Sailor Moon Fan Fiction ❯ Run Away ❯ Chapter 4

[ P - Pre-Teen ]

FOUR

The next few weeks past fairly quickly. Usagi's birthday past without incident, but she was still officially seventeen according to Rina's birthday on November thirtieth. But the weather was cooling and the thirtieth was right around the corner. She was spending most of her time with Chibi-usa and Mamoru. They had all decided to set out on the search for Usagi. Chibi-usa and Usagi nearly devolved into laughter with Mamoru had proposed the idea. Of course, unless it was Usagi's whim, he would never find her because Usagi had sworn the cat a the now sixteen-year old to secrecy, and Usagi didn't plan on saying anything!
"Hey, Mamoru? Could that be her?" Usagi asked, pointing a long haired blond. Usagi and Mamoru were on one of their unofficial dates. She knew he was dying to ask her out, and yet he never did so! So instead of an official date, they had unofficial dates, which, to say the least, might as well have been called a date!
Without looking at her, his eyes fixed on Usagi instead, he replied, "No. She wouldn't be so obvious."
Usagi pressed her lips together. So what do you call what I'm doing right now?
"Really? How would you know? She could be sitting right in front of her and you wouldn't even notice her." The whole 'we're just friends,' bit was really getting on her nerves. We're not Brittany and Justin, for God's sake! The man had kissed her several times, and had come very close to something else a few weeks ago. He succeeded, of course, but not in the way he thought, or should it be with whom? That night still made Usagi smile when she thought about it. He words after words made her smile more. It had been right after that he'd come up with this idea of his. Well, he still told his friend Furuhata Matoki that he and '...the new girl are just friends.' She had this striate from the lips of Matoki himself after a long, witted battle with her new boss. She now had a job at Crown Arcade and would get her information from the unsuspecting Matoki.
"I don't need to see her to know if it's her or not." he told her cynically.
No, I doubt you'd believe it unless you heard it from my lips alone!
"Um...Rina, I ah...want...I mean...would you...I..."
"It's about friggin' time!" She replied exasperated. "Now, stop sputtering and ask me out."
Mamoru looked at her for a moment and then laughed. "I'm sorry, Rina-chan. I should have you'd be waiting for me to ask you out for a while, huh?"
Usagi held her hands far apart from each other and crinkled her nose, "Just a bit. Now stop stalling and do it!"
With her pervious thought, Usagi nearly laughed at the double meaning.
"Rina-chan, would you-"
"Sure I'd love to!"
"-go out with me?"
"Sure I'd love to."
Usagi didn't mind sounding too eager. She knew Mamoru wouldn't mind either; he just laugh at her. Which he did.
"Exactly how long have you been waiting for me to ask you out?"
"Since the first night you took me home from Crown." she replied as-a-matter-of-factly.
"That long, huh?"
Usagi nodded. Mamoru's expression sobered and he stood up, gesturing her to do the same.
She did so. Mamoru whirled her around and held her close. "I want you to know that I really care about you, and I'm not like those guys who only think about sex. I've had to do a lot of growing up since I was a kid. I just want us to have a trusting relationship. That's why I waited so long before asking you out. Do you trust me?"
Usagi looked up into the eyes she love so much. Eyes that were just a shade darker then the ocean. She felt tears in her own eyes. She frantically pushed them back, hopefully before he could see them. How could she keep who she really was is he wanted to trust her so completely? She may not have planned on telling him, but it would seem that Fate had thrown another joker into her hand.
"Why are you crying, Rina-chan?" he asked, concern furrowing his eyebrows.
Usagi shook her head and the tears from her eyes. "Oh, nothing. I'm just glad you finally got the nerve to ask me out, is all."
"All right, then. I'll pick you up at seven"
Usagi nodded, not trusting her voice right then.
"Good, see you then." He looked down in her eyes, "Are you sure you're all right?"
Usagi smiled and nodded again.
"If you're sure." He hugged her and leaned forward, placing a soft kiss on her lips.
Usagi's heart promptly decided then was a good time to pound in her ears. With that, Mamoru let got--rather reluctantly--and walked slowly to his car.
"Don't stop looking, Mamo-chan!" Usagi called after him.
He turned. "For what?"
"For your Moon Princess."
Usagi turned before he could see her cry again and ran home.

Usagi had run all the way home since she had driven to the park with Mamoru. She loved him so dearly, so she couldn't keep lying to him. It's not she had been all secretive about it, or anything. She was always dropping hint around certain subjects that would have given her away if he had been paying any attention at all! But now she had completely given it away. She had seen it in his eyes before she turned to run away.
Usagi snorted at her choice of words before opening the door of her house. She seemed to have a knack for that. And to think, she had sworn she'd never run away from her loved ones again! Since there was no one home, she walked up to her room, She locked her door just as the rest of the family came in the front door.
"Rina?" Mr. Tsukino called up the stares.
"Here!" Usagi called back. "I'm up stares."
Usagi looked at the reflection in the mirror. She was a mess. As she took off her non-prescription glasses she noticed she had lost both of her colored contacts.
"Lovely. More money down the drain."
Usagi brushed away the tears that came down her cheeks, but after a moment, she realized that they weren't stopping, she stopped brushing them away and let them flow freely. As long as she was alone, she could cry. But she would never let another living soul see her cry, unless they cried in front of her. It was a hard blow to one's pride when one shed tear before someone who didn't do the same in mutual feeling.
Usagi sat like that for a long time, until there was a knock on her door.
"Usagi-chan?" came a muffled whisper. It was Chibi-usa. "Can you come for a minute? There's someone here to talk to you."
I don't really want to talk to anyone. Who is it?"
Usagi could hear the exasperation quite clearly in the girls voice. "Just come out, would ya? Geez!"
Usagi sighed and looked at her reflection again. She pulled her hair back in a knot at the nape of her neck and left her glasses where they were. She unlocked her door and looked out. Usagi could feel the blood drain from her face. At the base of the star case stood one of the most gorgeous men Usagi had ever seen in her life. He was also the love of her life. She dreadingly walked down the steps a greeted him.
"Hello."
"Hello," Mamoru returned.
"What are you doing here?" Was all that Usagi could think to say.
"We have a date at seven, remember?" He looked at his watch. "I'm a little early."
Though his tone was light, it seemed that it was all a show for Chibi-usa, because Mamoru took hold of Usagi's hand rather roughly. He led her out the door, barley giving her time to grab her keys before he dragged her to his car. There was no doubt about it; Mamoru was nearly livid. He pressed her, not gruffly, but firmly into the passenger side seat. For most of the ride, usagi tried to get control of herself. She would not break down in front of him. She spoke when she felt confidant in her voice.
"So. Where are we going?"
"I already told you, we have a date at seven." His tone was rather curt.
"Oh! yeah. That clears it all up!" She replied oozing with sarcasm.
"We're going to my place. That clear enough for you?" he asked with that same sharp tone.
Usagi narrowed her eyes at him, "Crystal."
The rest of the drive preceded in silence. By the time they got to his apartment, Usagi was fuming. What the hell was his problem anyway?
Oh! I know! Could it be, me?
"look, Mamoru. If you're too angry with me to do this, we don't have to. I can just walk home."
"No, it's fine. I asked you out. I had wandered why you had been waiting so long for me to do so." He looked at her and smiled, though it never reached his eyes. "Now I know why." His vehement tone shook her as he turned away and took off his coat. He walked into the kitchen. Usagi sat down on the sofa that reminded her of a few things that would have made her blush before she had become 'Rina.' She saw a table in the middle of the room set for two with the two chair across from each other. It had been set with a pair of everything that would make for a pleasant and romantic evening. Well, Usagi knew that romantic flew out the window the moment he realized who she was, but just how pleasant the evening was going to be had yet to be determined.
"and what makes you think you knew what my intentions were? Maybe I was just looking for a little fun, maybe a good time. That's how American girls do it."
Mamoru looked at her from the other side of the breakfast bar and considered his answer as he put on his apron.
"But you're not and American girl. You're a Japanese woman. So it was easy to figure out. You're still in love with me."
"And you're not with me?" Usagi asked with a bark of laughter.
"No." came his short, but hesitant reply.
Usagi--having learned how not to hesitate--recognized it easily. "You're a lying dog."
Mamoru softly chuckled ruefully as he cut up some meat and tossed it in the ready frying pan on the stove top. "Bow-wow. You've got me there. But, just because I love you for some ungodly know reason, doesn't nessciarily mean I actually like you."
Usagi nodded. "That's fair. I'll give you that. I've known that to be true on a number of occasions, and that's three times you lie to me today."
"Twice. I never said I wasn't angry with you." He said without looking up as he took the meat out of the pan and placed on some beautifully designed china. How the man could afford all the crap he owned was beyond Usagi, but he lived richly without any apparent problems.
"Oh. So you brought me hear to fatten me up like a cow, kill me, and them feed Usagi tender bits the unknowing Usagi?" Usagi asked. She didn't really know why she said, she just did. Mamoru just stood with both plates in hand and stared at her like she had gone mad! Usagi sigh. Whatever had possessed her to say it was gone now. "All right. I know I'm a dork. Just say it and get it over with!" Usagi crossed her arms over her chest.
Usagi could almost see the comic Anime sweat drop appear over his head as he shook it. "Baka, Odaga-atoma." he muttered as he set the plates down and pulled a seat out. he stood there until Usagi figured out what he was doing. She shook her head wanly at what was far more ironic then a courtesy, and took the seat he offered. He pushed her in and walked around to the other side to sit across from her. They sat for a while, just playing with their food before Mamoru finally spoke.
"Usagi?"
"Yes?"
"Why..." he faltered and trailed off.
Usagi knew what he was trying to ask. "Why did I leave in the first place?"
At his nod, Usagi quirked her mouth wryly. "I never did completely explain in the woods that one time did I?"
Mamoru chuckled, but it sounded forced. "'I had to,' and 'it saved your sorry ass,' are not what I would really call an 'explanation,' no."
Usagi shrugged. "Well, both answers are valid. I did have to do it, and it did save your ass'."
Mamoru raised his eyebrow and looked at her measurably. "Did it?"
"Oui, mon amour." She replied in French meeting his eyes.
She had gotten good enough at English by her second year in America--due do diligent work, of course--and needed another language that wasn't so boring, so she went in for French. Yes, my love was one of the few terms she actually remember.
"What did that mean?" he asked, perhaps guessing what it meant.
"It mean yes." She shoveled a fork-full of meat into her mouth and chewed slowly, though tasting nothing. "Now, about me running away. I did want to see what was happening to me happen to you and the others, as well. The press was looking for your identities--you know they would have figured it out before too long--and I wasn't about to let that happen if it killed me. So, I did something that would keep there focus on me; I fled."
"I know what you were going through bu-"
Usagi narrowed her eyes as she cut him off. "Want to run that by me again?"
"I know what you were doing. I know what you were thinking; I know what it was like for you in America bu-"
Usagi stood up, upsetting her chair. "Wrong choice of words, laddybuck."
"What? What the hell is that supposed to mean?"
"Figure it out for yourself."
Usagi did want to explain it to him because she knew she would lose her temper. She has a tight reign on it as it was, but Mamoru pressed. Since he was closer to the door then she was, he stood quickly and put himself between her and the door.
"No, please, explain it to me." His eyes were as cold as his voice.
"FINE!" she yelled slamming the keys she had just picked up on the table loudly. "You think you're so damn smart that you know exactly what I was going through! Well, piss OFF! You don't a friggin' thing! Are you me? No! What right do you have to say something like that to me?!"
Usagi laughed at the shock on his face without humor. He wasn't used to her spouting off like this, was he? That was some compensation when she was verbally bashing herself for letting her temper get the best of her. She knew that going off on him was about as 'right' as him saying he knew everything about her, but she really didn't care right then. All she cared about was the fact that he had pissed her off and now he was going to pay, with interest. If he wanted to know what she went through, well, fine. She'd show him her self-inflicted emotional scares.
"I'll tell you what it was like, dearheart." She said acidly. "Usagi died the day I jumped on that plain. Rina was born of regret, pain, and verbal bashing. She knows nothing but sorrow! She spent one million, five hundred and seventy-six thousand, eight hundred minutes paying for Usagi's mistakes. She has to cry herself to sleep every night, imagining every possible way her loved ones could have died without Usagi here. She has to sit and listen with a pleasant mask of cheer when her family and friends talk about Usagi. Did you know she was a suicide attemptee? Yup! O.D. If it weren't for the diligent work of people trying to be the friends that she didn't think deserved, Rina wouldn't be here right now. Oh, and the kicker."
She smiled ruthlessly at him. "Rina has to sit there and listen to you talk about your ex girlfriend like she didn't mean a damn thing to you! And she nearly breaks down in tears when she hears your voice crack whenever you talk about the night Usagi ran! Now you know some of what I went through!"
usagi was nearly screaming at him now. "It hurt Mamoru! It still hurts. It will always hurt! Nothing I or anyone else can say or do will change that! Think about it, blue eyes." she told him mockingly. "Do you really know what I went through?"
Mamoru shook his head in realization.
"I didn't think so." She replied calmer now, but still with heat. "I'm going to go now." Usagi picked up her keys again and pushed pass him to the door. She stopped with her hand resting on the door knob. She felt the hot tears of anger and sadness trickle down her cool cheeks. "I can see this is not what you said it was." She opened the door and stepped out. She looked at him with her anger still kindling. He flinched at the distorted look that must have been on her face. "I told you that you lied to me three time today."
With that she shut the door on him and walked to the elevator without a backward glance.

For the second time that day, usagi ran home. She didn't say anything to anyone when she walked in the door. She just walked up to her room silently with unshed tears in her eyes. She shut the door behind her locked it, and stood with her back against the firm wood. Slowly, she let her body slid down to the floor, she silent sobs shaking her body.
Well, she thought, if Mamoru didn't despise me before, he certainly has reason to now.
usagi sniffed and wiped a few tears away with more rushing to take their place.
She had been so cold to him, but she meant every word she had said. He really didn't know what it had been like for her. He had never even asked. Not that Usagi could blame him. She'd have chewed his ass out faster then she used to run for dinner and asked questions later, but it had really hurt.
Usagi didn't like the idea of Mamoru being angry with her though, nor did she like being angry with him, neither boded well, but neither could really help it.
Usagi hugged her knees to her chest.
How could she have let this all happen? Stupid Umino! This was all his fault!
That's not fair either, Usagi-chan. Umino was just being his usual, devious little self like always, and he really didn't know any better. How was he supposed to know that it would ruin my life? Not that a little common sense wouldn't have told him that, but well...I need someone to blame!
Usagi snorted and wiped the last of her tears away.
I could blame myself. It was my stupid idea in the first place. Damn, if I had just used my head, I'd be able to blame someone else right now. But nooooo. I had to go and get cursed with this whole 'seeing both sides of every situation' thing.
Usagi glanced up at the red digital numbers of her radio alarm clock.
nine o'clock. Time for patrol. Why can't evil come find me anymore?
That was the sad truth. All the time before Usagi left, she wished the evil would leave her alone. Now she wished that it came to her. Evil would come after her if her life depended on it, and if it wasn't coming after her, her life didn't! Usagi stood and slipped the crescent moon necklace from around her neck.
"Moon Crystal Power...MAKE UP!"
Usagi felt her feet leave the ground as the words left her lips. She was engulfed in a brilliant parade of lights that turned her body translucent. Pink ribbons wrapped around the short blonde's small torso, legs, and arms. Her suit, boots, and gloves all appeared at the same time. Twisting ribbons flew straight out from her waist and cut off at her mid thigh. Her earrings, odanga jewels, tiara, and choker all flashed across, right to left. The crescent moon hung from it's thin chain loosely around Usagi's thumbs as she brought the silver links around her neck. The charm locked into the center of the golden button of her bow and the chain disappeared.
When usagi felt the ground beneath her feet again, she opened the window and slipped out onto the sill.
Knock, knock, knock.
"Usagi-chan? Are you in there?" asked a rather catty voice.
But Usagi was already running don the street.
She had picked a direction at random, and now found herself in a part of town that hadn't really changed much, a part of town she knew very well. It's was Minako's district.
CRASH!
"AAAYYYYYYEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!"
Usagi looked up. A white cat flew from a broken window. Without moving an inch on way or another, Usagi caught the cat with ease in her arms.
"Off," he grunted.
"You look like you could use some help, Oh-White-and-Furry-One." Usagi's tone picked out casually as she looked down at her black cats counter-part.
"U-Usagi?" The cats blue eyes were full of disbelief.
"No, I'm Umino." Usagi replied sarcastically, and a little impatiently. "Who else would be running around in a convincing Sailor Moon costume?"
"Welllllll-" he drawled.
"Don't answer that. I really don't think I want to know."
A sudden scream from the broken window made both of them start and look up.
"Artimis! Get the other gi-rls!" The last three letters of Minako's sentence were relatively high in pitch then the rest of it. Usagi hazard that she got hit by whatever Minako was fighting.
"Usagi-chan! You go help Minako!"
He was running full out when he hit the ground. "I'm on it, Artimis."
Usagi ran for the balcony and jumped for it. Taking those stupid gymnastics lessons that one of the surrogate mothers at St. Jude had forced on Usagi were actually going to pay off. Ms. Janis was always doing something like that to the kids, no matter age or preference. The last year that Usagi was there, Janis finally had gotten on Usagi's last raw near, and she told the woman off. From the point on, every time he tried to get Usagi to try something new, she got herself a tongue lashing. Thankfully, Mrs. K--the orphaned owner; she bought the place out and brought in knew care takers. After all, not everyone was catholic--didn't give an iota for the lady either, but since she kept the kid in line for the most part and didn't do anything to harm the kids, Mrs. K kept her on, much to the dismay of every child at St. Jude. Without 'The Terrible Rina T' there to protect them from 'Tan-ass,' Janis had free run of the place. Usagi had no idea of how Janis got that nick name, but she had an idea that someone actually sat down and tried to see what would rhyme with Janis.
But much to Usagi's dismay, the lessons were certainly coming in handy now. She didn't need a tree like one of the girls back at St. Jude. Usagi looked over the wall to look at her new enemy.
Great good God! What is that thing?
Whatever it was looked like some volcanic rock. It was just a blob of something that tugged at Usagi's stone memory. It was definitely a volcanic rock, with all the pores it had, it must be.
Minako, now Sailor Venus, and this...thing...stood at an impasse with each other. It seem neither could escape nor defeat each other, but Minako looked to be favoring her left ankle.
"All right, you pathetic excuse for a youma, who are you and what do you want?"
Usagi crouched down behind the wall next to the broken glass and watched.
"I am Pumice. The defender of the Lady of the Night, and sister to Garnet." it said.
Well, that answers the question of what rock she is.
"Garnet? Who's Garnet?"
The worrier that Sailor Moon murdered! I'm here for here; I want revenge! And if I have to go through you to get it, so be it!" Pumice shouted. The youma threw a blast at Minako so bright that usagi had to shield her eyed or risk blindness.
Minako screamed. When the evil brightness faded usagi looked to see Minako bracing herself against the wall.
"Maybe, I'll just get rid of them first." Pumice grackle squawked. Usagi gasped as the Youma moved and the figures of Minako's family came into view. They were knocked out on the floor.
"NO!" Minako shouted.
Pumice just cackled and made ready another attack aimed at them.
"ENOUGH!" Usagi shouted. Both Minako and Pumice looked back at Usagi. Usagi felt her anger flaring.
"If you want a murderess," she said tightly, "go look in a mirror. But killing my friends family is not the smart way to get my attention. You wanna fight?" Usagi narrowed her eyes. "Fine, let's dance."
Pumice laughed with malice. "What a little fool you are, to walk into a battle you are sure to lose."
"Don't count your chickens, Chika."
"I'll have your head on a platter!" Pumice stood and she was no longer a blob. She was talk, taller then Mamoru. Her body was gray with pores just like a pumice rock. She was void of clothing, not that she needed it. It was like her skin was a body suit. She had no hair, and her eyes were just two more pores on her face. The fact of the matter was, she had no eyes, and frankly, that scared usagi.
Pumice crossed her arms in front of her and basted out another bright flash. Usagi leaped out of the way just in time and twisted to see if Minako had also gotten away. Usagi turned back to her opponent to see what kind of stupid mistake she had made as a second blast came at her.
"Ah, hell."
"Silence Wall!"
Usagi stopped blacking the blow that never came. As she looked up from the crouch her had folded her body into to keep as much of her as possible protected, she saw a small girl with short black hair stand with her back to usagi. Her suit was deep amethyst purple and her gloved hands help a long staff with two wicked looking scythe blades on the end. A tall blond woman stood next to her. She was the one that had asked Usagi who she was. Her colors were navy blue and golden yellow. There was sword with a blade of light in her hands.
"Space Sword BLASTER!"
Ami knelt at Usagi's side and help her to her feet. "Usagi-chan. Don't ever be that stupid again."
Usagi grimaced a spoke dryly, "I'll take that advice to heart, Ami-chan."
As if I wasn't already verbally bashing myself!
"All right, Pumice. You're a crappy dancer; I'm done with you!"
"And what are you going to do about it, little girl?" She asked, crossing her arms.
"Ooh, don't start with me!" Usagi had enough. She was going to finish this now.
"Moon Scepter HALATION!"
Usagi put more into this then she usually did with just as much satisfaction. Pumice screamed, but as her scream faded, so did Usagi's strength and she fell to her knees.
"Sailor Moon," the girls shouted in unison. Tow of the concerned faces looking down at her where not familiar.
"All right, who are you two?" Usagi asked as she put her hands on the floor to steady her. Her head began to pound. And I though reaction headaches were just in books!
Ami chuckled, and all four demorphed. Minako attended to her waking family and shoveled them out her bedroom door before they could catch sight of Usagi.
"Usagi, this Tenou Haruka and Tomae Hotaru. They are Sailors Uranus and Saturn."
"'Ello," Usagi said holding one hand in a wave and the other massaging her temples.
Artimis ran up from behind them. "Didja destroy her?"
"Yeah, though if I had been thinking, I would have left her alive to tell her 'Lady of the Night,' just how unproductive it is to piss me off." Usagi hadn't really meant to let that slip out, but she didn't much care bout anything but ebbing the pain of her skull. Usagi stood and began to leave the way she came.
"Usagi?"
"Huh?"
"They demorphed, what about you?" Minako demanded.
"You gonna have a meeting on the morrow?"
"I guess."
"I'll see you there."
With that, Usagi vaulted the wall and ran home...again.

Usagi was not having a good day. Her hair was not cooperating...again. She's had lost her contacts...again. She's had broken her glasses...again. Apparently, Mamoru had called and asked Chibi0usa if Usagi was mad, but said he really didn't want to talk to her. Usagi just had a lot of against going on and it was really infuriating her...again! On top of all that, she still had to go meet the others. By now they'd be wondering if she'd really show up and how she was going to know where the meeting was. What they didn't know, was that Usagi had two moles!
"USAGI!"
"WHAT?!"
Usagi, Luna, and Chibi-usa were in Usagi's room while her parents were out picking Shingo up from a friends house.
"Why are you taking so long?" Luna asked her.
Usagi was still trying to do something with her hair. She was trying to put it up in a bun, but, needless to say, it was not going well.
Usagi sighed in exasperation and looked at the calmly sitting cat and girl through the mirror. "Do I look like I'm ready to go?"
"Usagi, if you don't hurry up, they're going to think that you lied and are going to leave before we even get out of this house!" Chibi-usa answered.
"Wha'd ya do, Luna, teach her the finer arts of nagging while I was gone?" Usagi inquired sardonically and settled with a knot at her nape.
Chibi-usa shook her head and replied in the same tone, "No, but it's true. They're not the same since you left."
Chibi-usa's bitter tone made Usagi stop her fight with her hair for a moment and look at the younger girl. She had changed so much in three years. Time had put a woman's curves on her, and her hair was just a bit longer, and a shade darker. Her cheeks had lost their baby-fat, and her movements were as graceful as Usagi's. Usagi smiled rather bitterly as well. "Believe me, Chibs, no one's the same since I left. Especially me."
Usagi placed a silver scrunchi around her balled up hair and pulled her spare glasses out of their case. She looked in the mirror and grimaced at the unaccustomed sight of ocean blue eyes. Usagi's contacts were only out of her eyes when she slept, and then they were the first things she put on in the morning. She sighed. Oh well, I'll just have to live with vivid blue eyes.
She turned to the others. "I'm ready. Shall we go?"
The cat and the teen nodded and they left.
"So, where's the meeting anyway?" usagi asked on their way there.
"Minako called and said it was at Rei's temple."
"Eeeeh." Usagi winced. "Well, at least it's familiar territory. I'll know which way to run if things get iffy."
"Don't worry U-" Chibi-usa started.
"Hush! Not in public!" Usagi warned, glancing around in her paranoia.
"I mean, Rina." the girl amended.
Usagi sighed. "I'm sorry I snapped, but I need this identity." Usagi said softly as they began their walk again. Luna, being in Usagi's arms, purred and rubbed her head against her Sailor Senshi reassuringly.
The rest of the journey was in silence. Before too long, they reached Rei's temple and usagi could here their voices up past the long stairway.
"Go on ahead off me. I'll come up after you."
Luna crept into Chibi-usa's arms as usagi handed the black cat to the younger girl, and they headed up the stairs.
Usagi took off her glasses and rubbed her eyes. She still had a headache from the night before, that midnight phone call from Mamoru didn't help matters any either. Well, time to face the music, other wise Mamoru will tell them and then I'll never get their trust back!
Usagi placed the glasses frames back on her nose daintily, and headed up the stairs. None of the others even noticed her until her was right on top of them.
"Can I help you, miss?" Rei asked, standing up in her temple robes.
Usagi raised her eyebrow. "Is this disguise really the good? Humm." Usagi pulled her glasses off and looked at them. "I think I'll buy stock in the glasses now."
Usagi looked at the others--the five original only--as they, all but Chibi-usa, stared at usagi.
"Usagi?"
Usagi sighed and place the glasses back in their spot. "My name is Rina. It's nice to meet you all. I knew a Usagi once, but that last I heard, she'd run away, never to be heard from again."
"But you are Usagi, right?" Ami asked.
"Not anymore, Ami-chan." Usagi replied as she closed her eyes. "I'm not Usagi anymore; I'm the new girl, Rina. You can't call me usagi anymore because I need this identity. I don't know what I'd have to do if they found me out again. I can't tell you the whole running away thing isn't likely to happen again. I might not make it to the air port this time." Usagi opened her eyes and chuckled at her weak attempt to make a joke. "Look, I know that I was dumb. I think I know that better then anyone right now. I'm the one who has to gain everyone's trust back. But I'm not a kid anymore. I grew up in three years. An orphan's life really is hard-knot."
Makoto snorted ironically."
"Well, then why didn't you tell us before?"
"Don't you think that if Sailor Moon and Rina showed up back in Tokyo the same day, it would look a little suspicious? Although, why Mamoru didn't catch it, I have no idea."
Baka! Don't think about him right now!
Usagi's brooding must have shown on her face because Rei asked her what was wrong.
usagi sighed, "Mamoru and I aren't the best of friends right now."
"That can't be true," Ami said.
Now Usagi snorted. "Tell that to the poor pair of broken glasses I threw against the door. We had a fight. More to the point, I got mad at him for getting mad at me. He didn't really appreciate that."
"I can imagine," Minako put in. "When you left, he got real cold."
Usagi shook her head vigorously. "That's not what made me mad. It was something he said. It's was kinda dumb on my part to get mad, but I couldn't let him think he knew everything about me, because he didn't-doesn't. he isn't me, so he didn't really have the right to tell me that he did. He didn't know how hard it was not to come running home begging for forgiveness! He doesn't see me telling him the I know what it was like for him when I left, does he? No. I'm not that peacockish!" usagi slumped in defeat and gasped for breath since she had said all that in one long breath.
I watched too much Blossom over summer vacations! I thing even Six would be impressed with that one!
All the girls launched into a laughing fit around usagi. Even the cats.
"What?" Usagi asked
Ami was the first to recover. "You may have change Usagi-chan, but not a lot!"