Hey Everyone, Miles here to say, like every fanfic, I don't own any of the media that I use or reference. I'm just telling a story and that's all there is to it.
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Episode 6: One After Another
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She sprinted to him. The streets were empty as per usual, but today they held an ominous feeling that was only intensified by the silence that carried throughout the streets.
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Her footsteps were the only things making a sound the entire time.
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She felt fatigued, but she kept going because she wasn't gonna allow her father to become one of the things she had to kill unlike Akari.
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She started to notice the auto mechanic shop that her father worked for. She powered down, and went inside.
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The shop itself was usually busy working on cars from everyone in the district, but now, it was used to repair and maintain the armored vehicles that the military used to traverse the district. Her father didn't like the military and how they treated people, but the military gave him and his family extra rations for him working on the vehicles for them. although they usually didn't need it, he would find someone who did and secretly give it to them because sharing rations between families was forbidden by the military. Her father was a generous person and felt that his efforts were worth it to help others.
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She greeted some of the workers taking breaks. She barely knew them, but they knew her dad and her. As she passed them, they looked at her confused.
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After looking around in the shop for a minute, she found her father under one of the trucks. She went near him and whispered.
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(Usagi) Dad. It's me Usagi.
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It took him a second to put his to tool down and slide from under the vehicle.
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(Kenji) Huh? Is that... Usagi!? What the hell are you doing here!?
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(Usagi) Come with me, I need to tell you something extremely important.
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As she dragged her father into his office nearby, he alerted a coworker about taking a quick break.
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After they both entered, Kenji closed and locked the door and then looked out through the doors window to see if anyone was act suspicious. Then he started to pace back and forth behind his desk as Usagi took the seat across from him.
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(Kenji) Usagi what the hell!? You know you could be arrested on the spot for something like this! I really hope what you have to tell me is worth staking your freedom over.
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(Usagi) Yes, it is. To the point that it is a matter of life and death as of now.
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(Kenji) Usagi, there's no way it can be a "matter of life and death". Does your mother even know you left?
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(Usagi) Dad! Will you please sit down?
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(Kenji) Okay. But please tell me you'll go home after this.
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(Usagi) I'll get back to safety, yes.
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(Kenji) Okay, thats all I needed to know. So tell me kid. What did you want to tell me?
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(Usagi) First, I wanted to tell you that the people that are dying are not dying of natural causes. They're being reanimated by a parasite. This virus is just a front so that the entire district doesn't panic.
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Kenji seemed shocked for a moment, but then regained his composure.
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(Kenji) Okay, I don't really believe that. Zombies Usagi? Really? This really isn't the time for jokes you know!
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(Usagi) It isn't a joke dad. My friends have taken mom and Shingo to the Shrine because it will be safe there when patients start over running the town.
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(Kenji) What the fuck!? WHY would you make them leave the house!? Now they'll both be arrested thanks to you.
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(Usagi) If you don't believe me now, then there's one last thing I need to tell you.
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(Kenji) Oh? Oh, there's more huh? What other things can you tell me huh? You just told me that there are zombies running around and that you put the other half of our family in danger! What else could you possibly tell me!? What other news could possibly make that ANY worse! I swear, when things were finally going right with you! You were finally getting good grades, you were finally getting to school on time. THINGS WERE FINALLY LOOKING UP FOR YOU! And now, you're probably gonna get arrested and then you'll never be able to do anything in life!
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It was just like Mamoru... She would tell them the truth and then they wouldn't listen. Even if her dad had reasons to not believe her, his words still cut deep.
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(Usagi) Dad... I'm... I'm Sailor Moon.
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After breathing hard for a minute and holding an enraged face. Kenji froze.
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(Usagi) Dad? Are you oka-
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In the middle of her sentence, Usagi was interrupted by her father whose face was still serious.
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(Kenji) Prove it.
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(Usagi) What?
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(Kenji) Usagi. Prove that you are Sailor Moon. Because if you're able to prove that you are, then I will believe everything you have said thus far and will leave right now. And if you can't, just leave. We'll talk more when I get home, if you're even there.
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Usagi then did what she usually did when she transformed, except say her usual phrase. This was so that if there were any soldiers out there when they left, they wouldn't shoot her on sight, at least that's what she told herself.
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(Kenji) Oh my God...
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He was speechless. Not only was his daughter telling the truth, but she was the leader of the Sailor Guardians.
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But before he could get sentimental or emotional, he pushed it down and spoke.
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(Kenji) I see. But what about them.
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He was point out towards the shop, where he had friends among his coworkers.
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(Usagi) I would say that before we leave, check for soldiers.
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(Kenji) Thank you.
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A second later, Kenji went onto the shop floor.
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(Kenji) Guys! Are there any soldiers here right now?
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After some murmuring and looks, the workers each said they were clear of soldiers.
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(Kenji) Close the doors! There's an emergency!
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Immediately, the large shop doors were all carefully closed.
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After the doors closed, there was a single voice ringing throughout the shop.
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(Usagi) CRISIS, MAKE UP!
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There she was in front of them, Sailor Moon. One of their protectors from evil.
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(Usagi) Everyone. The military has been lying to you. I know this is going to sound ridiculous, but... the "virus" the military made up was a lie. The real disease is a parasite that spreads through fungal spores. This infection has spread throughout the hospital and now patients are talking the streets, looking for people to infect. Be careful, because they spread the infection through their bites. Also, the only way that the Sailor Guardians have found to eliminate them entirely... is by destroying the head entirely.
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There were whispers from around the shop. But then a worker raised his hand and began to speak.
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(Worker 1) Is that why you had to kill that boy? Because he really was dead when your weapon hit him.
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(Usagi) Yes... There was nothing we could do for him in that state. He was dead before he even saw us.
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(Worker 2) So what do we do?
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(Usagi) Go home. Find weapons. Hide if you can, and defend yourselves if it comes to that.
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(Worker 3) But... what if... What if WE get infected? What do we do?
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(Usagi) I'm so sorry to say this... But if you do get infected, get away from anyone and everyone who is not infected. Go somewhere in public away from other infected, and get comfortable. We as the Sailor Guardians will lay you to rest so that your family won't have to.
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Usagi ended her announcement and she left with Kenji by her side along with the other workers, who all took something from the shop to defend themselves with.
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After 20 minutes of running towards the Shrine they arrived. Safe and sound.
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Usagi watched as her father was embraced by Ikuko and Shingo.
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It was like he was returning from war. Ikuko and Shingo were hugging him tightly and Kenji did the same in return. Ikuko was even crying a little.
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As she watched them, Usagi was hugged from behind by all of her friends.
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It was a happy moment in a time filled with such few of them.
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After the girls finished hugging Usagi, they gave her slight frowns.
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(Rei) We know that you don't want to talk to him but...
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(Usagi) Huh?
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Passed her friends, she could see Mamoru, looking at her, his eyes filled with desperation.
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(Mamoru) Usako, I-
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(Usagi) DON'T.
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She just walked away to another part of the shrine. Her head hung low, she was still trying to recover from what he and her father said to her.
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Mamoru was about to start running after her when Makoto rushed in front of him.
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(Makoto) Mamoru. We know you want to make up with her, but forcing it isn't gonna help.
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Mamoru looked at her.
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(Mamoru) All I want to tell her is that I didn't know. How can I do that if she won't talk to me?
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(Makoto) You'll just have to wait until she's ready. Until then, you're gonna have to give her as much space as she needs.
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As she was talking to Mamoru, Kenji walked up to the rest of the girls.
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(Kenji) Hey is everything alright? I just saw Usagi walk away from you guys.
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(Rei) Well... Things are rough between these two.
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(Ami) Mr. Tsukino, do you remember the incident in which Sailor Moon had killed someone?
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(Kenji) Yes of course, why?
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(Ami) The person she killed, well he was like a brother to her boyfriend, Mamoru.
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(Minako) We went to him right after it had happened and he... tried to strangle her out of a mix of anger and mourning.
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(Kenji) That motherfucker. I'm going kill that little bast-
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There was a long pause. Kenji was remembering what he had told Usagi at the shop.
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(Kenji) Sorry, I have to go.
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"Finally" she thought. She and everyone she cared about was safe. She transformed and jumped onto the rear roof of the Shrine and sat, looking at the town. Then, she let it out.
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She sat there crying. Why was it that when she told bad news, it was as if everything was her fault? Why did they say such cruel things? Why didn't they understand? When she was given bad news, she never tried to kill anyone, she never told someone they were a failure. But what hurt the most, wasn't their words. It was their eyes.
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Everyone gives each other a different look. Happy, sad, angry, sick, unease, help and others exist. But there's one look that can make the words hurt more than anything physical. It's when a person looks at you like you are their worst enemy. Their eyes just look like they want you to get away from them and die. People can deny that this look is something that people are capable of, but it is.
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This was the very look that Usagi saw in Mamoru's and even her own father's eyes. She couldn't believe it at the time, but everything was just being let out at once.
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She would let the tears fall, but if she heard someone nearby, she would quiet herself until she couldn't hear them.
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(Usagi) W-W-Why were they so mean..? Why did they have to say those things? I didn't do anything wrong, I helped people. Didn't I-
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(Kenji) Usagi! Usagi where are you!? I need to talk to you!
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(A little while later)
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(Mamoru) Usako! Usako, please, say something! I'm so sorry, but please, talk to me!
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After the first two left, she heard another person coming. She thought
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(Rei) Usagi. Usagi, where the heck are you?
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Usagi leaned over.
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(Usagi) Up here...
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(Rei) How the heck did you-
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Rei saw that Usagi's eyes were bloodshot and was shaking.
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(Rei) Get down from there and come to my room. I promise. Nobody else will be there except for the other girls.
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Usagi transformed again and jumped down and landed softly.
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The two went to Rei's room, where the other girls were sat and waiting for her to arrive.
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The group stayed in the room, comforting the girl as she let out her sorrows to them. They though she had saw infected, but were furious when they heard what Kenji said to her.
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Later, the group met with the other families in the main temple. Usagi talked to her mother and Shingo, but avoided all contact together with Kenji.
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Mamoru tried once again to speak with Usagi, but Minako took him outside and slapped him hard enough for everyone to hear.
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When the two came back inside, Minako gave no explanation nor did anybody try to get one.
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Later, when everyone went to rooms for each of the families to use. That night Usagi snuck out and went for a walk.
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She went outside and walked. She went towards her home, but just stuck to aimlessly walking trying to calm herself down, even now.
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She jumped as she felt a light tap from behind her.
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(Usagi) AH!
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The tap came from Rei, who had been behind her since he left.
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(Rei) Relax, its me.
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(Usagi) Jeez don't scare me like that! What are you doing out here anyway?
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(Rei) I could ask you the same.
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(Usagi) I just... needed to go for a walk.
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(Rei) In a place where a zombie might come out and bite your neck? I don't think so.
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Just then, an infected woman came out of the shadows.
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((I) Woman) H-hey! You... two...! Why aren't... you... school!? W...h...y...a...
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(Rei) Crap! C'mon, lets get the-
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Rei was about to run back towards the Shrine when she heard Usagi and a noise.
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(Usagi) CRISIS, MAKE UP!
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She sounded angry and sad at the same time.
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*Boom* *Boom* *Boom*
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Rei looked to see that Usagi shot the woman, and hit a shot into the woman's head. She ha
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The woman fell, and she didn't move again.
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Rei looked around, the echo was sure to bring others if they were around.
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(Rei) Dammit Usagi! Mars Crystal Power!
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Rei cocked her shotgun and waited.
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*Boom* *Boom* *Boom* *Boom*
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(Rei) Usagi! What're you even-
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Rei looked to see that there were a few infected people running towards her, but they weren't able to get close enough before she shot them. She then saw her shoot a stray bullet in her direction, killing another infected.
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Rei started shooting a few that were coming towards her, but they moved slowly. With Usagi, they were almost sprinting at her.
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After a few minutes, Usagi launched her Moon Tiara, decapitating a few infected people that remained.
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(Rei) Hey! Hey, Usagi! We did it! Usagi?
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Usagi was slumped over. Then she examined one of the corpses and fell to her knees.
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(Rei) Hey! Are you okay?
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(Usagi) Rei... its... Umino. And Naru...
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Rei knew the two of them from Usagi, back when they were in middle school. They were an interesting couple that never seemed to be too far apart. She still remembers when Umino begged on his hands and knees for Usagi to convince Naru to allow them to be a public couple. They had been inseparable since that day...
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But here they were, bullets in each of them from a gun shot by their own friend.
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(Usagi) They... didn't make it.
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It was like one thing after another. The poor girl was unable to ever get a break.
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Usagi got up.
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(Rei) Lets just go home. Everyone would be worried if they knew we left.
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(Usagi) Okay.
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The two could hear the military in the far distance but they were coming from the opposite direction.
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The two walked home and slept. Rei would tell the others what happened. But Usagi would keep it to herself, not wanting to talk about yet another thing that happened to her.
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To her, when she told the others something was wrong, she felt like she was burdening them with her problems.
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Without saying it though, she wished that things would eventually get better from here.
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End of Episode 6: One After Another
