Sailor Moon Fan Fiction ❯ Lead me not into Temptation ❯ Chapter 4
[ 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: 2.9K | Visits: 601 | Status: Completed
Anime/Manga: Sailor Moon Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Romance | Type: Other | Uploaded On: 09.15.2002 | Pages: 3 | Words: 2.9K | Visits: 601 | Status: Completed
Greetings one and all. Yes I have decided to persevere and finish this story so this is chapter 4 being written with me hopped up on peanut butter and jelly sandwiches and bad 80's music. I must stop reading fanfics that have 80's songs used in them because then the songs get stuck in my head (oh god I'm dating myself…) Anyway, this chapter is full of Minako lunacy and kudos go to my very best friend Necton_Minako who is my Minako expert who ever so kindly gave me ideas and pictures that I'm adding to my websites. Check out my websites eh? I have some of my fanfics posted there and I update weekly. Anyway, on to the story. Standard disclaimers apply, me no own Sailor Moon. Naoko's. Wahhh! Read and review but be kind! Remember I write based on reviews, so please do review!
Usagi awoke uncertain as to where she was, until she remembered last night. She looked with disgust at the bottle she had drunk and swore off alcohol then and there. The throbbing in her head convinced her that drinking got her nowhere. Her mouth felt full of cotton and she felt nauseous. "So this is a hangover." She muttered. (A.N - I'm just guessing here, I'm one of those people who can drink like a fish and never get hungover…) Staggering up the stairs to shower, she sighed as she stepped in the stall. Closing her eyes her head dropped as she began to cry. "I want my mother." She wept. "I'm such a failure. I couldn't protect the innocent people. I couldn't protect my family, I couldn't protect that child."
Usagi remembered that day so vividly. Battling a youma, unable to get the time to call for help, a mother had been unable to restrain her child from running to see her favourite heroine ran into the path of the youma. Usagi had run as fast as she could, had been beaten up pretty badly, but in the end she could not save the child or it's mother. She had watched in horror as they had been struck down in front of her, the mother's last words were the ones that stuck in her head. 'Why?' The child's eyes before she had died haunted Usagi and nearly drove her mad with grief. Shortly after that, her family had been killed and Usagi had almost lost all reason. The man she had been dating and was still dating, Hitodri was a horrid bastard. She would never admit to anyone how he treated her. She didn't love him, she could never love again. She was no longer worthy of loving anyone. To prove to herself how much she no longer cared about Mamoru, the face she saw when she closed her eyes, she had slept with Hitodri and hated herself all the more. Turning the water up even hotter, she scrubbed at her skin, trying to remove the filth that coated it, the filth that was herself. She had secrets she could never tell the senshi, secrets they would never understand. No, she had to go on alone. Stepping out of the shower, she glanced at a clock and sighed. She was meeting Hitodri in an hour.
Mamoru sat in his living room listening to the radio and praying Chibi Usa would go out. He couldn't be bothered shepherding the child around everywhere today. He wanted time to himself, time to avoid Minako who he was sure had another lunatic plan. That girl was just plain scary when she set herself up on a mission and he planned to stay as far away from her as he could. "Mamo-chan!" Chibi Usa crowed from the kitchen. "What are we doing today?"
Mamoru sighed. "Chibi Usa I have asked you repeatedly not to call me Mamo-chan. I am not your boyfriend so stop addressing me as such."
Chibi Usa screwed up her face, preparing to wail. "You're so MEAN!!" She shrieked out. "Just like baka Usagi!"
"That's your mother you are speaking of." Mamoru snapped. "Try to show a little respect."
"She's not my mommy!" Chibi Usa declared. "My mommy is everything baka Usagi isn't!"
Mamoru closed his eyes, unwilling to be drawn into this argument with her for the millionth time. "I have plans today Chibi Usa so you'll have to find some of your friends to hang around with."
"Are you going to see the girls? 'Cause I wanna come and see them."
"No I'm not going to see the girls." Mamoru replied. "Get ready, we're leaving shortly."
Chibi Usa pouted, not liking this change of events but knowing better than to argue when he used that firm tone with her. "Fine." She flounced into her bedroom. (A.N - for the sake of simplicity I have Mamoru living in a 2 bedroom apartment)
Mamoru leaned back on his couch and listened to the song. *"We had a once in a lifetime, but I just didn't know it 'till my life fell apart, I said we're once in a lifetime isn't too much to ask 'cause I swear from the heart…if ever you're in my arms again, this time I'll love you much better, if ever you're in my arms again this time, I'll hold you forever, this time we'll never end. The best of romances deserve second chances, I'll get to you somehow because I promise now…"*
Minako giggled maniacally causing Makoto and Rei to back away from her. "Minako you're a little bit scary right now." Rei commented.
"Oh come on. You all want Usagi and Mamoru back together don't you?" she demanded. "And you all want Usagi out of this depression right? I'm your best chance to achieve that."
"Have mercy on us!" Rei beseeched to the Goddess.
Michiru sighed. "I don't normally go in for things like this you know, but Usagi is so empty inside, she's running from everything and everyone. Has anyone actually been inside her house in the past year?"
"Not since that phage and pizza incident." Rei replied. "Remember? When Seiya was staying at her house and we all wound up there. Her parents were gone for a week. We haven't been back in her house since then."
"Something's not right with Kitten." Haruka declared. "Her light is fading."
"Well as they say to err is human, to forgive is a stitch in time." Minako declared.
Artemis closed his eyes. "You mean to err is human to forgive divine."
"Right, that's another good one." Minako said brightly.
"Tell me, why am I here again?" Rei groaned.
"This is your house." Makoto reminded her. "If we suffer, you suffer too!"
"Thanks." Rei muttered.
"So what do you think of my idea?" Minako persisted.
"Why not just lock them in a closet until they stop fighting?" Haruka questioned.
"We'll call that Plan C!" Minako exclaimed.
"If you think I'm hanging out of another tree…" Makoto muttered.
Minako shook her head. "We require subtlety and a steady hand for Plan B. It is quite complex that involves much trickery and snoopery."
"Snoopery?" Michiru arched an eyebrow. "That's not a word."
"Whatever." Minako waved a hand. "So you all have your orders. Places everyone!"
"This isn't a battle." Haruka muttered, realizing as those words escaped her mouth that it was the wrong thing to say. Minako instantly leapt up to her feet and onto the wooden platform in front of Rei's room. With a shriek she flung herself around in a circle coming to a stop after she crashed into a post.
"I am Aino Minako the Goddess of Love and I will stop at nothing until I shove the immovable object and the stubborn force together!" with a flourish she gave her 'V is for victory sign.' "When I get done with them they won't know what hit them!"
"Ain't that the truth." Haruka muttered to Makoto.
"So without further ado let us carry out my special plan to bring them to admitting that they love each other!" Minako cackled. "I have other things up my pockets that will work!"
Rei opened her mouth to correct her and then closed it. "What's the point?" she groaned. "Ok fine Minako. Now please go away! I have work to do!"
"Trying to get rid of me?" Minako's screech raised to deafening levels. Haruka and Michiru began backing towards the stairs that led away from the jinja, hoping they could manage to not be seen. Makoto followed them closely abandoning Rei to her fate.
Rei muttered angrily under her breath as she swept the walkway having gotten rid of Minako at last. She felt a great swell of pity for Usagi and Mamoru. Minako had chosen them as her "special project" and she wouldn't stop until someone got killed. "Talk about the road to hell." She growled.
"Rei?"
Rei paused, turning. "Usagi? What are you doing here?"
"Do you want me to go?" Usagi asked in a small voice. "If I'm bothering you, I'll leave."
"No." she shook her head. "But you don't normally come to me voluntarily."
"I just wanted to talk to someone and since we don't like each other, I figure you could give an impartial opinion."
Rei sighed. "Usagi I do like you."
"You have a strange way of showing it. My life is hard enough without you wailing on me Rei." Usagi pointed out.
"Come on, I'll make us some tea and we can talk." Rei gestured inside.
"No, I don't need tea. I need absolution." Usagi said.
Rei dropped her broom. "Absolution? For what?"
"For being a horrid person, for being a killer, for being a whore." Usagi said wretchedly. "For being a fake."
Rei's eyes widened. "What are you talking about? Usagi?"
Usagi shook her head. "Sorry to have bothered you Rei." She turned to leave.
"Running again?" Rei reached out for Usagi. "Please don't go. Stay and talk to me. You have to get it out at some point Usagi, you might as well talk to me."
Usagi raised anguished eyes to Rei's concerned ones. "I can't talk about it Rei. I thought I could but I can't. I have to go anyway. I'm meeting Hitodri and I'm running late. Just forget what I said." Running from Rei, she didn't see her sigh.
Rei paused to say a prayer. "Please Goddess, let whatever pain Usagi has inside go away. She's the brightest light in the galaxy, don't let her fade out."
Mamoru sat with Motoki on a park bench. "You know that things are going badly with her and Hitodri right?" Motoki asked casually.
"So I heard." He replied. "Like I care about that Odango Atama anyway."
"Tell it to the tourists." Motoki snapped. "I know you too well Mamoru. You can't hide the fact that you are totally gone on her and have been for a long time. You never got over her and Tuxedo Kamen or not you had no right to do what you did. You are responsible for killing part of her soul."
"What brought that on?" Mamoru blinked, taken aback at gentle Motoki talking to him like that.
"I'm sick of watching you two idiots deny your feelings for each other." Motoki burst out. "This is driving me insane!"
"She had no feelings for me!" Mamoru protested.
"If you believe that then you are deranged." Motoki replied. "She loves you and it is obvious to everyone who looks at you two."
"Is that what set Minako off?"
"Bingo you moron." Motoki smacked him in the head. "So what are you going to do about it?"
"Not a damn thing. She left me remember?"
"After you walked out on her." Motoki retorted.
"Besides, she has other problems that have nothing to do with me."
"Or maybe they all began with you."
"Shut up Motoki."
"Truth hurts, doesn't it?"
"Lay off!" Mamoru snapped.
"I won't!" Motoki shook his head. "You are my best friend and she's my adopted imouto. I can't stand seeing the two people who mean the most to me hurting each other like this. I was hoping we could work this out like rational human beings."
"When am I rational when it comes to dealing with Usagi?" Mamoru demanded.
Motoki shook his head. 'Plan B is a bust.' He thought.
Usagi ignored Hitodri's mindless chatter, preferring to dwell in the dark place her thoughts lived. She knew that look on Hitodri's face and she knew he wanted to have sex with her today. She smiled wryly. There was no greater sign that people hated themselves then by sleeping with someone they didn't give a damn about. "No." she shook her head. "I don't want to."
"You always want to." He said in an angry voice. "You never say no to me."
"I am now." She sighed. "I'm not in the mood Hitodri. In fact I was thinking that we could stop seeing each other."
Hitodri's eyebrows shot up. "I'm not finished with you yet. You can't break up with me."
"Well I am. I don't want to be in this relationship Hitodri. Please leave me alone."
Hitodri grabbed her roughly. "You think that you can dump me you ungrateful little bitch? You tramp." He sneered. "No one dumps me until I'm damn good and ready for them to."
Usagi was busy prying his hands off her. "Let go."
"No goddamn it." He snarled. "I won't let go. You are my girlfriend and you are going to fulfill the duties of a girlfriend. If you don't want it to hurt then I suggest you do what you always do and just lay on your back unmoving like a corpse."
Usagi closed her eyes, tired of hurting, tired of being used. Drawing in a breath she brought her knee up firmly into his groin and followed it swiftly with a right hook to his face. Silently thanking Luna for the constant training, she quickly ran away from him. Her inner demons fought to get free and her only thought was of how much she wanted to stop hurting. Mamoru tempted her, drew her from the dark place she lived in, but he hated her. Tears fell from her eyes as she ran. "Tell me I'm dreaming and that I'm not alone." She said aloud. "I can't stand being alone and now I am."
"Usagi!" a voice called out to her. She glanced up and saw Setsuna staring at her, concern on her face.
She ran faster and was quite startled when a firm grip jerked her back. She looked up into the furious eyes of Haruka. "Let me go." She fought to break Haruka's tight grip.
"What is wrong Usagi? Please talk to us." Michiru pleaded. "We can't stand to see you like this. How can we help?"
"Kill me." Usagi replied tonelessly.
Minako made plans, calling Ami and telling her that she was part of her Plan B. She knew Motoki had failed in his part of it, but she expected it. "Well look at it this way, Plan B and C can work together." She declared to Ami who was trying to ignore her and study.
"A party to get them back together is about the lamest idea that I've ever heard." Ami replied, sighing. "Shouldn't we try to figure out what is wrong with Usagi? You are the love senshi and you told Makoto that Usagi is alone and that is what she is running from. She told Rei she wanted absolution. We should be trying to figure out what has made Usagi want to die."
"A party is just what she needs!" Minako shook her head. "Once she's surrounded by her friends and the man she loves, she'll snap out of it."
"Do you know what an unwelcome favour is?" Ami arched an eyebrow.
"Silence you!" Minako declared. "I know what is to be done for I am the Goddess of Love! You are my next project you know. Now, do you have the letters written out?"
Ami winced. "Yes I wrote them out. But I think this is a silly idea. Neither one of them will fall for it."
"Leave that to me." Minako reassured her. She grabbed the letters from Ami and ran to the mailbox giggling like a maniac. "They will get back together or die!"
"Why doesn't that surprise me?" Ami asked aloud. "And there she goes again."
Minako was swept up in her plans to shove Usagi and Mamoru back together, trying to ignore the hurt that radiated from Usagi's soul and hoping it would go away, knowing deep down it was more complex than that. "Hang on Usagi." She whispered. "I'll make you smile again."
And that is the end of this chapter. The lyrics from the song on the radio are Peabo Bryson's "If ever you're in my arms again." I hope you all enjoyed it. Please read and review and be kind. No Flames please. Usagi's dark place is actually a manifestation of one of my own and there are places where I've added my own personal experiences in here. Anyway, next chapter has even more Minako lunacy this time with Motoki as a willing cohort. Will Juuban still be standing at the end of it? Read on to find out!
Mata ne
Usagi awoke uncertain as to where she was, until she remembered last night. She looked with disgust at the bottle she had drunk and swore off alcohol then and there. The throbbing in her head convinced her that drinking got her nowhere. Her mouth felt full of cotton and she felt nauseous. "So this is a hangover." She muttered. (A.N - I'm just guessing here, I'm one of those people who can drink like a fish and never get hungover…) Staggering up the stairs to shower, she sighed as she stepped in the stall. Closing her eyes her head dropped as she began to cry. "I want my mother." She wept. "I'm such a failure. I couldn't protect the innocent people. I couldn't protect my family, I couldn't protect that child."
Usagi remembered that day so vividly. Battling a youma, unable to get the time to call for help, a mother had been unable to restrain her child from running to see her favourite heroine ran into the path of the youma. Usagi had run as fast as she could, had been beaten up pretty badly, but in the end she could not save the child or it's mother. She had watched in horror as they had been struck down in front of her, the mother's last words were the ones that stuck in her head. 'Why?' The child's eyes before she had died haunted Usagi and nearly drove her mad with grief. Shortly after that, her family had been killed and Usagi had almost lost all reason. The man she had been dating and was still dating, Hitodri was a horrid bastard. She would never admit to anyone how he treated her. She didn't love him, she could never love again. She was no longer worthy of loving anyone. To prove to herself how much she no longer cared about Mamoru, the face she saw when she closed her eyes, she had slept with Hitodri and hated herself all the more. Turning the water up even hotter, she scrubbed at her skin, trying to remove the filth that coated it, the filth that was herself. She had secrets she could never tell the senshi, secrets they would never understand. No, she had to go on alone. Stepping out of the shower, she glanced at a clock and sighed. She was meeting Hitodri in an hour.
Mamoru sat in his living room listening to the radio and praying Chibi Usa would go out. He couldn't be bothered shepherding the child around everywhere today. He wanted time to himself, time to avoid Minako who he was sure had another lunatic plan. That girl was just plain scary when she set herself up on a mission and he planned to stay as far away from her as he could. "Mamo-chan!" Chibi Usa crowed from the kitchen. "What are we doing today?"
Mamoru sighed. "Chibi Usa I have asked you repeatedly not to call me Mamo-chan. I am not your boyfriend so stop addressing me as such."
Chibi Usa screwed up her face, preparing to wail. "You're so MEAN!!" She shrieked out. "Just like baka Usagi!"
"That's your mother you are speaking of." Mamoru snapped. "Try to show a little respect."
"She's not my mommy!" Chibi Usa declared. "My mommy is everything baka Usagi isn't!"
Mamoru closed his eyes, unwilling to be drawn into this argument with her for the millionth time. "I have plans today Chibi Usa so you'll have to find some of your friends to hang around with."
"Are you going to see the girls? 'Cause I wanna come and see them."
"No I'm not going to see the girls." Mamoru replied. "Get ready, we're leaving shortly."
Chibi Usa pouted, not liking this change of events but knowing better than to argue when he used that firm tone with her. "Fine." She flounced into her bedroom. (A.N - for the sake of simplicity I have Mamoru living in a 2 bedroom apartment)
Mamoru leaned back on his couch and listened to the song. *"We had a once in a lifetime, but I just didn't know it 'till my life fell apart, I said we're once in a lifetime isn't too much to ask 'cause I swear from the heart…if ever you're in my arms again, this time I'll love you much better, if ever you're in my arms again this time, I'll hold you forever, this time we'll never end. The best of romances deserve second chances, I'll get to you somehow because I promise now…"*
Minako giggled maniacally causing Makoto and Rei to back away from her. "Minako you're a little bit scary right now." Rei commented.
"Oh come on. You all want Usagi and Mamoru back together don't you?" she demanded. "And you all want Usagi out of this depression right? I'm your best chance to achieve that."
"Have mercy on us!" Rei beseeched to the Goddess.
Michiru sighed. "I don't normally go in for things like this you know, but Usagi is so empty inside, she's running from everything and everyone. Has anyone actually been inside her house in the past year?"
"Not since that phage and pizza incident." Rei replied. "Remember? When Seiya was staying at her house and we all wound up there. Her parents were gone for a week. We haven't been back in her house since then."
"Something's not right with Kitten." Haruka declared. "Her light is fading."
"Well as they say to err is human, to forgive is a stitch in time." Minako declared.
Artemis closed his eyes. "You mean to err is human to forgive divine."
"Right, that's another good one." Minako said brightly.
"Tell me, why am I here again?" Rei groaned.
"This is your house." Makoto reminded her. "If we suffer, you suffer too!"
"Thanks." Rei muttered.
"So what do you think of my idea?" Minako persisted.
"Why not just lock them in a closet until they stop fighting?" Haruka questioned.
"We'll call that Plan C!" Minako exclaimed.
"If you think I'm hanging out of another tree…" Makoto muttered.
Minako shook her head. "We require subtlety and a steady hand for Plan B. It is quite complex that involves much trickery and snoopery."
"Snoopery?" Michiru arched an eyebrow. "That's not a word."
"Whatever." Minako waved a hand. "So you all have your orders. Places everyone!"
"This isn't a battle." Haruka muttered, realizing as those words escaped her mouth that it was the wrong thing to say. Minako instantly leapt up to her feet and onto the wooden platform in front of Rei's room. With a shriek she flung herself around in a circle coming to a stop after she crashed into a post.
"I am Aino Minako the Goddess of Love and I will stop at nothing until I shove the immovable object and the stubborn force together!" with a flourish she gave her 'V is for victory sign.' "When I get done with them they won't know what hit them!"
"Ain't that the truth." Haruka muttered to Makoto.
"So without further ado let us carry out my special plan to bring them to admitting that they love each other!" Minako cackled. "I have other things up my pockets that will work!"
Rei opened her mouth to correct her and then closed it. "What's the point?" she groaned. "Ok fine Minako. Now please go away! I have work to do!"
"Trying to get rid of me?" Minako's screech raised to deafening levels. Haruka and Michiru began backing towards the stairs that led away from the jinja, hoping they could manage to not be seen. Makoto followed them closely abandoning Rei to her fate.
Rei muttered angrily under her breath as she swept the walkway having gotten rid of Minako at last. She felt a great swell of pity for Usagi and Mamoru. Minako had chosen them as her "special project" and she wouldn't stop until someone got killed. "Talk about the road to hell." She growled.
"Rei?"
Rei paused, turning. "Usagi? What are you doing here?"
"Do you want me to go?" Usagi asked in a small voice. "If I'm bothering you, I'll leave."
"No." she shook her head. "But you don't normally come to me voluntarily."
"I just wanted to talk to someone and since we don't like each other, I figure you could give an impartial opinion."
Rei sighed. "Usagi I do like you."
"You have a strange way of showing it. My life is hard enough without you wailing on me Rei." Usagi pointed out.
"Come on, I'll make us some tea and we can talk." Rei gestured inside.
"No, I don't need tea. I need absolution." Usagi said.
Rei dropped her broom. "Absolution? For what?"
"For being a horrid person, for being a killer, for being a whore." Usagi said wretchedly. "For being a fake."
Rei's eyes widened. "What are you talking about? Usagi?"
Usagi shook her head. "Sorry to have bothered you Rei." She turned to leave.
"Running again?" Rei reached out for Usagi. "Please don't go. Stay and talk to me. You have to get it out at some point Usagi, you might as well talk to me."
Usagi raised anguished eyes to Rei's concerned ones. "I can't talk about it Rei. I thought I could but I can't. I have to go anyway. I'm meeting Hitodri and I'm running late. Just forget what I said." Running from Rei, she didn't see her sigh.
Rei paused to say a prayer. "Please Goddess, let whatever pain Usagi has inside go away. She's the brightest light in the galaxy, don't let her fade out."
Mamoru sat with Motoki on a park bench. "You know that things are going badly with her and Hitodri right?" Motoki asked casually.
"So I heard." He replied. "Like I care about that Odango Atama anyway."
"Tell it to the tourists." Motoki snapped. "I know you too well Mamoru. You can't hide the fact that you are totally gone on her and have been for a long time. You never got over her and Tuxedo Kamen or not you had no right to do what you did. You are responsible for killing part of her soul."
"What brought that on?" Mamoru blinked, taken aback at gentle Motoki talking to him like that.
"I'm sick of watching you two idiots deny your feelings for each other." Motoki burst out. "This is driving me insane!"
"She had no feelings for me!" Mamoru protested.
"If you believe that then you are deranged." Motoki replied. "She loves you and it is obvious to everyone who looks at you two."
"Is that what set Minako off?"
"Bingo you moron." Motoki smacked him in the head. "So what are you going to do about it?"
"Not a damn thing. She left me remember?"
"After you walked out on her." Motoki retorted.
"Besides, she has other problems that have nothing to do with me."
"Or maybe they all began with you."
"Shut up Motoki."
"Truth hurts, doesn't it?"
"Lay off!" Mamoru snapped.
"I won't!" Motoki shook his head. "You are my best friend and she's my adopted imouto. I can't stand seeing the two people who mean the most to me hurting each other like this. I was hoping we could work this out like rational human beings."
"When am I rational when it comes to dealing with Usagi?" Mamoru demanded.
Motoki shook his head. 'Plan B is a bust.' He thought.
Usagi ignored Hitodri's mindless chatter, preferring to dwell in the dark place her thoughts lived. She knew that look on Hitodri's face and she knew he wanted to have sex with her today. She smiled wryly. There was no greater sign that people hated themselves then by sleeping with someone they didn't give a damn about. "No." she shook her head. "I don't want to."
"You always want to." He said in an angry voice. "You never say no to me."
"I am now." She sighed. "I'm not in the mood Hitodri. In fact I was thinking that we could stop seeing each other."
Hitodri's eyebrows shot up. "I'm not finished with you yet. You can't break up with me."
"Well I am. I don't want to be in this relationship Hitodri. Please leave me alone."
Hitodri grabbed her roughly. "You think that you can dump me you ungrateful little bitch? You tramp." He sneered. "No one dumps me until I'm damn good and ready for them to."
Usagi was busy prying his hands off her. "Let go."
"No goddamn it." He snarled. "I won't let go. You are my girlfriend and you are going to fulfill the duties of a girlfriend. If you don't want it to hurt then I suggest you do what you always do and just lay on your back unmoving like a corpse."
Usagi closed her eyes, tired of hurting, tired of being used. Drawing in a breath she brought her knee up firmly into his groin and followed it swiftly with a right hook to his face. Silently thanking Luna for the constant training, she quickly ran away from him. Her inner demons fought to get free and her only thought was of how much she wanted to stop hurting. Mamoru tempted her, drew her from the dark place she lived in, but he hated her. Tears fell from her eyes as she ran. "Tell me I'm dreaming and that I'm not alone." She said aloud. "I can't stand being alone and now I am."
"Usagi!" a voice called out to her. She glanced up and saw Setsuna staring at her, concern on her face.
She ran faster and was quite startled when a firm grip jerked her back. She looked up into the furious eyes of Haruka. "Let me go." She fought to break Haruka's tight grip.
"What is wrong Usagi? Please talk to us." Michiru pleaded. "We can't stand to see you like this. How can we help?"
"Kill me." Usagi replied tonelessly.
Minako made plans, calling Ami and telling her that she was part of her Plan B. She knew Motoki had failed in his part of it, but she expected it. "Well look at it this way, Plan B and C can work together." She declared to Ami who was trying to ignore her and study.
"A party to get them back together is about the lamest idea that I've ever heard." Ami replied, sighing. "Shouldn't we try to figure out what is wrong with Usagi? You are the love senshi and you told Makoto that Usagi is alone and that is what she is running from. She told Rei she wanted absolution. We should be trying to figure out what has made Usagi want to die."
"A party is just what she needs!" Minako shook her head. "Once she's surrounded by her friends and the man she loves, she'll snap out of it."
"Do you know what an unwelcome favour is?" Ami arched an eyebrow.
"Silence you!" Minako declared. "I know what is to be done for I am the Goddess of Love! You are my next project you know. Now, do you have the letters written out?"
Ami winced. "Yes I wrote them out. But I think this is a silly idea. Neither one of them will fall for it."
"Leave that to me." Minako reassured her. She grabbed the letters from Ami and ran to the mailbox giggling like a maniac. "They will get back together or die!"
"Why doesn't that surprise me?" Ami asked aloud. "And there she goes again."
Minako was swept up in her plans to shove Usagi and Mamoru back together, trying to ignore the hurt that radiated from Usagi's soul and hoping it would go away, knowing deep down it was more complex than that. "Hang on Usagi." She whispered. "I'll make you smile again."
And that is the end of this chapter. The lyrics from the song on the radio are Peabo Bryson's "If ever you're in my arms again." I hope you all enjoyed it. Please read and review and be kind. No Flames please. Usagi's dark place is actually a manifestation of one of my own and there are places where I've added my own personal experiences in here. Anyway, next chapter has even more Minako lunacy this time with Motoki as a willing cohort. Will Juuban still be standing at the end of it? Read on to find out!
Mata ne