I was, and how lucky I was to be with Mamoru." She sighed. "I didn't like it, but I humored him." She shook her head. "It was mostly my fault! Matsuyo would come home and I would be waiting, and then he started trying to touch me . . ." Usagi started to shake.
Seiya placed a gentle hand on Usagi's and she looked at him and smiled weakly.
"And then . . ." She trailed off again. "He kept doing it, more and more frequently. I resisted him every time, and soon he hit me."
"Hit you?" Seiya echoed.
"Hai, and then he kept doing it. He was so much stronger then I was . . ." She tried to explain. "And at one point, I was scared for my life, he started to use more then his fists. He used whatever was in reach to hit me unless I would be with him. I didn't want to hurt him . . ." She said, her voice barely above a whisper. "And so finally, when I could barely take it anymore, I transformed and attacked him."
Seiya was listening wide-eyed.
"He grabbed my fuku and tore it off of me, tearing off my wings, but when he tore them, I felt pain, and they started to bleed . . ." Usagi started to cry quietly.
"Why didn't you tell anyone?" Seiya asked.
Usagi looked into his eyes. "Because he said if I told anyone then he would hurt me even more." She looked at the ground again. "I managed to escape that night and I went home and cried all night. He hadn't gotten what he wanted."
"But wouldn't Mamoru have noticed the marks on you?" Seiya was horrified.
Usagi looked up at him and smiled wryly. "Luna gave me disguise magic when I first became a Senshi. I've been using it ever since." She waved her hand over her brooch in the center of her school uniform, which she was still wearing. Suddenly Seiya felt as if his eyes had been opened. He looked Usagi up and down, noticing that she had a black eye, and every available inch of skin on her arms was bruised. Her legs also had scratches and bruises on them.
Seiya's eyes grew wide with horror. "USAGI!" His hands flew to his mouth.
Usagi looked away, she looked like an abused kitten.
"Why didn't you tell me?" Seiya found his voice.
"I did tell you." Tears started to form in her eyes.
"Oh, Usagi . . ." Seiya pulled her into an embrace, he placed his head on top of hers and closed his eyes. "If only I had been there to protect you . . .if only I could have helped you. Oh, Usagi, do you even know how much you mean to me?" He asked, tears lining his eyes.
"I tried to forget." She whispered.
"Tried to forget what?" Seiya asked.
"How much I meant to you." She whispered.
Seiya was confused by this statement and pulled back and looked at her quizzically.
Usagi blushed slightly and there was a knock at her door. They both were startled and Usagi quickly threw her hand in the air and she then again looked perfectly fine, with no bruises or anything. She walked to the door and answered it.
"Serenity-sama," A servant bowed.
"Hai?" Usagi asked.
"This letter just came for you." The servant handed her a white letter.
"Arigato," Usagi nodded and the shut the door. She turned back towards Seiya and looked at the envelope in her hands. "It's from Minako-chan." Usagi smiled and opened up the letter and read it. "Minako is happy where she is now, and hopes I'm well." Usagi smiled gently.
"I'm glad that things are going well with her." Seiya stood up and crossed the room and stood in front of her. "How are we going to deal with this problem?" He asked.
Usagi looked up at him, almost in fear. "We'll just pretend it never happened." Usagi said blankly.
"What?" Seiya scowled. "I can't do that! You're hurt, and we need to help you get better!"
Usagi sighed and looked at the ground. "There's nothing I can do about it, Seiya." She looked up at hi with tears in her eyes. "I just want you to pretend I never told you."
"I can't do that, can't you see that, Usagi?" Seiya grasped Usagi by her shoulders. "I care too much about you to see you be hurt like this again!"
Usagi's eyes filled with tears and she averted her gaze from Seiya's. "Seiya, I'll never ask another thing of you, if you promise not to tell a soul."
"Usagi . . ." Seiya said pleadingly.
"Seiya, please! I'm trusting you with my darkest secret, please don't tell anyone."
Seiya looked into her scared blue eyes and thought for a moment. "Usagi, I won't tell anyone for your sake, but if you're ever hurt again, then I will."
Usagi looked relieved. "Oh, Seiya," She smiled and hugged him tightly. "You're a true friend."
***
[Author's Note: I'm so sorry about not getting this chapter out sooner! I hate to blame school as a sole subject for my belatedness, but it kinda was. My Mother also had kidney surgery . . . among other things, and so it's been hard getting back into the swing of things. I hope you all didn't think I'd abandon you! *sad face* I never would!
I actually think that this story will be ending soon. (What? But you can't write short stories!) Actually, I think this one might wrap up shortly. ^_^ Please tell me what you think, and I'll try to get back to ya! Hope you enjoyed this chapter! ^_^v]