Usagi woke up from the terrible nightmare in her bed, her sweat-drenched pajamas clinging to her body. She sighed, and ran her hand through her hair. It had all felt so real. She shook the dream away and decided that a nice, warm shower would be cathartic enough for her to sort out the dream.
Upon opening her bedroom door, she nearly ran into Makoto, who was carrying a tray of food with a water glass. "Mako-chan? What are you doing here?"
Makoto smiled softly. "I was just coming to check on you. You would have taken a real nasty fall if Mamoru-san hadn't caught you."
"Caught me? What…?" It wasn't a dream, something inside of her whispered. Your parents are gone.
Usagi leaned against the door frame, feeling her legs start to give. She slid carefully to the ground. She felt dizzy."Oh no oh no no no no no," she said. Her throat swelled and her eyes burned. "It was real it was all real it wasn't a dream oh my god." Her heart began pounding in her ears again, so loud she couldn't her Makoto shout, but she saw it. "What am I gonna do now?" Her head rolled to the other side, looking into the bedroom. Through her blurred vision, she thought she spotted the dress her parents gave to her hanging on the closet door.
She saw a tall figure—Mamoru, she guessed— approach her, and crouch down to pull her into his arms.
"It's okay," he said in her ear. "I'm here, you'll be okay."
It was a long time before Usagi was okay. Friends and family members Usagi didn't remember having came and went. Mostly, she spent the following weekend crying. She stopped going to school, and only ate when the food was brought to her, and even then she didn't eat much. The only escape she had from the tearing pain was sleep, but even that was stolen by sleepless nights filled with nightmares. Neither she nor Shingo left their rooms except to use the bathroom. Some nights she stayed up sobbing uncontrollably, in grief or anger, and Mamoru did his best, but the only thing that could console her was fatigue.
"I'm really worried about her," Makoto said, her eyebrows crinkled up in concern.
"She'll be okay," Mamoru said. "I'm worried too, but I'd be more worried if she were her normal happy self. She's processing it. It's a part of grief."
"But this can't be healthy… she hasn't come out of her room in days," Rei remarked.
Just as Mamoru took in a breath to reply, Usagi's door slammed open and she hurried downstairs. "Hey, guys!"
"Wh—what's up, love? How are you doing?" Mamoru said warily, immediately standing and approaching her.
"Great, never better! I had an amazing idea!" Usagi replied, very chipper.
"What's that?" Minako asked, leery of her friend's newfound positivity.
"I'm gonna bring my parents back using the Silver Crystal!"
The hopes that had stirred in the bottoms of all their hearts sank, but they had been expecting something like this. "No, honey, you can't," Mamoru said plainly. "It doesn't work that way. You'd lose your own life if it was just one person, but you can't bring back both of them."
Indignance painted itself clearly all over her face. "Well, why not?"
He sighed. He didn't want to sound selfish, but it had to be said. "If you try to bring back both of them, I'll die too."
Her expression melted into a mixture of horror and guilt as she processed his words. "I—" she started, and then shook her head and went back to her room, returning to her regular, somber self.
"Usako, wait—" he started, but she was already gone. Mamoru shook his head, heartbroken. "It kills me to see her like this."
"She'll be okay," Rei said. "She's strong. She's been through worse."
"That's true. If anything, I'll bet she becomes even stronger," Minako said. "Whatever happens."
The others nodded in agreement. "You're right," Mamoru said. "But it doesn't mean it won't still hurt."
A knock came at the door. Mamoru opened the door to a clean-shaven man in a suit. He smiled awkwardly. "Uh, hello, is this the Tsukino residence?"
Mamoru narrowed his eyes warily. "Who are you?"
"My name is Kyou Akai. I'm a social worker." The man handed Mamoru an identification card to prove that he was who he said he was. "I'm here to discuss the future of the Tsukino children, now that their parents have… passed." He cleared his throat. "Are— are they here?"
He was a older man than Mamoru, perhaps in his mid- to late-thirties, with his hair slicked back with gel. His almond-colored eyes twinkled with worry behind his horn-rimmed glasses.
Mamoru opened the door further to let Mr. Akai in. "They're here."
"Ami and I will go get them," Rei said, and pulled Ami upstairs.
"I'll make some tea," Makoto said with a smile, and disappeared into the kitchen.
Minako and Mamoru sat on the couch, and gestured for Mr. Akai to sit on the chair across from them. Minako sat back, arms folded and legs crossed, while Mamoru leaned forward, resting his arms on his knees. Mamoru gave a small smile. "My name is Mamoru Chiba, and this is Minako Aino. The woman in the kitchen is Makoto Kino, and the two upstairs are Ami Mizuno and Rei Hino. We're close friends with Usagi, and we're taking care of the siblings while they grieve. You know, just making sure they eat and drink and shower and take care of themselves."
Mr. Akai nodded, sweat beading on his forehead. "I— I see. It's a…pleasure to meet you." Then, Ami and Rei returned with Shingo and Usagi, both with blotchy faces and puffy, red-rimmed eyes, and Mr. Akai stood. "Hello. My name is Kyou Akai, and—"
"We know who you are," Shingo said curtly. "Ami and Rei told us in order to lure us out."
"Shingo..." Usagi warned.
"What? It's true!" Shingo retorted. "What, are we supposed to be happy he's here? He's here because Mom and Dad are dead!" His voice cracked on the last word, and he turned away.
"My apologies," Mr. Akai said after a moment.
"No, it isn't your fault, just—" Usagi sighed. "Just give us a minute." She pulled Shingo away by the arm into the front entrance. When they got there, he pulled his arm away from her, and she leaned against the wall. "Shingo, he's just trying to help us—"
"Like your friends who haven't kept their nose in their own business since Friday?"
"You watch it. They're trying to help. We need help, Shingo. You have to accept that."
"Why'd they have to go to that stupid reunion anyway? Why'd they have to—"
"Stop right there," Usagi warned, rage flaming in her eyes. "Don't even dare."
Shingo screamed in frustration. "I'm outta here!" He said, and stormed out the door. He attempted to slam the door behind him, but Usagi caught it.
"Shingo!" Usagi called, and followed him out. "Just wait! You can't leave!"
"Watch me," he spat. He hopped on his bike and rode away. Usagi sighed, rubbing her temples. Her head was beginning to pound, but maybe that was because she hadn't had much water the past couple of days.
She sensed someone approaching, and snapped her head up to see Mamoru approaching, hands up in a sign of peace. "Is everything alright?"
She smiled. Tears pricked her eyes, and she closed the distance between them and laid her head on his chest. "I'm so glad you're here," she said quietly, and sniffed.
He wrapped his arms around her and rubbed her back. "You'll get through this, Usako. You always have."
She sighed again, but it dissolved into a sob. She buried her head deeper into his chest. "I don't wanna be alone again, Mamo-chan. I'm so scared." He held her tightly, telling her it was alright and that everything would be okay.
But everything would not be okay. She knew already that she was about to enter into some kind of personal hell, the likes of which she had never even dreamt.
After a few moments, she pulled away and wiped her eyes. "Sorry," she mumbled.
He shook his head. "Don't apologize. That's what I'm here for." He smiled at her, but it wasn't quite Her Smile; instead, it was laced with worry, his eyebrows knotted up and his eyes softened with pity, or maybe sympathy. He offered her his hand. She took it, and the two made their way back to the living room.
"I apologize, Mr. Akai. My brother, he's still just a kid, and this is a lot for him."
"I would be surprised if it weren't a lot for you, too, Miss Tsukino," Kyou said, smiling kindly. "It's okay, you know. Such a traumatic experience must allow for grieving."
"I will go search for Shingo," said Ami.
"Yeah, me too," added Rei.
"We'll be back," said Makoto with a smile.
"Don't worry, okay?" said Minako.
With that, the four girls left the house.
"In any case, we must discuss your living arrangements. It was your parents' will that you two be cared for through the rest of your high school careers by your paternal grandmother, Maria Tsukino. She lives in Kyoto."
"Kyoto? But that's so far! No other relative lives any closer?" Usagi asked.
"Not that we know of. Again, it was your parents' will."
Usagi had never gotten along with her grandmother. She'd tried to be nice, but Usagi was pretty sure that Grandmother saw her as the failed first test, and Shingo as the perfected second try. It had only gotten worse over the years, as Usagi failed more classes and got in more trouble with teachers. Shingo made B's, and was favored by teachers.
Usagi chewed on her lips as Setsuna's words made another round in her head. "That place will be a personal hell for you, but it is a necessary evil in your journey to becoming Queen". A necessary evil. Usagi should have been more prepared for this.
She couldn't tell Mamoru about her grandmother. Maybe when she'd finished school, but not now.
The girls did not spend long looking for Shingo, soon finding him at the Crown Arcade, already deep in Sailor V.
"You know, I'm a pro at this game," Minako boasted as they approached him. "I could probably beat Sailor V herself."
He didn't spare so much as a glance. "What do you want?"
"Just to talk, Shingo," Ami said carefully.
"I don't wanna talk," Shingo mumbled.
The girls exchanged looks, and decided to try another tactic.
"How about we buy you something from the parlor? Anything you want," Makoto tried.
Shingo paused the game and turned. He looked her square in the eye and said, "Anything?"
Rei smiled. "Anything, kiddo."
Three chocolate milkshakes, two strawberry sundaes, five fudge brownies, and eight glasses of milk later, Shingo was slumped on the counter of the parlor's bar, sleeping peacefully from the sugar coma.
"Makoto, I really wish you hadn't promised him anything," Ami said, worriedly searching her wallet.
"It's okay, it's okay, we'll split the bill! How much is that, Unazuki?" Makoto asked.
"Your total comes out to ¥5417," Unazuki said with a timid smile.
Rei dropped her head on the table. "You've gotta be kidding me," she said, her voice slightly muffled.
Makoto laughed nervously and checked her wallet. "I've got about ¥1120."
Rei sighed and lifted her head to check her own wallet. "I have ¥1680."
Minako smiled sheepishly. "I have like ¥500." Rei shot her a glare. "Hey, video games are expensive!"
They all turned to Ami. After a moment she let out a long sigh of defeat. "Fine," she said quietly. She pulled out a plastic debit card and handed it to Unazuki. "All of you, give me everything you have."
The three girls abashedly handed over their small wads of bills and coins—only coins in Minako's case.
Ami shook Shingo to wake him, but he only groaned and buried his head in his arms. With a sigh Makoto gingerly picked him up and put him on her back. Then, the five headed back to the Tsukino household.
