Sailor Moon Fan Fiction ❯ Lead me not into Temptation ❯ Chapter 3
[ Y - Young Adult: Not suitable for readers under 16 ]
By: Serenitas 
Anime/Manga: Sailor Moon Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Romance | Type: Other | Uploaded On: 09.15.2002 | Pages: 3 | Words: 2.8K | Visits: 595 | Status: Completed
Anime/Manga: Sailor Moon Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Romance | Type: Other | Uploaded On: 09.15.2002 | Pages: 3 | Words: 2.8K | Visits: 595 | Status: Completed
Greetings all! Well I've been checking out my reviews for this story and they aren't all that numerous or encouraging for this particular story, so I'm going to give it another go with this chapter and if things don't improve, I'll be taking this story off FF.net and just posting it on my website instead, if I choose to continue it. So, I hope things pick up a bit, I'm sorry everyone seems to dislike this storyline and think it unoriginal. I thought it was quite original and not too badly, but perhaps my view is jaded. Anyway, here's Chapter 3. No Flames. Read and Review but be kind. Standard disclaimers. Oh yes, this Chapter is full of Minako mischief so if you like Minako, this is one chapter I think you'll like!
Minako rubbed her hands together gleefully. Those poor saps had no idea what she had planned for them. They were the two most stubborn and irritating people on the face of the earth, madly in love with each other and unable to admit it. She figured this was just the thing to pull Usagi out of her doldrums. Giving a little hop, she positioned herself by the counter in the arcade, waiting for Mamoru who always arrived before Usagi. She winked at Motoki who rolled his eyes and groaned, convinced he was going to be pummelled into next week by Mamoru once he figured out what was going on. "Get me a drink!" Minako asked dramatically, partially laying on the counter. Motoki groaned again and almost ran from the counter to fulfill her order. Minako, hopped up on sugar, waited for her victims…or rather her friends.
Mamoru entered and did his usual Usagi-scan. She wasn't there yet so he sat down on his usual seat with a sigh of relief. He noticed Minako had a wild look in her eye, a gleam he didn't quite trust in her. (Necton_Minako - sound familiar yet?) "Konnichi wa Minako." He nodded.
Minako smiled at him and nodded. "Mamoru-san." She replied.
Usagi walked in a few moments later, glancing towards Mamoru and then jerking her head back to the floor before anyone saw her normal reaction. Walking over to a booth, she slid inside it and closed her eyes, sighing. Haruna-sensei had given her back one of her papers today and as usual it was an exceptionally good grade, but she was starting to question how dark Usagi's writing had become. Usagi couldn't help it, all she could do was write what was inside her which right now was hurt. She hurt all the time from all the secrets she carried that she could tell no one about. Sighing, she pulled out some of her school books, she was in danger of failing math. Ignoring Minako who was hopping around the front counter and terrifying both Mamoru and Motoki, she tuned the world out. "Running again?" a smooth voice asked her.
She looked up to see Setsuna who had glided across from her and sat there drinking a soda. "Where the hell did you come from?" she asked, startled.
"Princess I am everywhere!" Setsuna spread her arms wide, smiling. "Being a trans-dimensional space being is so cool."
Usagi giggled despite herself. "Why are you here?"
"To find out what is wrong with you. You keep many secrets Princess, nonetheleast of which is how tempted you are by your ex-boyfriend who you refused to take back." Setsuna arched an eyebrow at her. "A reason I never fully understood."
"I told you all a long time ago, he chose a dream over me and therefore what future did we have?"
"Do you REALLY want me to answer that?" Setsuna chuckled.
Usagi sighed and shook her head. "Setsuna, I'm busy trying to figure out quadratic equations here so if you could just leave…"
Setsuna's eyes widened. "I'm shocked! Trying to get rid of me!"
Usagi reached towards Setsuna. "Could you keep it down…" she hissed.
"Asking me to leave like that!" Setsuna declared dramatically. "Minako!" she cried out. "She wants me to leave so she can work on math!"
Minako's jaw dropped and Motoki and Mamoru's eyes widened to the point where they thought they'd fall out of their heads. Usagi, blushing to the roots of her hair quickly grabbed her books and tried to make a run for it, but Minako grabbed her as she was heading out the door. "Usagi how could you?" she asked, closing her eyes in apparent hurt. "To try to sneak out! To ask Setsuna to leave!"
Usagi was fighting to get out of Minako's surprisingly strong grip. "Minako, let go!"
Minako drug her to the counter and practically threw her at Mamoru. "Here, you two keep each other company while I try to soothe Setsuna. Motoki, make sure they don't leave."
Motoki was convinced his face would never be a normal colour again. After Minako and Setsuna were safely ensconced in the back room, he turned to Mamoru and Usagi. "If you don't want her to strike again I suggest you leave!" he warned them.
Usagi's face was priceless, having gone from thinking dark thoughts that tiptoed around death, most especially her own to thoughts of dodging Minako before she could cause more damage. She closed her eyes and tried to forget for a moment that she was in Mamoru's arms. She had tried to banish from her mind the memory of his cologne, the feel of his arms that now had reflexively wrapped around her. Fighting, she got out of his grasp and turned to him. "You couldn't have let me go any sooner psychic boy?" she snapped.
Mamoru's eyes widened, obviously having been stuck in a reverie of his own. "I was TRYING to be concerned over you." He snapped back.
"I don't need your concern. If I recall correctly you gave up all right to be concerned over me when you decided to believe a DREAM." She snarled. "Crazy people often hear voices in their head. Somehow I'm not surprised you decided to listen to the voices."
Motoki beat his head against the counter. This was going to be impossible! They looked for any reason to fight! "Forgive me for being concerned!" Mamoru's voice raised. "I didn't want you to die!"
"And you think this half life I'm living now is any better than death?" Usagi's voice raised, then she clapped her hands over her mouth horrified at having let that slip.
"What are you talking about?" Mamoru's eyes widened.
"Not a damn thing asshole." Usagi replied quickly. "I'm leaving before Minako returns. You stay here and act like a useless lump like you normally do." With those words she ran from the arcade, forgetting her briefcase which had dropped to the floor when Minako had thrown her at Mamoru.
Minako came out and narrowed her eyes when she saw Usagi had escaped. "Well it's better to have loved and lost then never to have gone to the mall." She sighed.
Motoki winced, Setsuna groaned and Mamoru shut his eyes in pain. "Don't you mean it's better to have loved and lost then never to have loved at all?" Setsuna questioned.
"Right! That's what I meant!" Minako replied brightly. "I'm going rabbit hunting! Anyone want to join me?"
Three heads shook, trying to avoid Minako. Minako sighed. "I am completely unappreciated for all the work I do around here." She left, forgetting her briefcase as well.
Usagi didn't go home as planned, rather she went to the last place she would have ever gone voluntarily. Climbing the stairs to the Hikawa Jinja, she hoped she wouldn't run into Rei. Going over to the worship area, she knelt and said a small prayer. "Lead me not into temptation, kami help me to be strong, I can fight all that I'm feeling, but I can't do it alone. Help me break this spell that I'm under, guide my feet and hold me tight." She prayed. "Give me the strength to go on Goddess for I am so weak and alone."
"That's news to me." A quiet voice said behind her.
Usagi turned to see Rei in her priestess robes, shamelessly listening to her. "Rei." She said in a flat voice. "Ok, get the teasing and the yelling over with."
"Is that all you think I do?" Rei's eyes widened.
"Pretty much." Usagi confirmed.
Rei put her arm around Usagi. "Would you tell me why you hurt so much?"
"Would you tell me why you hate me?" Usagi countered.
"I don't hate you." Rei replied. "I never have. I see potential in you, potential that is going to waste and I want you to be better than you are. If that makes me hateful then I won't apologize."
"I never thought of it like that." Usagi admitted. "All I've ever seen was you harping at me for my mistakes and failures."
"I've eased up on you quite a bit." Rei smiled. "And now I can feel the pain in you. You want to die don't you?"
Usagi turned away. "I have to be going."
"Running again?" Rei arched an eyebrow in a perfect imitation of Setsuna.
"I can't talk about it Rei." Usagi murmured. "If you are my friend, please understand."
"I won't stand by while you destroy yourself Usagi." Rei cautioned. "I am sworn to protect you, and that includes from yourself."
Usagi shook her head. "It's not that simple Rei." Standing up, she ran from the temple grounds, still unwilling to return to her empty house.
Rei sighed as she ran, lifting her communicator. "Haruka, it's up to you now. I crapped out."
Haruka and Michiru watched as Usagi ran from the jinja and headed towards one of the parks the youmas tended to ignore. It was mostly deserted, the upkeep wasn't that frequent and mostly homeless people lived in it. Usagi willingly entered this park and headed for a bench. Sitting down she closed her eyes, convincing herself she was not running from Rei and her questions, rather she was running from Minako and her lunacy. "Kitten, what are you doing here?" Haruka's voice boomed in the silence of the park.
Usagi closed her eyes. 'I'm convinced god is a guy.' She sighed. "Haruka." She nodded.
"Why are you here?" Michiru asked gently. "This isn't a good place to be Usagi and you could get hurt."
"No more than I have been." Usagi muttered, but Haruka and Michiru heard.
"How have you been hurt?" Michiru asked.
"Who the hell hurt you?" Haruka demanded. "How? When? Why?"
Usagi shook her head. "I didn't mean it like that."
"Then how did you mean it?" Haruka asked, "You don't just make a statement like that and then say nothing further."
Usagi sighed. "Haruka, Michiru, I thank you for your concern but I'd really rather be alone right now."
"You're so empty inside." Michiru said softly. "I don't need the Mirror to see that."
"You want to justify all the hurt inside, yet you shy away from human affection." Haruka added. "You! The most loving and wonderful person in the world! The person who feels so much that I envy her!"
"And now I feel nothing." Usagi replied, her eyes closed. "I can't let myself feel."
"Why?" Haruka asked, placing an arm on Usagi's shoulder.
Usagi stood. "I have to be getting home."
"Running again?" Haruka and Michiru asked together.
Usagi didn't reply, she just ran.
Minako hung outside Usagi's room from the tree in her front yard. She and Makoto had threatened Mamoru with violence and blind dates until he agreed to bring Usagi's briefcase to her house. Giggling like a monkey she winked at Makoto who hung from another branch. Usagi had come home moments before and Mamoru was coming down the street. "Love is such a science." Minako sighed. "And I, the Goddess of Love am always so busy! Pity me for I try to bring love and joy to my friends!"
"Would you shut up?" Makoto hissed.
Minako shut up and tried to blend into the greenery, not an easy task in bright orange clothes. Mamoru knocked on the door and Usagi opened it. "What do you want?"
Mamoru held out her briefcase. "You left this at the arcade. I thought you might want it back."
"So I can work on quadratic equations?" Usagi's eyebrows raised. "I don't think so." She gave a half smile. "But thank you for returning it."
Mamoru nodded. "My god you're being polite."
"Don't get used to it bastard." Usagi retorted.
Mamoru stepped closer to Usagi. "You've been crying."
"I have not." Usagi said defensively.
"Then why are your eyes all red and puffy?"
"It's spring! There's pollen in the air!" Usagi snapped. "Go away!"
"Running again?" Mamoru asked softly.
Usagi slammed the door in his face. Mamoru glanced up at the tree. "Well that was a wonderful idea Minako." He snapped.
"Especially since it's fall." Minako replied.
Mamoru shook his head and left, leaving the home of his temptation. The urge to go back and force his way in the house overwhelming.
Minako and Makoto were preparing to leave Usagi's tree when she walked into her room. Makoto hissed for Minako to keep still as they spied on their friend. Usagi threw her bag across the room, crying already. Minako's eyes widened as she watched Usagi lay on her bed and punch herself, self-loathing obvious in every move. After a few minutes, Usagi got up and went into her bathroom and Minako and Makoto scrambled out of the tree. "What the hell was that about?" Makoto asked, concerned. "She shouldn't be alone."
Minako ignored her and reached out to her link with Usagi, to the bond that led to Usagi's heart and used her natural connection to love to feel Usagi. Her eyes widened. "Usagi feel nothing at all." She said, startled. "She's alone."
"Her parents won't be home until later." Makoto nodded.
"Not that kind of alone." Minako corrected. "And that loneliness is what she's running from, I think."
Usagi was so tired she couldn't sleep. (A.N - I hate that feeling!) "So many secrets I can't keep any longer." She said, wretched. "I promised myself I wouldn't weep, one more promise I can't keep. It seems no one can help me now, I'm in too deep, there's no way out." Pacing her house, she let herself remember when she was loved, when her love was Mamoru, her greatest temptation and only desire. Doing something she swore she'd never do, she went to her father's liquor cabinet and pulled out a bottle. She didn't notice what it was she started to drink, only that darkness enveloped her at last.
Mamoru was unable to concentrate on his law studies. He yearned for Usagi and he looked forward to fighting with her every day. If that was the only way he could be in her life, he'd take it. He frowned as he felt an odd tugging sensation inside. Usagi had long ago broke the link the two of them shared and he never knew when or if she was in danger anymore. Shaking his head, he banished those morbid thoughts from his head. Usagi's light was too bright, her spirit too strong for anything to pull her down for long. Her dark and empty thoughts would pass, he thought. He frowned, wishing he could make himself believe it.
Minako ignored Artemis, who was hiding under her bed and telling her this was a bad idea. "Time to move on to Plan B!" she exclaimed. "I will push those two together if it kills them!"
"Don't you mean 'if it kills me?'" Artemis' voice asked from under the bed.
"Whatever." Minako replied. "I'll make them happy like hell!"
"Goddess have mercy on us."
And that is the end of this chapter. I hope everyone enjoyed it. I tried to lighten it up a bit, while still keeping Usagi's pain in it. I have personal experience with this kind of pain, with the emptiness and the drinking and the suicidal thoughts, so if I linger a little bit it's normally because I'm caught up in my past memories. Anyway, please read and review and let me know what you think. The next chapter will be even lighter and total Minako mischief, with the help of my best friend and Minako expert Necton_Minako. No Flames please! And remember, I write based on reviews and if the reviews don't pick up then I'll discontinue this story and attempt another one with wounded pride.
Ja ne!
Minako rubbed her hands together gleefully. Those poor saps had no idea what she had planned for them. They were the two most stubborn and irritating people on the face of the earth, madly in love with each other and unable to admit it. She figured this was just the thing to pull Usagi out of her doldrums. Giving a little hop, she positioned herself by the counter in the arcade, waiting for Mamoru who always arrived before Usagi. She winked at Motoki who rolled his eyes and groaned, convinced he was going to be pummelled into next week by Mamoru once he figured out what was going on. "Get me a drink!" Minako asked dramatically, partially laying on the counter. Motoki groaned again and almost ran from the counter to fulfill her order. Minako, hopped up on sugar, waited for her victims…or rather her friends.
Mamoru entered and did his usual Usagi-scan. She wasn't there yet so he sat down on his usual seat with a sigh of relief. He noticed Minako had a wild look in her eye, a gleam he didn't quite trust in her. (Necton_Minako - sound familiar yet?) "Konnichi wa Minako." He nodded.
Minako smiled at him and nodded. "Mamoru-san." She replied.
Usagi walked in a few moments later, glancing towards Mamoru and then jerking her head back to the floor before anyone saw her normal reaction. Walking over to a booth, she slid inside it and closed her eyes, sighing. Haruna-sensei had given her back one of her papers today and as usual it was an exceptionally good grade, but she was starting to question how dark Usagi's writing had become. Usagi couldn't help it, all she could do was write what was inside her which right now was hurt. She hurt all the time from all the secrets she carried that she could tell no one about. Sighing, she pulled out some of her school books, she was in danger of failing math. Ignoring Minako who was hopping around the front counter and terrifying both Mamoru and Motoki, she tuned the world out. "Running again?" a smooth voice asked her.
She looked up to see Setsuna who had glided across from her and sat there drinking a soda. "Where the hell did you come from?" she asked, startled.
"Princess I am everywhere!" Setsuna spread her arms wide, smiling. "Being a trans-dimensional space being is so cool."
Usagi giggled despite herself. "Why are you here?"
"To find out what is wrong with you. You keep many secrets Princess, nonetheleast of which is how tempted you are by your ex-boyfriend who you refused to take back." Setsuna arched an eyebrow at her. "A reason I never fully understood."
"I told you all a long time ago, he chose a dream over me and therefore what future did we have?"
"Do you REALLY want me to answer that?" Setsuna chuckled.
Usagi sighed and shook her head. "Setsuna, I'm busy trying to figure out quadratic equations here so if you could just leave…"
Setsuna's eyes widened. "I'm shocked! Trying to get rid of me!"
Usagi reached towards Setsuna. "Could you keep it down…" she hissed.
"Asking me to leave like that!" Setsuna declared dramatically. "Minako!" she cried out. "She wants me to leave so she can work on math!"
Minako's jaw dropped and Motoki and Mamoru's eyes widened to the point where they thought they'd fall out of their heads. Usagi, blushing to the roots of her hair quickly grabbed her books and tried to make a run for it, but Minako grabbed her as she was heading out the door. "Usagi how could you?" she asked, closing her eyes in apparent hurt. "To try to sneak out! To ask Setsuna to leave!"
Usagi was fighting to get out of Minako's surprisingly strong grip. "Minako, let go!"
Minako drug her to the counter and practically threw her at Mamoru. "Here, you two keep each other company while I try to soothe Setsuna. Motoki, make sure they don't leave."
Motoki was convinced his face would never be a normal colour again. After Minako and Setsuna were safely ensconced in the back room, he turned to Mamoru and Usagi. "If you don't want her to strike again I suggest you leave!" he warned them.
Usagi's face was priceless, having gone from thinking dark thoughts that tiptoed around death, most especially her own to thoughts of dodging Minako before she could cause more damage. She closed her eyes and tried to forget for a moment that she was in Mamoru's arms. She had tried to banish from her mind the memory of his cologne, the feel of his arms that now had reflexively wrapped around her. Fighting, she got out of his grasp and turned to him. "You couldn't have let me go any sooner psychic boy?" she snapped.
Mamoru's eyes widened, obviously having been stuck in a reverie of his own. "I was TRYING to be concerned over you." He snapped back.
"I don't need your concern. If I recall correctly you gave up all right to be concerned over me when you decided to believe a DREAM." She snarled. "Crazy people often hear voices in their head. Somehow I'm not surprised you decided to listen to the voices."
Motoki beat his head against the counter. This was going to be impossible! They looked for any reason to fight! "Forgive me for being concerned!" Mamoru's voice raised. "I didn't want you to die!"
"And you think this half life I'm living now is any better than death?" Usagi's voice raised, then she clapped her hands over her mouth horrified at having let that slip.
"What are you talking about?" Mamoru's eyes widened.
"Not a damn thing asshole." Usagi replied quickly. "I'm leaving before Minako returns. You stay here and act like a useless lump like you normally do." With those words she ran from the arcade, forgetting her briefcase which had dropped to the floor when Minako had thrown her at Mamoru.
Minako came out and narrowed her eyes when she saw Usagi had escaped. "Well it's better to have loved and lost then never to have gone to the mall." She sighed.
Motoki winced, Setsuna groaned and Mamoru shut his eyes in pain. "Don't you mean it's better to have loved and lost then never to have loved at all?" Setsuna questioned.
"Right! That's what I meant!" Minako replied brightly. "I'm going rabbit hunting! Anyone want to join me?"
Three heads shook, trying to avoid Minako. Minako sighed. "I am completely unappreciated for all the work I do around here." She left, forgetting her briefcase as well.
Usagi didn't go home as planned, rather she went to the last place she would have ever gone voluntarily. Climbing the stairs to the Hikawa Jinja, she hoped she wouldn't run into Rei. Going over to the worship area, she knelt and said a small prayer. "Lead me not into temptation, kami help me to be strong, I can fight all that I'm feeling, but I can't do it alone. Help me break this spell that I'm under, guide my feet and hold me tight." She prayed. "Give me the strength to go on Goddess for I am so weak and alone."
"That's news to me." A quiet voice said behind her.
Usagi turned to see Rei in her priestess robes, shamelessly listening to her. "Rei." She said in a flat voice. "Ok, get the teasing and the yelling over with."
"Is that all you think I do?" Rei's eyes widened.
"Pretty much." Usagi confirmed.
Rei put her arm around Usagi. "Would you tell me why you hurt so much?"
"Would you tell me why you hate me?" Usagi countered.
"I don't hate you." Rei replied. "I never have. I see potential in you, potential that is going to waste and I want you to be better than you are. If that makes me hateful then I won't apologize."
"I never thought of it like that." Usagi admitted. "All I've ever seen was you harping at me for my mistakes and failures."
"I've eased up on you quite a bit." Rei smiled. "And now I can feel the pain in you. You want to die don't you?"
Usagi turned away. "I have to be going."
"Running again?" Rei arched an eyebrow in a perfect imitation of Setsuna.
"I can't talk about it Rei." Usagi murmured. "If you are my friend, please understand."
"I won't stand by while you destroy yourself Usagi." Rei cautioned. "I am sworn to protect you, and that includes from yourself."
Usagi shook her head. "It's not that simple Rei." Standing up, she ran from the temple grounds, still unwilling to return to her empty house.
Rei sighed as she ran, lifting her communicator. "Haruka, it's up to you now. I crapped out."
Haruka and Michiru watched as Usagi ran from the jinja and headed towards one of the parks the youmas tended to ignore. It was mostly deserted, the upkeep wasn't that frequent and mostly homeless people lived in it. Usagi willingly entered this park and headed for a bench. Sitting down she closed her eyes, convincing herself she was not running from Rei and her questions, rather she was running from Minako and her lunacy. "Kitten, what are you doing here?" Haruka's voice boomed in the silence of the park.
Usagi closed her eyes. 'I'm convinced god is a guy.' She sighed. "Haruka." She nodded.
"Why are you here?" Michiru asked gently. "This isn't a good place to be Usagi and you could get hurt."
"No more than I have been." Usagi muttered, but Haruka and Michiru heard.
"How have you been hurt?" Michiru asked.
"Who the hell hurt you?" Haruka demanded. "How? When? Why?"
Usagi shook her head. "I didn't mean it like that."
"Then how did you mean it?" Haruka asked, "You don't just make a statement like that and then say nothing further."
Usagi sighed. "Haruka, Michiru, I thank you for your concern but I'd really rather be alone right now."
"You're so empty inside." Michiru said softly. "I don't need the Mirror to see that."
"You want to justify all the hurt inside, yet you shy away from human affection." Haruka added. "You! The most loving and wonderful person in the world! The person who feels so much that I envy her!"
"And now I feel nothing." Usagi replied, her eyes closed. "I can't let myself feel."
"Why?" Haruka asked, placing an arm on Usagi's shoulder.
Usagi stood. "I have to be getting home."
"Running again?" Haruka and Michiru asked together.
Usagi didn't reply, she just ran.
Minako hung outside Usagi's room from the tree in her front yard. She and Makoto had threatened Mamoru with violence and blind dates until he agreed to bring Usagi's briefcase to her house. Giggling like a monkey she winked at Makoto who hung from another branch. Usagi had come home moments before and Mamoru was coming down the street. "Love is such a science." Minako sighed. "And I, the Goddess of Love am always so busy! Pity me for I try to bring love and joy to my friends!"
"Would you shut up?" Makoto hissed.
Minako shut up and tried to blend into the greenery, not an easy task in bright orange clothes. Mamoru knocked on the door and Usagi opened it. "What do you want?"
Mamoru held out her briefcase. "You left this at the arcade. I thought you might want it back."
"So I can work on quadratic equations?" Usagi's eyebrows raised. "I don't think so." She gave a half smile. "But thank you for returning it."
Mamoru nodded. "My god you're being polite."
"Don't get used to it bastard." Usagi retorted.
Mamoru stepped closer to Usagi. "You've been crying."
"I have not." Usagi said defensively.
"Then why are your eyes all red and puffy?"
"It's spring! There's pollen in the air!" Usagi snapped. "Go away!"
"Running again?" Mamoru asked softly.
Usagi slammed the door in his face. Mamoru glanced up at the tree. "Well that was a wonderful idea Minako." He snapped.
"Especially since it's fall." Minako replied.
Mamoru shook his head and left, leaving the home of his temptation. The urge to go back and force his way in the house overwhelming.
Minako and Makoto were preparing to leave Usagi's tree when she walked into her room. Makoto hissed for Minako to keep still as they spied on their friend. Usagi threw her bag across the room, crying already. Minako's eyes widened as she watched Usagi lay on her bed and punch herself, self-loathing obvious in every move. After a few minutes, Usagi got up and went into her bathroom and Minako and Makoto scrambled out of the tree. "What the hell was that about?" Makoto asked, concerned. "She shouldn't be alone."
Minako ignored her and reached out to her link with Usagi, to the bond that led to Usagi's heart and used her natural connection to love to feel Usagi. Her eyes widened. "Usagi feel nothing at all." She said, startled. "She's alone."
"Her parents won't be home until later." Makoto nodded.
"Not that kind of alone." Minako corrected. "And that loneliness is what she's running from, I think."
Usagi was so tired she couldn't sleep. (A.N - I hate that feeling!) "So many secrets I can't keep any longer." She said, wretched. "I promised myself I wouldn't weep, one more promise I can't keep. It seems no one can help me now, I'm in too deep, there's no way out." Pacing her house, she let herself remember when she was loved, when her love was Mamoru, her greatest temptation and only desire. Doing something she swore she'd never do, she went to her father's liquor cabinet and pulled out a bottle. She didn't notice what it was she started to drink, only that darkness enveloped her at last.
Mamoru was unable to concentrate on his law studies. He yearned for Usagi and he looked forward to fighting with her every day. If that was the only way he could be in her life, he'd take it. He frowned as he felt an odd tugging sensation inside. Usagi had long ago broke the link the two of them shared and he never knew when or if she was in danger anymore. Shaking his head, he banished those morbid thoughts from his head. Usagi's light was too bright, her spirit too strong for anything to pull her down for long. Her dark and empty thoughts would pass, he thought. He frowned, wishing he could make himself believe it.
Minako ignored Artemis, who was hiding under her bed and telling her this was a bad idea. "Time to move on to Plan B!" she exclaimed. "I will push those two together if it kills them!"
"Don't you mean 'if it kills me?'" Artemis' voice asked from under the bed.
"Whatever." Minako replied. "I'll make them happy like hell!"
"Goddess have mercy on us."
And that is the end of this chapter. I hope everyone enjoyed it. I tried to lighten it up a bit, while still keeping Usagi's pain in it. I have personal experience with this kind of pain, with the emptiness and the drinking and the suicidal thoughts, so if I linger a little bit it's normally because I'm caught up in my past memories. Anyway, please read and review and let me know what you think. The next chapter will be even lighter and total Minako mischief, with the help of my best friend and Minako expert Necton_Minako. No Flames please! And remember, I write based on reviews and if the reviews don't pick up then I'll discontinue this story and attempt another one with wounded pride.
Ja ne!