A/N
I LIVE!
Some nice vague relative started a gofundme page to get my family away from certain death, and surprisingly it worked? We were able to evacuate which was nice because my dog was shaking like crazy (she knew something was wrong), only downside is the van we borrowed turned out to be infested with ants so all our bread and perishables were done for.
But I am alive, and I have power (occasionally), so the story must go on.
Disclaimer: I own Rabbit of the Moon, and that's all.
Life became surreal with the arrival of the Sailor Scouts.
It was one thing to hear about the attacks and hospitalizations going on in the city, and an entirely different affair to see the ones responsible for stopping it day after day. Venus and Mercury often came to school with dark circles under their eyes, sporting the occasional bruise and not once did they complain or miss school. I often found myself in a state of disbelief, that they could live twos lives like this, go to school and educate themselves and then just jump right back in to the fighting each night.
I did not possess that kind of courage.
Over the next two weeks, they had a constant ear out for any suspicious activity our peers might have heard of or gossiped about, and though they didn't know it, I kept a keen eye out for the same thing as well. I wanted to stay as far away as possible from anything that had to do with the Dark Dynasty, Tuxedo Mask, or the Sailor Scouts, and it had to be said that I was doing a stellar job.
Regrettably, I couldn't avoid Venus and Mercury at all times since we did happen to share classes together, but that was okay; going out of my way to evade them in school would most definitely catch their attention, the opposite of what I wanted. So whenever they came around, I didn't flee no matter how much I might have liked to. Instead, I showed them the same polite disinterest that the rest of my peers received whenever any of them attempted to chat me up.
I had no interest in getting to know the Scouts, so it wasn't a difficult task to partake.
Our interactions were few and far between, and I was never on my own when the occasion struck their fancy. Since Naru's absence, Serenity's friends had sort of gravitated themselves around me, and in dire times such as these I found I didn't mind so much. With someone else around, I felt a better sense of security against Venus and Mercury; to them, I likely blended in quite ordinarily with everyone else, having my own clique. So outside of school, where I had my own life to live, the girls were a welcome barrier, and for two weeks I managed to keep a nice distance from the supernatural world.
Today though, things were different.
It was a Tuesday afternoon, and I had Aikido lessons later but unfortunately I wouldn't be able to go in early and hang out with Matsuo like usual. Aikido was on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays, and the dojo was only six blocks from the hospital so on school days the route I took to get there always had me passing it by along the way. Of course, this walk had become routine for me so when something happened to break from that routine, it stood out to me right away. During the last four times I'd taken this route, there was only one difference, one change in my life and it was the god damn Sailor Scouts.
Sometimes they were behind me, or ten feet in front of me, or even halfway down the street, but they were always there on the road, and they were always going to the hospital. Sometimes neither Venus nor Mercury were in sight, but further down the road, standing across the street from the hospital would be Mars and Luna, waiting on their arrival. Now, I had tried to ignore it, had struggled so hard to stay away and keep my nose out of business that didn't really concern me.
It was like a scab though, halfway peeled off and desperate to be picked, impossible to ignore. No one made so many visits to the hospital for a complete stranger, and somehow I just knew they weren't there to see any other victims of attacks. When I had become so protective of Naru, I didn't even know; I was positive that when she woke up, I would no longer give a damn about what she did, my job would be done and my conscious cleared.
But she hadn't woken up yet.
Naru had yet to awaken and she was in a vulnerable state and logic was a double edged sword. I knew that they had no intention on causing her harm, but I also knew that danger didn't simply follow those girls like a shadow; it stalked them. Naru didn't need that, and I feared that their continued presence here would only serve to worsen her condition. There was a satirical sense to this whole business, and I was fully aware of that. Here I was, partially responsible for Naru's state, and yet I was also trying to shield her from future harm.
Here I was, fully prepared to shut out other visitors when I myself could barely stand to be in her presence for more than a few minutes.
I couldn't help it though, every time I came to see Naru I always left feeling so utterly tired; it was like she was draining me of all energy by simply lying there. The entire situation was a mess, and part of me wanted nothing more than to walk away and leave it to anyone else. The only problem was that there wasn't anyone else to hand this off to, no one else would find the Sailor Scouts suspicious enough to warrant confrontation; no one but me. Something had to be done, before an enemy finally took notice of them and made an unfortunate connection between the Sailor Scouts and Naru.
The plan had begun Friday, where over the course of the next four days the Azabu-Juuban hospital staff received several complaints from a few different people about pet policies. Then, last night after my shift I had arranged for an anonymous tip to be slipped onto the desk of a very important Head nurse. This had all cost me a bit of my savings, but it was money well spent. Today I left school early, skipping my last class in order to make it to the hospital before any of the Sailor Scouts had the chance. I entered the automatic doors with a spring to my step, eager to see the results of my scheming.
I made it ten steps in before the Head nurse spotted me and pounced. I fixed my expression into one of pleasant curiosity as she stopped me with a polite greeting and a security guard at her back.
"Pardon me," She said, blocking my path. "I don't mean to bother you, but I'm afraid I'm going to have to ask you to show the contents of your schoolbag to Arai-san here." She motioned to the security guard, Arai, and he stepped forward. "There have been problems with students smuggling in pets recently, and it's causing trouble for the patients and visitors with allergies."
"I understand." I chimed, handing over my bag without pause.
The Head nurse smiled as Arai-san cleared the bag before handing it back to me. Then, to my surprise she stopped me once more by adding, "Oh, aren't you one of Osaka-chan's friends?"
"Yes, I am."
"What a sweet girl she must be," She cooed. "Having so many schoolmates visiting her on a daily basis. I'm sure she'll be quite pleased when she wakes up. Well, you have a nice day, dear."
"You too." I replied faintly, thoughts swirling as I made my way to the elevator.
A daily basis?
Just how often did the Sailor Scouts come by here? No scratch that, why were they still coming here, weeks after their initial visit? They should have figured out by now that Naru wasn't anyone they were looking for, right? I pondered on it all the way to Naru's designated room, uncertain as to what exactly they even had planned in terms of her. Luna and Artemis should be able to sense if she was a Scout, but maybe I was wrong about that. I didn't know the rules here, didn't know if every single thing I knew held true; there was only one reason they'd still be coming here, as far as I could think of.
I would have to review what I thought I knew later, and look at the facts.
But first, I had to take care of the Sailor Scouts.
The room Naru stayed in was a long term one, and therefore it was larger than others. She had a large window on the fifth floor, with one of those reclining armchairs for overnight visitors next to it and a tv on the wall across from the bed, the kind that only had the crappy channels. Her room had a full bathroom, with the uncomfortable florescent lights and bare, tiled shower that always reminded me of horror movies. Naru's room provided many places to hide, and had I wanted to overhear the Sailor Scouts without being seen it would have been far too easy.
As tempting as it sounded, I wasn't here to snoop.
Maybe it would have been beneficial to hide and learn more from them, but I just couldn't bring myself to. What I was about to do was already risky, and I did not have the willpower to postpone this another day and double the risk by extending the time spent in their presence. I had this one chance, this one opportunity where they would not see me coming and would have no choice but to leave Luna and Artemis behind. Another day and they'd come up with a solution to bring them with, so I absolutely could not give them the chance to think their way around this.
It was possible that the cats weren't adept at recognizing Sailor Scouts, if they were still on Naru, but I wasn't willing to take the risk.
Now or never, Usagi.
I went to the end of Naru's bed, where the medical clipboard hung, and after digging out a printed piece of paper I slipped it in among them before replacing the clipboard to where it had been. Along with the recliner there were two plainer chairs, sparsely padded and light enough to move. I grabbed one and dragged it over to the wall with the doorway, setting it down at the far end in the corner. School bag beside me, I lowered myself into the chair; back straight, arms on the armrests, legs crossed, and waited.
Fifty minutes later, I could hear them approaching.
"What was up with that nurse anyway?" An unfamiliar voice huffed. "I mean, sure, pets aren't allowed but it isn't like Luna and Artemis are going to cause problems."
"They don't know that though." Mercury reasoned. "We're lucky they still allowed us to enter, so let's not make a big deal out of it or cause a scene."
There was grumbling, and then the door slid open.
In walked the Sailor Scouts, with Mercury leading and Venus taking up the end, sliding the door shut behind her without a backward glance. They didn't notice me until Mars turned to Venus, as if to say something and caught sight of me; she startled slightly, and said, "Oh."
That was when the other two looked my way, catching the less-than-pleased expression I adorned. They were all surprised to find me sitting here of course, and there was an undeniable weight in the air, as though they'd been caught doing something they shouldn't have been. Children with their hands in the cookie jar. To her credit, Venus stepped up to the plate confidently after the three of them shared a quick glance. "Hi Usagi-san, I didn't expect to see you here."
"Oh?" I raised a brow. "I could say the same about you three."
It was funny; I wasn't scared or nervous now that they were here.
For some reason, I felt wrathful.
Mercury took a step forward, expression open and friendly. "We just thought we'd come to pay our respects. Osaka-san is a classmate after all and everyone speaks so kindly of her." She paused, adding, "I'm looking forward to meeting her, you know? It must be hard on you though… having to see her like this. I'm terribly sorry for it."
My gaze flickered over to Naru once before returning to Mercury. I studied her for a moment, impressed with how genuine she sounded in spite of her lie. She was trying to twist the subject as well, turn my focus to my own emotions on the matter rather than on their presence here. It was a smart move, and she was a smart girl, but my nerves, patience and forgiveness had withered from the anticipation of this confrontation and I was in no mood to be manipulated, even if she genuinely felt the way she claimed. I looked directly at Mars and inquired. "And you? That isn't our school uniform, I know you obviously don't know Naru from school, so how do you know her?"
Mars sensed the challenge in my tone and she was audacious enough to rise to it.
"I had family that used to shop at her jewelry store." She lied boldly. "We're old acquaintances."
I nodded passively and stood, moving over to the end of the bed once more while the Scouts watched me warily. Plucking the clipboard up, I turned to Mercury. "Ami Mizuno, was it?"
She nodded.
"Good. Now, I hear you're a smart girl, Ami." My voice was soft, but it was not kind. I flipped through the papers, leisurely and one at a time before finding the one I was looking for. "Tell me, are you familiar with the term Anaphylaxis?"
"I am." Mercury confirmed, exchanging looks with her comrades.
I smiled at her. "Yes, I thought you might be. Now, in case your friends aren't aware of the meaning of the term I'll explain it. See, Anaphylaxis is really just the fancy medical term for an allergic reaction, as one of the nurses informed me." I moved close enough for them to see the page I had open. "I know, it's rude to look at other people's charts like this, an invasion of privacy if you will. But if you read this page here, you'll note the odd, hypersensitive response from her immune system; an unaccountable rise from normal, a new development in the last few weeks."
I paused, giving them time to absorb this information before continuing.
"With her immune system in such a fragile state, even something like a cold or an allergy is a threat to Naru. What I find odd though, is how… recent, this occurrence began."
"Perhaps she isn't reacting well to the medicine." Mercury offered helpfully.
"Yes, that could be it." My gaze wandered to Venus. "Or, just maybe it has something to do with her allergies to cats."
All three of them stilled.
"Don't you have a cat, Aino-san?"
"…Yes." She replied. Venus had a calculating gleam in her eyes as she watched me, but I wasn't done yet, and my poker face was divine. Maybe Naru really did have an allergy to cats, I sure as hell didn't know and neither did the Scouts. The thing about lying was that you had to stand by it, treat it like the god given truth and I had grown excellent at lying.
"I don't know what you lot are doing here." I began, smile turning sharp. "And I don't really care. Your business is your own. Naru, however, is my business, and I have to say that I don't like the way you three have been hovering around her; especially after asking so many questions."
"Last time I checked, curiosity isn't a crime." Venus said.
"Last time I checked, transfer students didn't get so hung up on someone they've never even met." I snapped. "Why the hell are you so interested in in her? What's your deal?"
"What's your deal?" Mars countered angrily. "You don't know us, and you don't have a monopoly on this hospital; its public property. Overprotective much?"
"You wanna find out?" I hissed, stepping forward. I opened my mouth, preplanned accusations on the tip of my tongue, when the beeping on Naru's heart monitor increased. It was just the slightest bit at first, only noticeable because after hours here the rhythm had imprinted itself in my mind. I paused, the beeping quickening, and slowly my body turned to her bed in disbelief. The girls were silent themselves, looking between Naru and myself. My gaze bore into her, searching, and then I saw it.
A twitch of her fingertips.
Thirty seconds later her eyes were fluttering open, and I scrambled to her side in a daze, unable to tear my eyes away least she fall back asleep. She blinked, once, twice, and somehow I found the strength to choke the words out.
"Naru?"
Naru was awake, but she was in no condition for visitors.
The four of us were ushered out of the hospital, and in my shock I let it happen without a fight. I stood outside the automatic doors, staring at them uncomprehendingly while my mind struggled to come to terms with what I'd just witnessed. Naru had woken up, she was going to be okay.
It was going to be okay.
Breathless, my feet moved of their own accord, away from the hospital and down the street. One of the girls called out something to me, but in my trance the words simply didn't take and they were lost. I couldn't believe it, even after watching her wake, I couldn't believe that this was happening; subconsciously, I hadn't thought that she would wake up any time in the near future. There had been people with far less serious fatigue from the attacks that still hadn't woken, I had checked, so how was it possible that Naru was up so soon?
Maybe it was best to just accept the good fortune without questioning it.
Just because I had bad luck didn't mean that Naru had it as well. Surviving the attack without the help of a Sailor Scout seemed pretty lucky itself. Maybe it was all a matter of will, and Naru's strong will had pulled her through the ordeal. I was so dumbstruck, so utterly lost in my thoughts that I didn't notice the pinprick at my neck, or the pull that kept my feet moving forward. No, I didn't notice any of that until I collided with someone and stumbled backward.
I started to apologize when I was cut off.
"Usagi?" Mamoru murmured, surprised. He was looking at me over his shoulder, and turned fully to face me.
"Boy scout." I mumbled, glancing up at him. He looked different, still handsome but more… ordinary, approachable, in his school uniform. Mamoru's brows furrowed as I continued to look at him, and his glasses moved slightly. Without really thinking, I added, "I like the glasses, they suit you."
And they really did.
"I- thank you." He said, taken aback. Then the intensity appeared, and he considered me for a moment. Hesitantly, Mamoru asked. "Is everything okay?"
"Naru woke up." I replied absently, before realizing he might need more context. "A girl I knew, she just woke up from her coma today."
Mamoru smiled. "That's good to hear."
"Yes." I didn't know why I had told him this, but the words had just sort of tumbled out. Then I remembered that it was Mamoru that had probably saved her in the first place. I wanted to say something, anything, but as I looked for the proper words my gaze drifted and I caught sight of two other boys in the same uniform behind him. They watched us curiously, and I realized I was probably interrupting something. The smile I mustered was a sad one. "Have a nice day then, and sorry for bumping into you."
I thought I saw his smile catch as I turned away and headed down the street, but I wasn't sure so I didn't dwell on it.
I felt oddly light.
At the dojo, I changed into my workout clothes and met Matsuo out on the floor. He watched me approach with raised brows and a half grin. "Good day?"
I thought it over for a moment, and then quietly responded. "Yeah, I'd say it was."
Matsuo brightened at that, and the lesson went smoothly. I didn't get a chance to get out on the sparring floor, which was a little disappointing, and Hajime-sensei kept giving me looks like he had been for a while now, but otherwise things went okay. When the lesson ended, Matsuo and I grabbed our bags and headed off to work.
"Hajime-sensei has it out for me." I sighed, fighting off a yawn.
My companion snorted. "No he doesn't."
"He does, I can tell. It's that disapproving glimmer in his gaze."
"Hajime-sensei has a glimmer?"
"A glimmer."
Matsuo rolled his eyes, and I continued.
"And not just any glimmer, mind you. This is clearly a glimmer of impending death. He's going to stuff my body under the floorboards or something, just you wait."
"Have you ever taken a moment to listen to the words that come out of your mouth?"
"Can't, too busy trying to survive Hajime-sensei… and his evil glimmer of death."
Matsuo gave a long suffering sigh.
"He doesn't hate you, Usagi-chan. It's just that, well, you can be a bit…" He paused, faltering for what I assumed to be kinder words. I motioned for him to continue. "Aggressive."
"Aggressive?" I echoed, to which he winced.
"Maybe that wasn't the right word for it. It's not a bad thing, really," Matsuo assured. "Hajime-sensei is just cautious of who he teaches, specifically the more, er, violently inclined."
"Oh." I wasn't sure what to say to that. I hadn't thought of myself as a violent or aggressive person, but then, who was I to say otherwise? Hajime-sensei was a master of aikido, had been practicing and teaching it for years, so as uncomfortable as it was to admit, if he thought of me in such a light than he must have good reason.
Silence had descended upon the two of us as we trouped onward to work, and it was a heavy one. Matsuo seemed to stew under the weight of it, and after a minute he appeared to have had enough. "I didn't mean to imply that you're violent; god, I'm saying this the wrong way." He ran a hand through his hair and huffed. "How do I explain it? You have this… this unbelievable drive, and every time you get on the sparring floor it's like it doubles, multiplies. I've certainly never seen anything like it, and to someone like Hajime-sensei it's worrying.
"You have to admit that it really clashes with the finer aspects of aikido. There's nothing wrong with not going easy on your opponent, because it is marital arts after all, but…" Matsuo rubbed a hand to the back of his neck, gaze downward. "You never pull any punches, never allow any of your sparring partners an inch of room. For a beginner, that's highly unusual; normally, they hesitate, strike more softly, shy away from being hit, and you don't do any of that. If taking a hit brings you closer to victory than you'll bear it, without complaint and your next attack will come with a vengeance."
"So I'm wrong for devoting myself?" Hajime-sensei preferred me to be meeker?
"No, of course not."
"Then what's the problem? Because I don't understand."
"The problem, Usagi," He stressed. "is that you bring your opponents down with no remorse. You're good, really good, but aikido is about peaceful resolution, acceptance and protection. In the wrongs hands, with the wrong mindset it can be twisted and abused, turned into a dangerous thing and that's why Hajime-sensei has concerns with you. We both know that aikido is more than a hobby or a simple release for you, and when you step foot onto the sparring floor it shows clear as day. Determined, resilient, and quick minded, yes, but that's not all that drives you; you're not a violent or hostile person by nature, but you are angry, and that anger is the problem."
The words spill out without a second thought. "I'm not angry."
Matsuo shook his head and gave a sad laugh, but he didn't debate it with me. I dropped the subject, unable to find the words to defend myself. He didn't know, couldn't understand, I was stuck in an impossible situation; I was alone, afraid, and a target. I had to be able to protect myself, because in the end it truly was life or death and I knew without a shadow of a doubt that when that time came, there would be no one coming to save me. I didn't have a prince in shining armor, willing to give his life for mine; all I had was myself, and that would have to be enough.
I hadn't asked for the analysis on my emotional state.
It was easy, looking from the outside in; Matsuo didn't live with the shadow of fear that I did. Death was a very prominent aspect of my life, it's presence a whisper of promise that trailed behind the danger I desperately tried to circumvent every day. There was no way of knowing if I would succeed in staying out of harm's way, in fact I very much doubted this streak of mine would last. When the time came, I wasn't going to simply lie down and die, helpless in the face of my enemies. No, I would go down fighting, giving everything I had to get away and live to see another day; I refused to go down any other way, and I would not apologize for it.
Of course Matsuo had never seen anything like me; most people weren't driven by the will to live.
There was more to this than he would ever be able to understand. I had come to a bitter revelation of sorts in the past two weeks, curtesy of the Sailor Scouts. This was about more than my simple survival, I couldn't just fight for the right to live freely and on my own terms; as much as I hated the thought, there was one more thing I had to fight for, even though I was loath to admit it.
The Silver Crystal had to be protected at all costs.
Subconsciously, the Silver Crystal had always been something of a bargaining tool in my mind, a way to free myself should the Scouts or Tuxedo Mask ever discover me; it was a prize I might have handed over in exchange for my absolute freedom from their cause, on the agreement that they would never again involve me in their war. I realized now that it could never be done, I could not hand it over even if their intentions were pure. Mamoru was only one person, he could never protect it alone, and the Sailor Scouts might have the numbers but even they would have trouble protecting a power they couldn't use against the Dark Company, especially so early in their awakening.
Giving the Silver Crystal up was a surefire way to kill us all.
It was no longer enough to simply remain silent about my possession of it, to just get on a train and go far away as I had previously planned. I needed to be able to do more than defend myself, I had to be able to keep the Silver Crystal safe and I stood little chance of doing that as I was now. So yes, I was driven in aikido and unforgiving of my opponents, but what other choice did I have? Hand it over, allow both parties to regain memories I'd rather they not have, and watch as they lost it? Pure intentions were nice, but they weren't going to protect the Silver Crystal, and it couldn't fall into evil hands.
I was the only one that stood a slight chance at the moment.
So I had to be strong, because no matter how bleak my future appeared, it depended on it.
Work went flying by as usual.
The theme of the month, Creatures of the Woodland Realm, was still in play until the end of the week, and I, for one, was more than ready to see it go. Shifts at The Fabler were always longer due to the styling Harumi insisted on doing before we were allowed out on the floor. For Matsuo, who'd gotten the role of a fox, this consisted of orange ears, guy liner, whiskers, and a bit on contouring; this gave him the illusion of a sharper face, hooded eyes and a sly grin, and it only took an expert like Harumi fifteen minutes.
My process took a fair bit longer though, thirty minutes at least.
"It's a two person job." Harumi always insisted. As soon as I arrived I would be sat down in a chair in the dressing room and while Harumi worked on my makeup, another girl by the name of Sayuri would begin on my hair, turning my golden locks into tight curls. According to the two of them, it looked best with the bunny ears, so I suffered in silence while they went at it. My makeup was all pinks and whites, with the eye shadow and blush; Harumi would line my eyes with the thinnest line of eyeliner, add some mascara, darken my nose and add a few dainty whiskers, and then proceed to help Sayuri finish my hair.
I often found myself marveling at his talent, moving quickly and with ease, yet to make a single mistake. Harumi was a true artist, and The Fabler, the employees, we were his canvas.
When hair and makeup were to his satisfaction, we could get on our uniforms and finally make our way onto the floor. Matsuo, the lucky bastard, got black dress pants, a white dress shirt, and a vest/bow tie. By Harumi's logic, girls found men in suits to be extremely attractive. He was right, of course, because I could see the appeal, but that didn't mean I liked it any less. My outfit consisted of a white, three quarter sleeved dress that fell a couple inches above the knee. The material was velvet, lighter than actual fur would have been, and it had a fluffy, round tail.
One that Matsuo flicked at whenever he got the chance.
He too had a tail, long and orange that faded into white towards the end, and I tugged at it in retaliation whenever I managed to sneak up on him. Matsuo liked to tease me about the rabbit thing, knowing how I resented the entire getup; literally anything else would have been fine, anything that didn't link me to things I preferred to not think on. I was incredibly jealous of Sayuri, having drawn a swan as her animal; her outfit was feathery and striking. I spent most of my shift eyeing her, with the vague thought as to whether I could feasibly rip the dress off her and claim it as my own.
Why, in god's name, did it have to be a rabbit?
When the café closed, Matsuo and I stood side by side in front of the mirror, working the makeup off our faces with wipes. We'd changed back into our normal clothes, and I was struggling to keep my shirt free of makeup stains. Harumi was leaning against the doorway, watching us through the mirror, and there was a hint of something in his expression I could quite decipher, hidden behind the usual sass and amusement.
"So then, Harumi-chan." Matsuo began, scrubbing furiously at the eyeliner. "Are you going to give us a hint as to our next theme, or do we have to wait? Because I will have you know that I feel I deserve to know earlier than the others, considering I'm the one that struggles and labors to bring said theme to life each month, and without pay, mind you."
"Oh hush." Harumi replied playfully, perking up at the suffix. "You volunteer to help with the decorations, I don't ask you to show up at six a.m. and do all that dreadful heavy lifting. You're just going to have to wait like everyone else."
"Hold up." I interjected, looking between the two incredulously. "No one said anything about helping with the decorations. I didn't know that was even a thing. I want to volunteer too, since you're taking requests."
"Usagi-chan." Harumi sang. "You sweet, darling girl. Of course you can help if you want to." He turned to Matsuo. "Why can't you bring me more girls like her? No, better yet, why can't you be more like her, hm? All this demanding of yours, such entitlement; you disappoint me, shameful boy."
Matsuo watched on in amusement as Harumi continued his dramatics, shaking his head sadly and gesturing wildly as he added, "It's all Hajime's fault, that brutish little brother of mine. He's gone and ruined you, the fool; no respect for etiquette, no charm, and certainly no sense of fashion. Too much time in his company, and now look where we are. You are ruined I tell you, ruined."
With a neutral expression, I said. "Perhaps an extended lesson in manners would allow Matsuo to live a less shameful existence."
"Oi." Matsuo's expression was full of fake betrayal, and I blinked innocently.
"A tempting idea." Harumi hummed. "Well, I'll be gracious and give him a chance to refine his uncultured ways. I am the boss, after all, and it's only fair."
"Thank you for being so considerate." Matsuo deadpanned.
Harumi pranced over and patted Matsuo's cheek. "There there, I have faith in you."
I finished getting the makeup off and dropped the dirty wipe into the bin beside me, turning to face both men. "Well then, best of luck with that. Shall I come at six on Sunday to help with preparations?"
"Yes, that will do lovely, thank you." Harumi smiled. He looked at me, clearly thinking something over, and I couldn't help but admire the man as I stared back. Harumi was beautiful, so carefree, and brilliant; even now, almost two months later I still found myself in awe of him. He had created his own little world at The Fabler, a little piece of paradise from his own hard work and dedication, and it was working. The world was not falling apart around him, he was thriving and happy and I wondered what that was like.
I wanted to be him.
"Saturday morning is the reveal, don't forget." He said suddenly, breaking me from my thoughts. There was something… deliberate, determined about him as he spoke. "Seven a.m. sharp. I slaved over your outfit, so I assume you will not be late."
"When am I ever late?" I teased, attempting to lighten the mood.
"Yes, how could I forget." Harumi sighed. "You're here even when you aren't on the schedule. I fear I shall never be rid of you."
I grinned. "I suppose I'd better make myself scarce then."
I bade the two of them farewell, and began the long walk home.
I threw my hair up in a tight bun, making the curls less noticeable though I needn't have bothered. Ikuko greeted me when I returned without actually setting foot out of the kitchen and I was able to get upstairs and into the shower with no trouble. Sleep was hard coming for me that night despite how tired I felt, too caught up in my own thoughts from the day.
Confronting the Sailor Scouts had ended up being moot point with Naru out of her coma. I couldn't bring myself to be irritated over it though, it felt like a fair trade to me; Naru's safe recovery for the loss of my anonymity. Venus and Mercury would keep a closer eye on me, but I hadn't let on to anything that would cause any serious alarm. The experience had been almost therapeutic, and I just didn't care about the repercussions themselves.
All I had to do was act normal, which would be easy enough.
I wasn't fond of them, they knew, and it wouldn't be strange of me to continue feeling that way. No outward animosity, no aversion, just typical preteen dislike. They were still a threat so I'd have to be careful; Luna and Artemis should be avoided still. Ultimately, they were my biggest problem, so if they grew too close, or took too much interest in me, then something would have to be done. Hopefully, it wouldn't come to that though, because I wasn't ready to flee or go into hiding. It was the cats that plagued me more than anything, and the knowledge that I didn't have an answer to the threat they posed.
I worried over it, and sleep was a distant thing for me that night.
When morning came I rose and readied myself for the day lethargically. I showered until the water grew cold, brushed and towel dried my hair at a snail's pace, and chewed my breakfast slowly enough that Ikuko watched me the entire time. In the end, it was her amused stare that got me out the door; she still seemed to think I had some sort of lover and was going through the typical stages of teenage love or something. I made my way to school in a near comatose state, and part of me reveled in the feeling. When the human body did not get enough rest, it had two emotional responses to the outside world; you were either borderline hysterical about the smallest inconveniences, or so far beyond giving a single, solitary fuck about anything.
Today I was the latter, and it was a lovely numbness in wake of yesterday.
It was another cloudless morning, where the sun warmed my back as I walked. I was beyond tired, the road I walked along quiet, and I indulged in fantasies of dropping right on to the sidewalk, curling up into a ball and taking a nap here and now. There was no one around to stop me, oddly enough, and that detail stood out to me for a moment. I paused where I was, taking in the empty road and thinking further on it. Where were the other students from school? I continued on, and a few minutes later just as I caught sight of the school gates in the distance, a familiar sound rang out and reached my ears.
The chime of the school bell.
"Shit." I picked up my pace, but in the distance I could see one of the administrators closing the gate and locking it. That would be a problem. I went off the path, climbing up onto the small, half wall that lined it and making my way into the forested area. I followed the gate going around the school, stopping when the front entrance and administrators were far out of sight. I eyed the wall of the gate briefly, noting its height before sighing and chucking my bag over. "Right then."
It took me three tries to finally scale the damn thing.
The drop was about seven feet, so it was with caution that I jumped down, bracing for impact and landing on my feet before stumbling a bit. I snatched up my bag, feeling rather smug, and turned toward the side entrance of the school.
And nearly tripped over a white cat.
Panic is a strong emotion, and it rarely leaves room for thinking. I panicked, and instinctually my foot went out in a swinging motion, bunting the cat away into the shrubbery. He yowled, but it was more of a sound of surprise than pain. For a single heartbeat I stood in place, stunned; then logic kicked in and I booked it into the school building and to class. After the homeroom teacher chewed me out, I fell into my seat in a daze. I was at a loss, disbelieving of the past five minutes and how I had just used what could only be Artemis as a soccer ball.
My god.
I kicked a cat.
The school was lively with the news of Naru's awakening.
My classmates chatted about it excitedly throughout the day, and it had been decided that a party would be thrown for her recovery and return. Yumiko and the girls were thrilled, and though I was pleased it was difficult to show because I was now an animal abuser and the guilt would probably follow me to my grave. It had been an accident really, he'd surprised me and it had sort of just happened. Plus I hadn't kicked all that hard, it had been more of a punt than anything really; he'd been so close to my foot that he hadn't been hit with force. Rather, he'd just sort of flown off it…into a bush. It was technically more of a throw than an actual blow.
Artemis hadn't spun or anything either, the bush was there to catch his fall and he would have landed on his feet anyway, so it could have been worse.
Christ.
I was a cat kicker.
For the rest of the day, every time I looked at Venus it was with a hint of guilt and apology. I wasn't going to tell her, because even though I knew Artemis was going to, a normal person wouldn't expect the cat to talk, and they certainly wouldn't admit to animal abuse. Or maybe apologizing to her would be the normal thing to do, I didn't know, but I really didn't want any more direct contact with her that wasn't necessary. I resigned myself to my future in hell, and tried to be done with it.
When the last bell rang, Yumiko stated her intentions of visiting Naru and I decided to tag along. She was quiet as I gathered my things and we exited the school, and I knew from experience that quiet was not something Yumiko could often be accused of being. Once we were a good ways down the street, she finally spoke. "Usagi-chan, can I ask you something?"
"Sure." I told her, curious as to her mood.
"I was wondering." She began hesitantly. "You were there when Naru woke up, right?"
"Yeah, actually. I was." I hadn't told anyone that though as I wondered how she knew.
"But the news didn't come from you." Yumiko stated. "Haruno-sensei and Ami-san were the ones that let us know. Ami-san had been the one to tell me this morning, she was really nice about it too, said she was happy for us and that we must be excited about it. Only, I hadn't known what she was talking about until she spelled it out for me."
I had an inkling of where this was going. "You're upset I didn't call to tell you."
Her expression said it all, and she turned away from me, focusing on the road. To be honest, the thought had never crossed my mind; I hadn't considered whether she would have wanted to know, too caught up in my own relief. I apologized, though I didn't feel particularly sorry for it either way. It was more for her sake, a gesture of resolution as I wasn't up to quarreling over things that didn't matter to me. Serenity's friends rarely ever crossed my mind, they simply weren't in my thoughts. Yumiko was pacified, though apparently she had a list of issues with me because she didn't stop there.
"So what were you doing with them anyway?"
I blanked on an excuse and settled on a half-truth.
"I noticed them visiting Naru a lot, and I didn't like it so I confronted them."
"What?!" She sputtered. "So like, you guys fought?"
"Words were exchanged." I replied vaguely.
Yumiko was silent for a moment, and then, quite suddenly she busted out in laughter. I jumped slightly, startled by the sound, and that made her laugh even harder. With tears in her eyes and a red face, she calmed down enough to say, "That is so like you, Usagi-chan. Naru will be so proud when she hears that, and flattered too I imagine. You know, I never took you for the jealous type."
I scoffed, shoving her sideways. "Shut up."
"I have to know though, what happened?" She wiped a tear away. "I mean, did they get mad? Did you yell or anything when you told them to back off? Like, I would have been way offended if someone I barely knew said that to me."
"Look, it wasn't a big deal. Naru woke up in the middle of it and we were all kicked out."
"Huh. Not as exciting as I'd thought then."
I shrugged.
Yumiko hummed. "You know, it is a bit odd that they visited her so much. Maybe they were visiting someone else and just stopped by that time?"
"Who knows."
She observed me for a moment. "…You don't really like them, do you?"
It was more of a statement than a question and I shrugged. "Not really. I mean, it isn't as though there's anything wrong with them. I just think they're weird, and really nosy."
Yumiko appeared to think this over deeply; from the frown, I thought she might agree with me thought she didn't openly say it. Instead, the subject was dropped and Yumiko began to talk about other things, but I could tell that something was still bugging her. I made no mention of it though, content to let it slide if she wasn't going to bring it up herself. Perhaps that was wrong of me, but truthfully we weren't anything more than casual acquaintances. It wasn't my problem, and I wasn't going to pry; If she wasn't asking for my help then I wasn't obligated to make an effort.
The rest of the walk to the hospital passed by slowly, and the closer we got the quieter we became; conversation died the moment the building came into sight, and our paces quicken. I hadn't realized until now, but I was looking forward to seeing Naru for myself and assessing her condition. I was eager to get a better grasp on the state of her recovery, physically and mentally. So it was with excitement and hopeful hearts that the two of us entered the building.
But once inside, things took a turn for the worse.
"What do you mean we can't see her?" Yumiko's voice was of disbelief, rising with every word.
"Only immediate family is allowed at this time." The Head nurse explained firmly. "Come back in a week, when her health is better. There should be no problem then, so long as she continues to recover the way she has."
"A week?" She said shrilly. "A week? One of my best friends wakes up from a coma, one that she's been in for six weeks, after being assaulted and you expect us to wait a freaking week?"
"Yumiko." I said through gritted teeth. She was making a scene, and the security guard, Arai, was now watching us suspiciously. I grabbed her arm but she shook me off.
"No," She turned back to the nurse. "This is messed up, and you are out of your mind if you think we're just going to leave. She needs us!"
Arai stepped forward menacingly.
I grabbed the back of Yumiko's uniform and yanked.
"We're terribly sorry for inconveniencing you." I addressed the nurse hurriedly, dragging a struggling Yumiko towards the exit. "Thank you for your time!"
Yumiko told the woman to do a very unladylike thing, and then the doors were closed and I was still pulling her away.
"That's such crap!" She fumed. "How dare they? Naru just went through a terrible experience and she's up there all alone!"
"I know."
"That cow of a nurse has some nerve. This is stupid, we should just force our way in."
"We'll be banned if we do that." I was unhappy about the situation, but not nearly to the extent that Yumiko was; she seemed more distressed than the situation called for her to be.
"So?"
"So," I sighed, "we wont be able to see Naru at all after that. One moment now and then she's alone for the rest of her stay here. Do you think that would make Naru happy?"
Yumiko made a defeated sound. "…No."
Good, she was seeing reason.
"Just… let me handle this okay?" I didn't really want to burden myself with the responsibility, but I did need to see Naru, and if I left Yumiko to her own devices we'd never get anything done. When Yumiko met my gaze, she had a flicker of hope in hers. The stark contrast between now and how she'd looked at me earlier was suddenly so obvious now. There wasn't time to dwell on it though, and I doubted I had the energy to remember it later. Exhaustion was beginning to settle in.
"Really?" She wondered. "You think you can do something about it?"
"Yes." Maybe. "We'll come back tomorrow, and she'll let us in okay? So don't do anything rash."
Reluctantly, she agreed.
We parted ways after that, me to work and her to whatever it was she did in her spare time. A vague plan formed in my mind, and when my shift ended I found myself playing pretend once more. I went home, went about my normal nightly routine, and went to bed as I did every night.
And then I waited.
It was nearly midnight when I snuck out of the house, going through my window and dropping down onto the dark ground below. I tried to roll a bit on landing, to distribute the shock like Hajime-sensei had once mentioned. That was twice in one day now I found myself jumping from heights; hopefully, there would not be a third time. I was dressed casually and took my time walking so as to not draw attention as I went. The streets were hushed, dead but growing more lively the closer I was to the business district. No one paused or stopped me on my way, and it was rare that I got a second glance from anyone.
The hospital was less active as I arrived, and I skirted along the side of it to avoid the main entrance and the Emergency Center. The building was seven stories tall, and large enough to have several wings. On the side I followed, there were fewer windows and a series of emergency exits that led to a narrow outer staircase. These doors would all be locked and alarmed, of course, so I couldn't get in that way. However, at the top of that staircase I could just make out what looked to be a metal latter.
It'd have to do.
Climbing seven flights of stairs was not fun. I was out of breath after three, and after the next four I required a moment to regain some energy for the next obstacle. I focused only on the latter in front of my face as I climbed it, slowly and one foot at a time. There were no safety precautions in case I fell, and that knowledge very loudly repeated itself to me with each step I took; I promised myself a nice long nap after the ordeal was finished and over with. When I neared the top the sound of people talking drifted to me, and I paused.
If there were people on this roof, than I had not in fact climbed this wretched thing in vain. No one would be up here if the door was alarmed, and even better no one would come up where if they didn't have the means to get back in; either they had a key, or, if I was lucky, there was something propped in the door to keep it from closing. My mind drifted to the card in my pocket, relieved that I might not have to use it. In college, I'd ended up locked out of my dorm many a time, and eventually I had learned how to open a locked door at the expense of my debit cards.
Serenity's father had about four credit cards, and I had snagged one before coming here like the sinner I was. There were problems with this, mainly that it didn't work on deadbolts and that my skill was probably a little rusty from disuse, but I'd only had a few hours to scrape the plan together, and it'd been a long time since I last slept. I moved up slowly, listening to the voices which were louder now, and after determining that they sounded farther away I peeked my head over the top.
And there they were, a man and a woman, both in scrubs, both arguing.
They were a good distance away, by the other end of the roof area, and I couldn't make out much more than the heat of the conversation. While the two of them argued I contemplated my options; I could go back down this accursed latter, possibly fall, and attempt to find a different way in, or I could risk it and attempt to sneak to the door. Of course, I could also wait for them to leave, but I wasn't sure I could stay this way for long. My hands felt slippery and I kept imagining the fall.
I was stalling, indecisive, when the two seemed to quiet suddenly.
I stilled, breath caught in my throat and listened. Had they seen me? Were they coming over? Had they left altogether? I counted to twenty, and when no one came I forced myself to look over once more. My eyes scanned the roof, at first seeing nothing until I lowered my gaze a bit. They were still here, on the ground now and kissing furiously and… undressing.
Good god.
I averted my gaze, nearly choking in surprise.
I definitely didn't want to go up there now, but I had an opening. There was a breeze of wind, reminding me of my precarious position on the latter, and my mind was made up. I tiptoed, silent as humanely possible, over the side onto the roof and to the doorway, pointedly ignoring the sounds coming from my right. There was a small stone propped in the door, and I tried not to disrupt it as I slipped in.
After that it was only a matter of evading hospital personnel and making it down the two flights to Naru's room on the opposite side of the hospital. Needless to say, it took me a while to get there. I was exhausted, having gotten no sleep the night before so when I finally entered Naru's room, I was sorely tempting to make her scoot over and let me get some sleep in. She was awake when I arrived, and jumped upon catching sight of me.
"Usagi-chan?" She whispered. "Is that you?"
"I'd say so, yes." I said, and she slumped. The movement appeared almost disappointed, and I found myself asking, "Why? Were you expecting someone else to creep into your room in the middle of the night?"
It was dark, but as I sat myself in the recliner at her side I caught Naru flushing. This struck me as odd, and I watched her for a moment. Who the hell else would she be expecting at this hour? The only people likely to even be up were myself and maybe the Sailor Scouts, if they were on a mission. Well, them and- oh.
"Oh…" I mumbled. Naru snapped her head around to me in surprise, cheeks reddening even more. She tried not to fidget as I stared, and I took pity on her by inquiring, "Who's the lucky guy then?"
Naru sighed, clearly struggling for words. I opened my mouth to save her from answering, but she beat me to the punch.
"I think I'm in love."
Now I was the one struggling for words. She continued though, speaking quickly as though the words wouldn't come fast enough and it seemed like I had opened the flood gate. "He saved me Usagi-chan, oh, it was terrible, I was so scared and he saved me. There was this, this thing that attacked me, and it looked just like my mother but it wasn't! It was- it was a monster, it nearly killed me and it would have if he hadn't appeared. He wore a mask but he was handsome, and so brave; he killed it, and I know I sound crazy right now, but it was real and so was he. It was real."
She was half hysterical, watching me desperately. I set my hand on hers, squeezing it. "I believe you."
And then Naru was crying and in my arms.
I did my best to comfort her, shoving down my alarm at the suddenness. For a long time she wept, clinging to me; when her tears dried, we sat together on the recliner, silent and contemplative. It wasn't until the sky began to lighten that I noticed how long we'd been sitting there for. I was half-dead, and it looked like it would be another sleepless night for me. Thoughts of work and aikido lessons on top of an entire day of school made me want to keel over right here and now. I decided that school really wasn't all that important anyway, and that surely I deserved a sick day after all this chaos.
"I'm really glad you came, Usagi-chan."
My smile was bleak.
Naru cleared her throat. "I have to find him, I have to thank him for what he did. My mom…" She choked. Inhaling, Naru abruptly said. "Tell me something I missed. I want to know everything, just, help me get my mind off this mess."
I nodded, but my mind blanked on anything good I could tell her. There wasn't much positivity in my life, and any of the happy moments that had happened weren't something I could share with her, like my job or how well I was doing in aikido. In fact, I had more serious matters to attend to with Naru, questions that needed answering and information she should probably know. Now wasn't the time for that though, I'd have to wait a while for her to calm down before bringing up anything unpleasant.
Well, what the hell then.
"I kicked a cat yesterday."
A/N
I don't know how I did it, but somehow I was able to write my longest chapter yet and edit it in the span of three days.
I must be an imposter or something.
Anyway! In regards to the confrontation over Naru, Usagi was atoning in the only way she could, by being protective of the girl. It's her way of taking responsibility, but now that Naru is better it isn't going to last. Usagi won't have time to baby Naru forever, and she won't like the girl getting into her business either. Things are really starting to pick up from here, so I hope we're all ready to shed some tears and bang our heads against a wall.
Someone posed a lovely question in their review and I'm going to answer very, very carefully.
What put OC into Usagi?
That would be a spoiler, dear reader. Can't tell you.
With that said,
Thoughts? Questions?
Please Review!
P.S. please pray to the wifi gods that my internet actually stays on, because it was a bitch trying to upload and post this chapter.
