" Hello, are you Chiba Mamoru?" A familiar female voice came. "Yes, I am. Can I help you?" Mamoru's voice spoke. "Umm, do you know where Tsukino Usagi might be? I know you two aren't exactly the best of friends but I thought..." The female voice trailed off. There was a short sighlent moment before Mamoru's voice spoke again, "Who are you? How do you know Miss Tsukino?". "I am her friend from school, Naru. I heard about her family on the news and ran straight to her house but she wasn't there. There was a for sale sign in the front lawn. I am so worried about her. Now, do you know where she is or not? Because if you don't then I am wasteing highly valuable time to find her!" The voice exploded. 'Naru!' Usagi thought happily. Just hearing Mamoru's voice, Usagi could tell that he was shocked by the explosion, "Uhh...ri-right this way...".
A couple of seconds later Naru came into the room followed by a shocked Mamoru. Usagi moved away from the wall. Naru turned and almost pushed Usagi over with a forceful hug. "BUNNY! I AM SO SORRY ABOUT YOUR FAMILY BUNNY!". Naru began to cry with Usagi. "I wish I could stay longer, I really do but my mom will be worried about me if I don't get home in ten minutes and it takes about that long to get home. Good By Bunny, I'm soooo sorry. Take care." Naru spoke a moment later as she let go of Usagi, tears still streaming down her face, turned and left the appartment.
"Here..." Mamoru said a moment later as he held out a tissue for Usagi. Usagi reached out and took the tissue, her fingers brushing Mamoru's. Usagi wiped her tears away with the tissue and sniffed. "I'm feeling kinda tired. Good night I guess" She spoke as she turned and walked over to her bed. Usagi was far more tired than she thought. A moment after she layed down, she was drifting to sleep.
Usagi's eyes opened and she found herself veiwing a white ceiling. "It was all a dream. Thats right, a dream and nothing more. My family is alive, I am not in Mamoru's apartment and I am in my own pajamas." Usagi whispered. Usagi heard a male sigh comeing from her left and the sound of a door snapping shut. 'That is Mamoru and this wasn't a dream...Well, the shred of hope was nice while it lasted.' Usagi thought sadly as she raised her head, groaned and let it fall back into her pillow with a soft 'thump'. "Odango? Your awake already? Wow, its early. I was expecting you would slee-SCHOOL!" Usagi screamed, cutting Mamoru off as she sparang out of bed and tugged at her hair. "I HAVE TO GO TO SCHOOL TODAY! WHAT AM I GOING TO DO ABOUT SCHOOL I DON"T HAVE MY UNIFORMS! THIS IS ALL I HAVE TO WEAR!" Usagi yelled as she tugged at Mamoru's shirt she was wearing. "Woah, calm down, I'll take care of it." Mamoru said lightly as he placed his hands on Usagi's shoulders and pushed her back down onto the cott. "What are you going to do? Have me wear your uniform?" Usagi asked in a non-enthused, monotone voice. Mamoru's eyes widdened, "Uh, no, I was going to call the school and say we won't be in school today.". Usagi starred at him, "What are you going to tell them then?". "The truth of course. Well, the truth of your absence anyway. I'll make up some excuse for me..." Mamoru spoke as he ran his hand through his silky black hair. Usagi sat, thinking for a moment, trying to cook up some excuse for Mamoru when she noticed something that made her blush furiously. Mamoru noticed this, "What is it?...Oh, I see. Sorry.". With that Mamoru walked back into his room. "He didn't have a shirt on! I can't beleive he didn't have a shirt on! That was so embarrassing!Gee bunny, to you lately; everything haveing to do with Mamoru has been embarrasing." Usagi muttered to herself, burying her face into her hands.
When Mamoru emerged again, Usagi didn't look up. "It's alright, I have a shirt on. Sorry, Odango. I'm not exactly used to haveing girls around my house. I haven't had any stay the night or any over here even to visit at all. I'm not a guy who would do that. To tell the truth, I haven't ever even dated a girl." Mamoru spoke. Usagi peeked through a space in her fingers, he was indeed wearing a white t-shirt. She put her hands down as Mamoru walked over to the black leather couch a foot away from Usagi's bed, with a distant expression on his face. 'I wish that baka would tell me whats wrong with him! It makes me worry about him when he looks like that! Baka...' Usagi thought as she watched Mamoru sit on the couch and sigh as he looked out of the glass slideing doors that led onto the balcony. It had stopped raining and the sun was out, the lighting was perfect and calming to Usagi. She looked at the clock, it was five thirty eight am.
Usagi stood up and walked slowly past Mamoru and the couch and walked over to the slideing doors. She lifted a gentle hand and opened the lock and slid the doors so they retracted into the walls and the threshold to the balcony was clear except for the baby blue sheer curtains hanging overhead. A soft, cool breeze blew into the apartment and the curtains swayed slightly. "Mmmm..." Usagi spoke as she closed her eyes and took a deep breath of the fresh air that wafted past her. She steped out onto the balcony and folded her arms on the railing. The sounds of Tokyo filled her ears, cars honking, people chatting as they walk.
'I miss my family so much. Even though I have friends that care about me...I feel so alone. I can't beleive this has happened. What am I going to do?...nothing, that's what I am going to do, nothing. I can't do anything. I feel so bad for people who don't have any family...now...now I know how they feel.' Usagi thought as she gazed out at the busy streets of Tokyo. "You aren't alone you know. Remember, I lost my parents too." Mamoru spoke as he folded his arms on the railing next to Usagi. Usagi jumped, 'Did I say think that out-loud!'. "Yeah, but...I don't have anyone who cares about me like a family would or anyone who loves me. I just...can't take it!" Usagi cried as she buried her head in her arms and began to shake with sobs.
"Odango..." Mamoru whispered as he put a hand on her shoulder. He let go a moment later and walked back into the apartment. A few moments later the smell of pancakes and bacon drifted out to Usagi as she wiped away her tears with the back of her hand. Usagi turned and entered the apartment. She could see Mamoru in the kitchen walking over to a small booth near a window. Usagi walked into the kitchen and leaned against the door frame. Mamoru turned around and jumped at the sight of Usagi, "Umm, hungery? I made you some breakfast, it is on the table already". Usagi sat down in the booth near one of the plates, Mamoru sat across from her near the other plate. "After I finish eating, I'll go get you some clothes. Unless you want to be wearing my clothes from here on out, I think I should." Mamoru spoke as he began to eat.
"Why are you doing this?" Usagi asked the question that had been on her mind ever since Mamoru brought her back to his apartment. "Doing what"
"Doing, this!" Usagi spoke as she showed Mamoru the clothes he had given her to wear the evening before. Mamoru put on a bewildered look and slowly spoke, "What? I don't get it.". "Gee, and I thought you were smart. Helping me, Baka! Helping me!" Usagi exploded. Mamoru sighlently surveyed Usagi for a moment before speaking, "I don't know why.". Usagi's mouth fell open, "You are an odd one...feh! doesn't even know why he helps someone...whole lot of brains he has..." Usagi spoke. Mamoru sighed, "You aren't just anybody, are you?". Usagi sighed and the two continued to eat in sighlence for a moment. 'What does he mean by, 'You aren't just anybody, are you'? I don't get it...' Usagi thought as she poked at her eggs with her fork. "You really want to know why I helped you?" Mamoru spoke as he put his fork down on his plate. Usagi looked up and nodded once. "The reason is because I...I...I have to get ready to go." Mamoru spoke, with that he quickly picked up his plate, dispensed it into the sink and made a b-line for his bedroom. Usagi stared after Mamoru for a moment, "He is doing all this for me because he has to, 'get ready to go'? Yep, just as I thought he's a baka." Usagi whispered to herself.
Mamoru took a shower and dried off. He wrapped the towel around his waist and brushed his teeth. 'I can't beleive I hinted it...wait, Mamoru, what are you telling yourself? That you may acctually have feelings for Odango Atama? Nonono...I don't...right?' Mamoru thought. After he got dressed and ready to leave, he put his wallet into his pocket and spoke to Usagi, who was sitting on her bed, "I called my school and said it would be a week before I was back in school because I was comeing down with flu-like symptoms. I also called your school and told them that you wouldn't be in for a week either and they had seen the news, so they know why. Well, I'll be back soon. See ya'." Mamoru spoke just before he opened the door and left the house.
Usagi sat on her bed for the entire hour after Mamoru had left. "I hope Mamoru comes back soon. I don't like being alone. Not at all." Usagi whispered to herself. The phone rang and Usagi hesitated before picking it up, "Hello?". "Usagi! It's Mamoru! He's at the hospital, he's been attacked by a youma! I'm on my way to pick you up right now." Andrew's urgent voice spoke from the other end of the line. As Usagi heard this her blood turned to ice. "He...was attacked?" Usagi muttered as she automatically put the phone in the cradle and held a hand to her mouth.