Chapter 101: Through Tears and Thorns

[Scene: The Hen Tie High prom. Mamoru shyly approaches Zoi]

Mamoru: Hey, Zoi. I was hoping you'd be here.

Zoi: Hi, Mamoru. What's up?

Mamoru: May I have the next dance?

[Zoi nods and steps closer]

Mamoru: Thanks.

[Mamoru is at a loss for where to put his hands. Kunzite's staring murder at him whenever his hands get close to Zoi's bare back, but he has a feeling Kunzite doesn't want his hands on Zoi's hips either. He finally puts his hands on Zoi's shoulders while Zoi puts his hands on his waist.

[As soon as they get situated, the next song begins. "A Time for Us" from the Soundtrack for Romeo & Juliet.]

[Kunzite's jaw drops and he scans the DJ booth for who he needs to kill later for playing a long, romantic song about star-crossed lovers while his young husband is in the arms of his current least favorite person in the world.]

Zoi: So how are you enjoying your evening with Usagi?

Mamoru: Wonderful. I told her you won us these VIP tickets and she wanted me to thank you again.

[They look at Usagi who gives them a thumb's up behind Kunzite's back. Oddly, Zoi's not the least bit jealous of Usagi dancing close with Kunzite, probably because he trusts her more than anyone.]

Zoi: [smiles fondly at her] Usagi's such a sweet, innocent girl.

Mamoru: Yeah, well she thinks we're just friends.

Zoi: Mamoru. We ARE just friends.

Mamoru: Oh, yeah. Right. I meant…

[They both look away embarrassed]

Mamoru: You look very pretty, by the way.

Zoi: Uh, thanks.

[Mamoru is looking increasingly awkward like he'd rather be anywhere else]

Zoi: If you're uncomfortable you don't have to dance with me, you know. And you don't have to thank me for the tickets. I wanted you to have them.

Mamoru: It's not that…It's just…[stares at his feet]…I've been worried…ever since I found out you were in the fire…I wanted make sure you're ok… but I'm not sure I know how to ask without sounding like a jerk…

Zoi: I'm fine. I've completely recovered. The doctors gave me a clean bill of health before they sent me back to school.

Mamoru: That's not really what I meant.

Zoi: Then what do you mean?

Mamoru: Don't get mad, ok?

Zoi: Just say what you have to say.

Mamoru: Well – this is so stupid – I'm sorry Zoi. Do you remember anything that happened…before… the fire…

Zoi: Oh. [giggles and gives Mamoru a faint smile to let him know it's not a taboo subject]

Mamoru: Yeah. I was…I got kind of shaken when I saw them carry you out. I couldn't believe…

Zoi: That I would have ever gone in there of my own free will?

[Mamoru nods]

Zoi: You want to know what happened? Here's what happened: I spent Friday night at Umino's, but then a bunch of the Blackmoons ambushed me after his parents dropped me off at home. They knew I'd been making trouble for Demande so they gave me something to knock me out, and told me if I didn't drink it, innocent people would get hurt. I know they were planning to do bad things to me, but fortunately, they never got a chance.

Mamoru: Do you have any idea what caused the fire?

Zoi: [shakes his head] I didn't even know there was a fire until my mother told me about it, days later in the hospital.

Mamoru: It's just… it doesn't make sense to me that they'd do something like this in the middle of a family reunion.

[Despite Mamoru's preamble, Zoi's getting angry]

Zoi: Are you saying I'm lying?

Mamoru: No—

Zoi: I'm not lying.

Mamoru: I didn't say you were.

Zoi: Who knows why the Blackmoons decided to kidnap me in the middle of a family reunion? That whole family was crazy! [Draws inspiration from a true crime show he saw on TV] No, actually it does make sense. If they were planning to dump my body somewhere, a family reunion would provide a perfect alibi. As long as each of the killers snuck away separately, and covered for one another, they could all find a way to account for their whereabouts for an entire evening.

Mamoru: You seem pretty calm about it.

Zoi: Well…All's well that ends well, right?

[Mamoru won't meet Zoi's eyes. They aren't even swaying to the music, though Zoi hasn't removed his hands from his waist and Mamoru hasn't removed his hands from his shoulders.]

Mamoru: It is also a bit odd that you were the only survivor.

[Now Zoi is definitely angry]

Zoi: Wait a minute! You don't think I set that fire, do you?

Mamoru: [flushes bright red] No! Of course not.

Zoi: [pulls away from Mamoru] Fine! You got me! I did set that fire! I woke up that morning, walked fifteen miles and climbed a hill without anyone noticing, just so I could break into the house of the man who, had he lived long enough, was eventually going to get around to raping me! Once I was inside I snuck past all three hundred of his family members that I was plotting to murder for no good reason, so far into the house that I, in fact, got lost and breathed in smoke from the fire I had set myself, until my heart stopped beating! Good thing the paramedics managed to revive me, since I would have gotten a Darwin Award for sure!

[Mamoru is looking at Zoi now, responding to the passion in his voice]

Zoi: Geez, Mamoru, I thought you were only this much of a jerk to Usagi! Look, I know you probably won't believe this, but just so you know, I had nothing to do with any of it! All I know is that if it hadn't been for that fire, I'd probably be very dead right now!

Mamoru: [pained] I know…It's just…

Zoi: What!

Mamoru: [puts his hands on his shoulders] Zoi. Nobody thinks you burned down Blackmoon Manor. We all know it was Esmeraude Blackmoon.

Zoi: W-what?

Mamrou: Oh, come on. Motoki told us how she brought out a bomb in Biology class and tried to blow up the school. Next thing you know, Blackmoon Manor burns up with everyone in it. It doesn't take a genius to connect the dots here.

Zoi: Then…. why are you asking me what happened?

[Mamoru looks Zoi straight in the eye]

Mamoru: [sighs] Zoi, I want to know what happened, so I know what I could have done to prevent it. One day, your father wants you to stay away from your house, and the next day you're on life support with no chance of surviving, and I'd never felt so useless in my entire life. It almost like your father had a premonition that something bad would happen as soon as you got home. There was a big red flag, and nobody saw it until it was too late.

Zoi: [taken aback by his sincerity] What could you have possibly done..? Other than get yourself killed along with me?

Mamoru: I don't know, but I would have done something. Nobody should have to go through the sort of horrors you went through alone…If you're ever afraid for your life, I want you to tell me. Right away. I don't care if you think you're being paranoid. You need to let me know.

Zoi: [smiles and feels guilty now that he knows Mamoru meant well] I wasn't alone. Kunzite and his mother were there for me. They really did save my life.

Mamoru: Ok, but I'll be watching.

[Mamoru stares right at Kunzite who is shooting him back a look of menace while still dancing gracefully with Usagi.]

Zoi: [giggles and pats Mamoru's shoulder] Sorry for giving you a hard time.

Mamoru: [grins with relief] I don't mind that much….

Zoi: [smiles] And thanks for caring about me.

Mamoru: Hey, what are friends for?

[The song ends and Mamoru makes his way back to Usagi.]