Sailor Moon Fan Fiction ❯ Runaway Heartstrings ❯ Escape ( Chapter 3 )
[ T - Teen: Not suitable for readers under 13 ]
By: Kihin Ranno 
Anime/Manga: Sailor Moon Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Suspense / Romance / Psychological / Drama | Type: Alternate Universe | Uploaded On: 09.29.2002 | Pages: 8 | Words: 5.4K | Visits: 246 | Status: Work In Progress
Anime/Manga: Sailor Moon Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Suspense / Romance / Psychological / Drama | Type: Alternate Universe | Uploaded On: 09.29.2002 | Pages: 8 | Words: 5.4K | Visits: 246 | Status: Work In Progress
Runaway Heartstrings
Chapter Three: Escape
4/15
by Kihin Ranno
goddess_branwen@hotmail.com
http://www.geocities.com/kihin_ra nno/starlithorizon.html
R
~~Revision Begun: Oh I don't know... Two years ago?~~
~~Revision Finished: September 17, 2002~~
Sad isn't it?
This story is an alternate reality taking the characters from Sailor
Moon and inserting them into a different situation while remaining in
their own universe. In essence, I am screwing around with the story of
Sailor Moon because I can. This in no way reflects Naoko Takeuchi's
version of Sailor Moon or the anime version. However, I hold no claim
onto Sailor Moon as that is owned by Naoko, Bandai, Kodansha, Toei
Animation, Mixx, DiC, Cloverway, and I'm sure about 100,000 others. I
am merely doing this for my own sick amusement and once again, because
I can.
~This fan fiction has been revised pending a review done in a fan
fiction review exchange. It is now much better (hopefully). I've
decided to turn it into a mini-chapter thing... I'm not too sure how
long it'll run, but not too long...~
Well that didn't last long did it? --; Eh, just read already.
*~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~*
With that in mind, Usagi waited. She tended to her wounds and waited.
She used up the last of the disinfectant for her wounds and the last of
the Kleenexes for wounds that could not be seen and waited. She forced
herself to eat and in turn forced herself to keep it in her stomach
and waited. And she continued as she showered, changed, and did what
she could to make herself look just a little bit better. When her
stepfather finally fell into a fitful, drunken sleep, she was at last
through waiting.
Usagi slowly descended the stairs, flinching each time one creaked. It
was amazing how those sounds meant nothing during the day. Now at
night when she was trying not to make any noise, the sound mattered a
great deal. She briefly wondered if she was disturbing the dead and
the drunken, but no ghosts popped out in front of her and she heard no
drunken swears.
Usagi went into the pristine kitchen and packed up what little she
might need, sticking to the bare necessities. She bound them up in a
red polka dotted handkerchief, but managed to resist the temptation to
break a broom handle and tie the sack to one of its ends. She was
afraid that would make too much noise, and she had made enough as it
was. And besides it was silly.
Once that was done, Usagi tip toed into the living room, her heart
pounding and adrenaline pumping as she neared the door. It grew closer
and closer...
The door way to freedom was so close and yet so very far away when a
familiar voice rang out, "Usagi?"
She froze in the darkness as she heard him bark her name like a dog and
as though she too were one. His slurred, husky tone sent cold shivers
of apprehension run up her spine. The sound of him drunkenly fumbling
for the light switch at the top of the stairs reached her ears along
with the sound of him muttering under his alcohol-laced breath.
He's angry.
Angry at her specifically, not that this was unusual, "Usagi..." he
growled, "...if you're down there... I swear... I'll give you a beating
like you've never felt before...!"
A lump rose into Usagi's throat and she was gripped with a terror
stronger than ever before as the man she called 'Daddy' once again
threatened her with endless pain and torture. She always hated calling
him that... It implied that she loved him. While she could never hate
him, despite his many faults, she did not love him.
Usagi feared him.
Her knees buckled and her entire body trembled. All her blood rushed
to her legs in less than instant, urging her to run. She hesitated
slightly, not wanting to immediately alert the tyrant above her that
she was not snug in her bed. She took a deep but quiet breath and
slowly crept towards the door. Her heart was pounding so loudly that
she was afraid her stepfather might hear. She panicked, suddenly
jerking to a stop while a horrified thought formed in her mind, 'What
if I'm caught?'
Usagi nearly whimpered and once again started to shake. She had lived
under this oppression and abuse for so long, she had very nearly come
accustomed to it, but she had stopped herself from reaching that point
that morning a few days ago. Then she had made her true decision that
night. She had stuck up her chin in defiance and faced danger
with pride and honor. She had taken a beating, but she had done so
proudly. For she knew now that she could no longer stand living with
him. She needed to flee. She had to get out. And it had to be done
tonight.
But Usagi couldn't do that if she was scared out of her wits.
She forced herself to push back any fear for the time being, and her
eyes filled with determination as she could think of but one simple
phrase that had played over and over again in her mind all day, 'I'm
ready to run,' she moved closer to the door...
Suddenly, light flooded the room. Usagi actually cursed, having
learned such language from Yukio but never wanting to mirror him and
use it. She practically heard his face turn red with rage as he
screamed, "Usagi don't you dare go out that door!"
In a sudden burst of adrenaline that had been building up for quite
some time now, Usagi sprinted for the door. She deftly undid the one
lock on the door flung it open with a crash. She heard him thunder
down the stairs, moving quickly despite his inebriated state. She
sprang forward as he came up behind her and reached out to grab her.
Yukio growled in frustration as his slowed senses picked up on the fact
that he had only managed to grasp the rush of air she had sent flying
his way in her haste. He watched her for just a few moments as she
dashed off into a night lit only by stars...
His "daughter" had always been so terrified of the dark. He smiled,
humored by the oddness of the situation and tore after her, shouting
her name.
Usagi ran like a wild woman, dropping her food in her haste. She just
kept right on running, biting her lip and hoping that the food she had
had a few hours before would sustain her for some time. Suddenly, a
tree popped up in front of her, and she had to quickly redirect
herself. She gulped as she took in how dark it was.
Usagi had always been afraid of the dark. It was so unknown and almost
uncontrollable by anything more than artificial light in the night.
The situation that she was currently in only made it more terrifying.
And the fact that she was in a forest that could not be navigated did
not make her feel any more secure. Trees seemed to pop up randomly in
this forest and it would both aide and deter her.
She flung herself deeper into the dark forest and offered up multiple
prayers to any deity that had the time to hear her on this night. The
little runaway, would never know this, but while no gods or goddesses
had heard, her mother had. The ancient monarch of the Silver
Millennium no longer had a body and she had been forced to watch her
daughter suffer silently for so many years...
But she would not let Usagi run alone.
"Usagi! Get back here... right now! When I... get my hands on you..."
her "daddy" panted after her. The man never had bothered to keep in
shape for very long. His job may have called for it, but his partner
was a pretty young thing that he manipulated into doing all the work
for him. No surprise there.
But the fact that he had left his words drift off to an incomplete
ending was what made that cynicism vanish. That scared her even more
than if he had finished his thought. Usagi gulped and stared at the
dark path that stretched out before her. How long was it until she
reached the highway? Would she get there before she ran out of energy
and he caught her...?
She focused on her breathing and pumped her legs just a little faster,
"Put it out of mind," Usagi muttered to herself, quoting a line from
an old play she had read long ago. She didn't remember much, but she
knew a lot of people got hit in it.*
Suddenly, Yukio's voice boomed through the trees once more, "Your
mother couldn't escape me, and neither will you!"
Hearing that was like an icy dagger into Usagi's heart. It brought
up painful memories that Usagi did not want to recall. She quickly
put those out of her mind as well, thinking that she would fret over
when she wasn't running for life. She shut her eyes and whispered,
"Don't worry mom... I won't let him have the chance,"
And she ran just a little bit faster once more, just to spite Yukio.
"Good girls always... do what their daddies tell them..." Yukio said
with an implied threat, "Now listen to me!"
This time the fearful young runaway felt she had to answer. He had
defiled her mother with his words now and his actions when she lived.
He had beaten her for God knows how long. Now he was pulling out that
old line he always used on her and suddenly Yukio was a force to be
feared, but also just downright annoying. The girl must answer, "My
_daddy_ is dead!" Usagi shouted back with newfound rage.
He cried out something unintelligible, his words endlessly distorted by
his drink, but the emotion was conveyed clearly enough. Because in
those words, Usagi could have sworn she heard an actual growl, and she
was hit with a mental image of a rapid wolf chasing down a rabbit.
Usagi was now just plain disturbed by how fitting that image was and
felt the hairs on the back of her neck stand up. Her throat was bone
dry and her body cried for rest, but she once again saved that for
later.
She pumped her legs faster and faster, allowing the wind to carry her
down the road to liberation. Her tired heart beat wildly in her chest,
but each time she heard it, she was reminded of war drums, and this war
was one that needed to be won. Her lungs ached and felt about ready to
burst, but she kept right on breathing, knowing that she also had to
achieve true freedom from Yukio. If she died, it would be like losing.
And he would like to have her dead or with him. She didn't understand
the logic, but that's how it was. Her eyes burned with her unshed
tears, but she was through with crying over him. She drove herself
forward, keeping only those things on her mind.
Usagi could still hear Yukio behind her, tracking her like the hunter
he was. He was swearing loudly and vehemently, and stumbling about in
drunken stupor (although much to her frustration, he managed to
continue to follow her and keep up a fairly good pace). She could
smell him even from where she was, or perhaps that was just an all too
vivid manifestation of her memory. He had always reeked of beer and
cigarette smoke, and the stench seemed to increase as his rage did
(which made Usagi suspect this was just a projection of her mind, but
that bore no relevance right now). But one thing she was sure of: his
blind fury was increasing with every step the both of them took.
He wasn't slowing down, and he wasn't about to let her go.
Usagi bit her lip so hard that blood flooded into her mouth. She
quickly spit it out. She was used to the taste of her own blood, but
she never had found it all that appetizing. Fear drove her on, but it
seemed she couldn't escape Yukio. She began to panic as the thought
of him catching up entered her mind once more.
Then came the most reliving sound in the world. There was a crash
followed by an even louder, angrier wave of curses. She nearly
jumped and shouted for joy when she realized what must have happened.
He had tripped in the underbrush.
Living so deeply in the rural areas of Japan and in a forest at that
did have its advantages.
She thanked whoever had heard her prayers (who though she did not know
it, was her first mother, as dead as the second) and ran on.
Despite the wondrous miracle that had been bestowed upon her, Usagi
did not stop to rest or even slow down...
Usagi ran faster.
All she had to do was get to the street. She could follow it,
continuing at her breakneck pace for a time until someone found her.
She knew she was asking for trouble, but Usagi was desperate. She was
just going to have to place herself into the hands of fate and allow
destiny to take over.
Usagi continued her race of terror through the night. She was already
running with more speed than she had known herself capable of. And she
maintained that speed as she under ducked low hanging tree branches,
avoided wild bushes, and hopped over rotting logs. Then she heard his
voice rise above the startled cries of nocturnal birds and echo in the
darkness.
Usagi bit back a scream and continued on.
At long last, the street was in her sights. A smile of relief spread
across her face, and she practically leapt towards it. She felt such
release as she flew through the air. She closed her eyes in bliss as
she let the wings of the wind hold and caress her for but a moment.
She savored that moment for it was a milestone in her life that she
would always remember.
It was Usagi's first moment of freedom.
She suddenly did not feel so euphoric as she hit the asphalt with a
thud and collapsed onto the hot black top from exhaustion right in the
middle of the road, unable to go on. She felt pain radiating from her
knees to her neck, and the harsh landing left her bruises suddenly
aching. Usagi struggled to catch her breath after her over exertion,
her breath coming in loud, short gasps. She felt drops of sweat
running down her face like tears. She went to wipe some away, but
found it too hard to even lift her arms.
Usagi began to visibly panic. Her plan was to run down the road until
she hit a town, found a homeless shelter, a good Samaritan, or
something of that nature. Just as long as it was away from her
stepfather. But how could she do that if she couldn't even move her
arm to wipe away her sweat?
Usagi began to try and regulate her breathing again. She knew she had
to get on the move again quickly. She was tired, exhausted really, but
she just had to keep going. He wasn't going to be detained forever.
And if he found her...
Usagi pushed that thought down with a vengeance and slowly forced
herself to her knees. She had to get up. She couldn't be caught when
she was so close. She took a deep breath and started working herself
into a standing position. When she got to her feet she managed to take
a few shaky steps before meeting the pavement a second time. She
felt her head spin and black spots began to form before her eyes, "I
can't stop... I have to... get up... Have to... keep going... If he
finds me--" she stopped herself quickly, , not wanting to hear
herself admit the inevitable.
Before Usagi could start to get up again, she was blinded by the light
of two bright headlights. They were from a car that was headed
straight for her. And she was far too tired to jump to safety...
******************************************************** **************
He had only been driving for hours, but it felt more like days. His
eyelids felt like they had two ton weights on them and his hands barely
gripped the wheel. The coffee he had purposely grabbed on his way out
of is apartment door no longer provided him with that caffeine jolt
that he so desperately right now. The only thing that would indicate
he was actually awake and not the alternative was his constant
grumbling under his breath.
To put it simply, Chiba Mamoru was a wreck.
It would have amazed anyone present how the young man managed to stay
awake... or alive for that matter. Mamoru was definitely putting
himself through a despicable torture by doing this. And no one, not
even himself, would have the slightest idea as to why he chose to do
so. If it was up to him that is.
Mamoru had simply gotten into his car after sundown and drove. He did
so aimlessly, with no particular destination. Maybe he was just
frustrated with the way his life was going. Two people he had known,
not intimately but known nonetheless, had died. And they had died
because he had been late (or at least according to half of the senshi).
The senshi did nothing but bicker or argue nowadays, and there was
nothing he could do about it. Rei would not let their past go, or
maybe it was he who couldn't let it go. He wasn't sure who thought
what anymore. There was a battle every night, and an argument every
day. The Shitennou were appearing more and more frequently, so he and
the senshi were getting injured a lot more than they used to. The few
people that cared about them were beginning to ask questions. And he
had come no closer to finding the princess or the gem she asked him to
seek (which he had never told the Sailor Senshi about).
No matter what the cause of it, he was paying for his actions. He had
always known there was a reason he wasn't spontaneous.
Mamoru didn't have the slightest idea where he was. He was lost,
alone (not that that bothered him too much), driving to nowhere in the
darkest night he had seen in years, and it was a pretty good assumption
he was going to die from falling asleep at the wheel.
Only God knew how many times he had damned himself in the last five
minutes alone. He shook his head violently in order to keep his eyes
open and muttered, "If anyone called me an idiot right now, I wouldn't
be the least bit surprised."
Mamoru sighed and wondered if he should just run away from Tokyo... It
wa a foolish notion of course. His presence was not causing the
troubles. But he was just so tired of all the fighting, on and off the
battle field. It hurt him to look at Rei anymore. He knew that Minako
suspected he was hiding something or that there was more to his
multiple absences during battle than meets the eye. Makoto didn't care
all that much for him or about him, but maybe indifference hurt him
more than hate. And Ami... Ami was too shy to know what she thought.
But he couldn't leave the others. After that brief moment of doubt,
Mamoru pushed all similar thoughts back. He took one hand off the
steering wheel and rubbed his eyes. He sighed and said, "I should just
turn back now and get some sleep..." he slowly lowered his hand and
gripped the steering wheel once more.
Suddenly, his exhausted eyes caught a flash of gold on the road.
Mamoru gasped in shock when he saw it was a young girl lying there.
The young man quickly realized had he not lowered his hand when he did,
he would have run her over without even realizing she was there... Now
he had a chance to swerve but not much of one. He had to move. Now.
Mamoru quickly turned off the road to avoid running her over. He
narrowly missed her and breathed a sigh of relief as he began
unbuckling his seatbelt. He thanked God that he had been looking at
the road when he did. He would never have been able to forgive himself
if this girl had died because of him. It had happened before, but he
knew that running her over would have broken him.
"It's like someone planned this," he muttered as he finally got his
seatbelt off.
Then the queen left without ceremony.
Mamoru threw open his car door and rushed over to the fallen girl. Her
eyes were wide with fear and she was shaking. She obviously realized
what a near miss it had been.
"Are you all right?"
Well that had been a stupid question. It was obvious she was far from
it. There were bruises all over every visible part of her body and
finger marks on her arms from being gripped tightly. She had numerous
untreated cigarette burns, gashes, scrapes, and other various open
wounds. She was horribly malnourished and looked extremely fatigued.
Mamoru was aghast at the sight to say the least. He had a nearly
uncontrollable urge to strangle whoever had done this, and for a brief
moment, it scared him, "My God..."
"I-I'm very... very sorry... I've been... been running and... And I'm
just so tired..." she apologized softly as Mamoru helped the poor girl
to her wobbly feet. He couldn't help but notice how she shrank away
from him.
Before either of them could say anything more, an angry, slurred voice
shouted, "Where are you?!"
Usagi's already alarmed eyes widened even more. She gasped and looked
at Mamoru in panic, "Kami-sama! It's him!" then her eyes welled up
with tears and she began shaking even more, "Please don't let him get
me! He'll kill me! I know he will! I told him I'd leave, but he
didn't believe me! I don't know why he wants me to stay but... Oh
please, please, just get me out of here! Please..."
Mamoru, feeling an immense connection with this girl and a need to
protect her filled his every pore and woke him up. He would never have
left anyone to die or be taken back to a home such as this, but he knew
he wouldn't have always felt this...
Or would he? Mamoru told himself he was being stupid and put it down
to his night job.
But all he said to her was, "Of course,"
Mamoru quickly ushered her battered form into the car. He sent a
random, threatening glare into the dark woods before entering the
vehicle himself. He didn't even waste time with a seatbelt, and
flinched as the tires screeched loudly on the blacktop.
Mamoru decided it would be best not to ask her any questions just yet.
He snatched a quick glance at her bruised and quivering form, wracked
with sobs and covered in wounds. He had better let her be for now.
Mamoru's eyes may have been locked onto the darkened stretch of road he
traveled, but his mind was in another place all together. They were
focused on the no-name victim weeping beside him. She was obviously
younger than he was, too young to be facing the harsh realities of
life. But then, he couldn't think of any age that would have been able
to deal with the kind of thing she must be going through.
He couldn't help but notice the way she was curled up in a fetal
position, pushing herself against the car door as much as she could.
He had a feeling that the second he hit a red light, she'd take off
running. Then he might never be able to help her.
But then, maybe she was so tired and glad to be out of that situation
that she wouldn't run from him as she had done with who he assumed was
her father. He couldn't be sure, but he knew he had to help this child
any way he could.
If she could be called child. He didn't know why, but there was
something absolutely fascinating about her. It wasn't as much as her
looks, for they were pretty much non-existent and covered with blue-
purple marks, but there was something else. Something wonderful and
dazzling. The only word he could come up with to describe it was
angelic.
But there was another, stranger sense lying there. Something
familiar. Like he had known her before...
He had a brief flash of a girl staring up at the earth. Mamoru gasped
quietly, too quietly for her to hear. He stole another glance at her
and briefly wondered... But not for too long. Now was not the time to
be worried about the Senshi, the princess, or the Ginzuishou.
Mamoru noticed the girl peering out the window, her eyes wide with
terror. Watching and waiting. He couldn't help but compare her to
some frightened rabbit. He wanted to help her, console her at best,
but he couldn't get up the nerve.
Usagi noticed Mamoru's eyes on her from the reflection in window glass.
It made her uneasy, and even more paranoid than she already was. She
kept looking out the window, searching for the familiar, battered pick-
up truck her stepfather drove. And even going as far as to
searching every face she saw, no matter how unlike him, just to make
sure it wasn't him. Or one of his "drinking buddies" as he insisted on
referring to them.
Usagi shuddered at the thought of those nights when they'd come over.
She'd often locked herself in her room, but sometimes not even that
worked. She could just as easily be burned through the door, if only
verbally. And then she'd pay for it once she finally came out. No
matter how long she waited, he was always waiting outside the door.
This was no different. She knew if she got out of the car, he'd be
there, waiting for her. He was in every car, lurking in every shadow,
he was in every man she'd ever meet, even the one who saved her. He
was everywhere and in everything evil. There was no escaping him, for
everything had some degree of evil within them just as everyone and
had good in them. He'd follow her to the ends of the Earth and find
her... No matter where she went, he'd be there. And then there might
not be anyone to help.
And so when Mamoru pulled up to a red light, Usagi did not run.
Usagi thoughts ran wildly and came quickly, reminding her of how a
person suffering from some form of mental disease or on something would
think, 'But I can't stay here with him... No matter how nice he seems,
he'll turn on me. I can't trust him. I can't trust anyone. But I
need help. He's the only one who can help me now. But I can't trust
him. Or anyone else. What am I going to do?"
Usagi could still feel his eyes on her and she shrank away even
further, 'Why does he keep looking at me? What's he planning?'
Usagi suddenly realized that maybe this kind stranger wasn't so kind.
What man drove around in the backwoods at this time of night? Yes
there were people around now, but this was a busy stretch of the
highway. He had pulled off onto the exit that went by there house. No
one ever took that exit.
'Is he some kind of pervert? Did I run straight from Yukio to a
rapist? Or does he just really want to help me? I can't tell
anymore... I don't know what's good and what's evil... but everything
is evil and good... Everything is dark and light... And painful...'
Then Usagi's thoughts managed to drift back to Yukio.
'No matter what I do I can't please him...' Usagi thought, 'He always
hits me... He kicks me when he's drunk and uses me as an ash tray when
he's sober... I'm his waitress, his servant, and his punching bag. I'm
his to showcase and his to despise...'
'I'm his...'
Mamoru finally became uncomfortable with her obvious fear of him.
Also, he felt terrible that he had been too cowardly to see if there
was any way he could help her right now.
He cleared his throat quietly and said, "It's all right," she jumped at
his voice and looked at him with sheer horror in her crystalline eyes.
He felt hurt, but quickly reminded himself that he did know her and she
did not know him. Mamoru glanced at her out of his peripheral vision
and added, "I'm not going to hurt you..."
Usagi felt her breath catch in her throat and she realized she hadn't
exactly gone out of the way to hide her fear. Then she looked back out
of the window and into the dark night. Into the woods that still lined
the highway. Into the few cars that were still on the rode at that
hour. And into her savior's face through his reflection on her window,
"Even if you don't, he will... You don't know him. He'll never let me
go. He'll find me. And beat me like always... He hates defiance. He
doesn't like it when I think on my own..."
Mamoru shook his head and turned his eyes back to the rode. After a
few seconds he said, "Hated,"
Usagi blinked in surprise and looked over to Mamoru in surprise,
"Excuse me?" she asked, sounding genuinely confused.
"You referred to your life in present tense... He can't get you now..."
Usagi laughed bitterly and the words 'How little you know' came to
mind, but she did not say them. Now it was her turn to shake her head
and keep her eyes on the road, making sure he wasn't there, "What are
you going to do? Protect me from him?"
"I said I would, didn't I?" Mamoru said softly.
Usagi turned to stare at him again, "I'm not sure..."
Mamoru continued to look out at the road and then furrowed his brow,
"Neither am I..." then he shook his head to clear his thinking, "But
even if I didn't, I am now..."
Usagi studied him for a long while, as if she was sizing him up. She
was trying to decide if he was being sincere or not. He kept his eyes
on the road and pretended not to notice her scrutiny. Finally, she
shifted out of her fetal position and did not press herself against the
door quite as hard. However, she did not take her eyes off of the
window when she said, "Maybe I can trust you..."
'Well it's a start...' Mamoru thought.
*~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~*
* The play I spoke of is one I'm currently in, The Crucible.
This is dedicated to victims of abuse along with their friends, and
families. And if you are suffering from abuse of any kind, it isn't
hopeless. There are people and organizations that can and will help.
Also, if you know or suspect that someone is being abused, don't keep
it to yourself. Don't be a coward and look away. Do the right thing
and confront the problem. Get help, for yourself or for them...
please... don't do it because I'm telling you to. Do it for yourself
and the ones that didn't make it.
If you need help, call:
The National Domestic Violence Hotline
1-800-799-SAFE
The Rape, Abuse, Incest National Network (RAINN)
1-800-656-HOPE
Childhelp USA National Child Abuse Hotline
1-800-4-A-CHILD
Or call your local authorities or any state/local agencies that can
help you or someone you know get out of your situation.
Coming Soon: Chapter Four: Wounded
Chapter Three: Escape
4/15
by Kihin Ranno
goddess_branwen@hotmail.com
http://www.geocities.com/kihin_ra nno/starlithorizon.html
R
~~Revision Begun: Oh I don't know... Two years ago?~~
~~Revision Finished: September 17, 2002~~
Sad isn't it?
This story is an alternate reality taking the characters from Sailor
Moon and inserting them into a different situation while remaining in
their own universe. In essence, I am screwing around with the story of
Sailor Moon because I can. This in no way reflects Naoko Takeuchi's
version of Sailor Moon or the anime version. However, I hold no claim
onto Sailor Moon as that is owned by Naoko, Bandai, Kodansha, Toei
Animation, Mixx, DiC, Cloverway, and I'm sure about 100,000 others. I
am merely doing this for my own sick amusement and once again, because
I can.
~This fan fiction has been revised pending a review done in a fan
fiction review exchange. It is now much better (hopefully). I've
decided to turn it into a mini-chapter thing... I'm not too sure how
long it'll run, but not too long...~
Well that didn't last long did it? --; Eh, just read already.
*~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~*
With that in mind, Usagi waited. She tended to her wounds and waited.
She used up the last of the disinfectant for her wounds and the last of
the Kleenexes for wounds that could not be seen and waited. She forced
herself to eat and in turn forced herself to keep it in her stomach
and waited. And she continued as she showered, changed, and did what
she could to make herself look just a little bit better. When her
stepfather finally fell into a fitful, drunken sleep, she was at last
through waiting.
Usagi slowly descended the stairs, flinching each time one creaked. It
was amazing how those sounds meant nothing during the day. Now at
night when she was trying not to make any noise, the sound mattered a
great deal. She briefly wondered if she was disturbing the dead and
the drunken, but no ghosts popped out in front of her and she heard no
drunken swears.
Usagi went into the pristine kitchen and packed up what little she
might need, sticking to the bare necessities. She bound them up in a
red polka dotted handkerchief, but managed to resist the temptation to
break a broom handle and tie the sack to one of its ends. She was
afraid that would make too much noise, and she had made enough as it
was. And besides it was silly.
Once that was done, Usagi tip toed into the living room, her heart
pounding and adrenaline pumping as she neared the door. It grew closer
and closer...
The door way to freedom was so close and yet so very far away when a
familiar voice rang out, "Usagi?"
She froze in the darkness as she heard him bark her name like a dog and
as though she too were one. His slurred, husky tone sent cold shivers
of apprehension run up her spine. The sound of him drunkenly fumbling
for the light switch at the top of the stairs reached her ears along
with the sound of him muttering under his alcohol-laced breath.
He's angry.
Angry at her specifically, not that this was unusual, "Usagi..." he
growled, "...if you're down there... I swear... I'll give you a beating
like you've never felt before...!"
A lump rose into Usagi's throat and she was gripped with a terror
stronger than ever before as the man she called 'Daddy' once again
threatened her with endless pain and torture. She always hated calling
him that... It implied that she loved him. While she could never hate
him, despite his many faults, she did not love him.
Usagi feared him.
Her knees buckled and her entire body trembled. All her blood rushed
to her legs in less than instant, urging her to run. She hesitated
slightly, not wanting to immediately alert the tyrant above her that
she was not snug in her bed. She took a deep but quiet breath and
slowly crept towards the door. Her heart was pounding so loudly that
she was afraid her stepfather might hear. She panicked, suddenly
jerking to a stop while a horrified thought formed in her mind, 'What
if I'm caught?'
Usagi nearly whimpered and once again started to shake. She had lived
under this oppression and abuse for so long, she had very nearly come
accustomed to it, but she had stopped herself from reaching that point
that morning a few days ago. Then she had made her true decision that
night. She had stuck up her chin in defiance and faced danger
with pride and honor. She had taken a beating, but she had done so
proudly. For she knew now that she could no longer stand living with
him. She needed to flee. She had to get out. And it had to be done
tonight.
But Usagi couldn't do that if she was scared out of her wits.
She forced herself to push back any fear for the time being, and her
eyes filled with determination as she could think of but one simple
phrase that had played over and over again in her mind all day, 'I'm
ready to run,' she moved closer to the door...
Suddenly, light flooded the room. Usagi actually cursed, having
learned such language from Yukio but never wanting to mirror him and
use it. She practically heard his face turn red with rage as he
screamed, "Usagi don't you dare go out that door!"
In a sudden burst of adrenaline that had been building up for quite
some time now, Usagi sprinted for the door. She deftly undid the one
lock on the door flung it open with a crash. She heard him thunder
down the stairs, moving quickly despite his inebriated state. She
sprang forward as he came up behind her and reached out to grab her.
Yukio growled in frustration as his slowed senses picked up on the fact
that he had only managed to grasp the rush of air she had sent flying
his way in her haste. He watched her for just a few moments as she
dashed off into a night lit only by stars...
His "daughter" had always been so terrified of the dark. He smiled,
humored by the oddness of the situation and tore after her, shouting
her name.
Usagi ran like a wild woman, dropping her food in her haste. She just
kept right on running, biting her lip and hoping that the food she had
had a few hours before would sustain her for some time. Suddenly, a
tree popped up in front of her, and she had to quickly redirect
herself. She gulped as she took in how dark it was.
Usagi had always been afraid of the dark. It was so unknown and almost
uncontrollable by anything more than artificial light in the night.
The situation that she was currently in only made it more terrifying.
And the fact that she was in a forest that could not be navigated did
not make her feel any more secure. Trees seemed to pop up randomly in
this forest and it would both aide and deter her.
She flung herself deeper into the dark forest and offered up multiple
prayers to any deity that had the time to hear her on this night. The
little runaway, would never know this, but while no gods or goddesses
had heard, her mother had. The ancient monarch of the Silver
Millennium no longer had a body and she had been forced to watch her
daughter suffer silently for so many years...
But she would not let Usagi run alone.
"Usagi! Get back here... right now! When I... get my hands on you..."
her "daddy" panted after her. The man never had bothered to keep in
shape for very long. His job may have called for it, but his partner
was a pretty young thing that he manipulated into doing all the work
for him. No surprise there.
But the fact that he had left his words drift off to an incomplete
ending was what made that cynicism vanish. That scared her even more
than if he had finished his thought. Usagi gulped and stared at the
dark path that stretched out before her. How long was it until she
reached the highway? Would she get there before she ran out of energy
and he caught her...?
She focused on her breathing and pumped her legs just a little faster,
"Put it out of mind," Usagi muttered to herself, quoting a line from
an old play she had read long ago. She didn't remember much, but she
knew a lot of people got hit in it.*
Suddenly, Yukio's voice boomed through the trees once more, "Your
mother couldn't escape me, and neither will you!"
Hearing that was like an icy dagger into Usagi's heart. It brought
up painful memories that Usagi did not want to recall. She quickly
put those out of her mind as well, thinking that she would fret over
when she wasn't running for life. She shut her eyes and whispered,
"Don't worry mom... I won't let him have the chance,"
And she ran just a little bit faster once more, just to spite Yukio.
"Good girls always... do what their daddies tell them..." Yukio said
with an implied threat, "Now listen to me!"
This time the fearful young runaway felt she had to answer. He had
defiled her mother with his words now and his actions when she lived.
He had beaten her for God knows how long. Now he was pulling out that
old line he always used on her and suddenly Yukio was a force to be
feared, but also just downright annoying. The girl must answer, "My
_daddy_ is dead!" Usagi shouted back with newfound rage.
He cried out something unintelligible, his words endlessly distorted by
his drink, but the emotion was conveyed clearly enough. Because in
those words, Usagi could have sworn she heard an actual growl, and she
was hit with a mental image of a rapid wolf chasing down a rabbit.
Usagi was now just plain disturbed by how fitting that image was and
felt the hairs on the back of her neck stand up. Her throat was bone
dry and her body cried for rest, but she once again saved that for
later.
She pumped her legs faster and faster, allowing the wind to carry her
down the road to liberation. Her tired heart beat wildly in her chest,
but each time she heard it, she was reminded of war drums, and this war
was one that needed to be won. Her lungs ached and felt about ready to
burst, but she kept right on breathing, knowing that she also had to
achieve true freedom from Yukio. If she died, it would be like losing.
And he would like to have her dead or with him. She didn't understand
the logic, but that's how it was. Her eyes burned with her unshed
tears, but she was through with crying over him. She drove herself
forward, keeping only those things on her mind.
Usagi could still hear Yukio behind her, tracking her like the hunter
he was. He was swearing loudly and vehemently, and stumbling about in
drunken stupor (although much to her frustration, he managed to
continue to follow her and keep up a fairly good pace). She could
smell him even from where she was, or perhaps that was just an all too
vivid manifestation of her memory. He had always reeked of beer and
cigarette smoke, and the stench seemed to increase as his rage did
(which made Usagi suspect this was just a projection of her mind, but
that bore no relevance right now). But one thing she was sure of: his
blind fury was increasing with every step the both of them took.
He wasn't slowing down, and he wasn't about to let her go.
Usagi bit her lip so hard that blood flooded into her mouth. She
quickly spit it out. She was used to the taste of her own blood, but
she never had found it all that appetizing. Fear drove her on, but it
seemed she couldn't escape Yukio. She began to panic as the thought
of him catching up entered her mind once more.
Then came the most reliving sound in the world. There was a crash
followed by an even louder, angrier wave of curses. She nearly
jumped and shouted for joy when she realized what must have happened.
He had tripped in the underbrush.
Living so deeply in the rural areas of Japan and in a forest at that
did have its advantages.
She thanked whoever had heard her prayers (who though she did not know
it, was her first mother, as dead as the second) and ran on.
Despite the wondrous miracle that had been bestowed upon her, Usagi
did not stop to rest or even slow down...
Usagi ran faster.
All she had to do was get to the street. She could follow it,
continuing at her breakneck pace for a time until someone found her.
She knew she was asking for trouble, but Usagi was desperate. She was
just going to have to place herself into the hands of fate and allow
destiny to take over.
Usagi continued her race of terror through the night. She was already
running with more speed than she had known herself capable of. And she
maintained that speed as she under ducked low hanging tree branches,
avoided wild bushes, and hopped over rotting logs. Then she heard his
voice rise above the startled cries of nocturnal birds and echo in the
darkness.
Usagi bit back a scream and continued on.
At long last, the street was in her sights. A smile of relief spread
across her face, and she practically leapt towards it. She felt such
release as she flew through the air. She closed her eyes in bliss as
she let the wings of the wind hold and caress her for but a moment.
She savored that moment for it was a milestone in her life that she
would always remember.
It was Usagi's first moment of freedom.
She suddenly did not feel so euphoric as she hit the asphalt with a
thud and collapsed onto the hot black top from exhaustion right in the
middle of the road, unable to go on. She felt pain radiating from her
knees to her neck, and the harsh landing left her bruises suddenly
aching. Usagi struggled to catch her breath after her over exertion,
her breath coming in loud, short gasps. She felt drops of sweat
running down her face like tears. She went to wipe some away, but
found it too hard to even lift her arms.
Usagi began to visibly panic. Her plan was to run down the road until
she hit a town, found a homeless shelter, a good Samaritan, or
something of that nature. Just as long as it was away from her
stepfather. But how could she do that if she couldn't even move her
arm to wipe away her sweat?
Usagi began to try and regulate her breathing again. She knew she had
to get on the move again quickly. She was tired, exhausted really, but
she just had to keep going. He wasn't going to be detained forever.
And if he found her...
Usagi pushed that thought down with a vengeance and slowly forced
herself to her knees. She had to get up. She couldn't be caught when
she was so close. She took a deep breath and started working herself
into a standing position. When she got to her feet she managed to take
a few shaky steps before meeting the pavement a second time. She
felt her head spin and black spots began to form before her eyes, "I
can't stop... I have to... get up... Have to... keep going... If he
finds me--" she stopped herself quickly, , not wanting to hear
herself admit the inevitable.
Before Usagi could start to get up again, she was blinded by the light
of two bright headlights. They were from a car that was headed
straight for her. And she was far too tired to jump to safety...
******************************************************** **************
He had only been driving for hours, but it felt more like days. His
eyelids felt like they had two ton weights on them and his hands barely
gripped the wheel. The coffee he had purposely grabbed on his way out
of is apartment door no longer provided him with that caffeine jolt
that he so desperately right now. The only thing that would indicate
he was actually awake and not the alternative was his constant
grumbling under his breath.
To put it simply, Chiba Mamoru was a wreck.
It would have amazed anyone present how the young man managed to stay
awake... or alive for that matter. Mamoru was definitely putting
himself through a despicable torture by doing this. And no one, not
even himself, would have the slightest idea as to why he chose to do
so. If it was up to him that is.
Mamoru had simply gotten into his car after sundown and drove. He did
so aimlessly, with no particular destination. Maybe he was just
frustrated with the way his life was going. Two people he had known,
not intimately but known nonetheless, had died. And they had died
because he had been late (or at least according to half of the senshi).
The senshi did nothing but bicker or argue nowadays, and there was
nothing he could do about it. Rei would not let their past go, or
maybe it was he who couldn't let it go. He wasn't sure who thought
what anymore. There was a battle every night, and an argument every
day. The Shitennou were appearing more and more frequently, so he and
the senshi were getting injured a lot more than they used to. The few
people that cared about them were beginning to ask questions. And he
had come no closer to finding the princess or the gem she asked him to
seek (which he had never told the Sailor Senshi about).
No matter what the cause of it, he was paying for his actions. He had
always known there was a reason he wasn't spontaneous.
Mamoru didn't have the slightest idea where he was. He was lost,
alone (not that that bothered him too much), driving to nowhere in the
darkest night he had seen in years, and it was a pretty good assumption
he was going to die from falling asleep at the wheel.
Only God knew how many times he had damned himself in the last five
minutes alone. He shook his head violently in order to keep his eyes
open and muttered, "If anyone called me an idiot right now, I wouldn't
be the least bit surprised."
Mamoru sighed and wondered if he should just run away from Tokyo... It
wa a foolish notion of course. His presence was not causing the
troubles. But he was just so tired of all the fighting, on and off the
battle field. It hurt him to look at Rei anymore. He knew that Minako
suspected he was hiding something or that there was more to his
multiple absences during battle than meets the eye. Makoto didn't care
all that much for him or about him, but maybe indifference hurt him
more than hate. And Ami... Ami was too shy to know what she thought.
But he couldn't leave the others. After that brief moment of doubt,
Mamoru pushed all similar thoughts back. He took one hand off the
steering wheel and rubbed his eyes. He sighed and said, "I should just
turn back now and get some sleep..." he slowly lowered his hand and
gripped the steering wheel once more.
Suddenly, his exhausted eyes caught a flash of gold on the road.
Mamoru gasped in shock when he saw it was a young girl lying there.
The young man quickly realized had he not lowered his hand when he did,
he would have run her over without even realizing she was there... Now
he had a chance to swerve but not much of one. He had to move. Now.
Mamoru quickly turned off the road to avoid running her over. He
narrowly missed her and breathed a sigh of relief as he began
unbuckling his seatbelt. He thanked God that he had been looking at
the road when he did. He would never have been able to forgive himself
if this girl had died because of him. It had happened before, but he
knew that running her over would have broken him.
"It's like someone planned this," he muttered as he finally got his
seatbelt off.
Then the queen left without ceremony.
Mamoru threw open his car door and rushed over to the fallen girl. Her
eyes were wide with fear and she was shaking. She obviously realized
what a near miss it had been.
"Are you all right?"
Well that had been a stupid question. It was obvious she was far from
it. There were bruises all over every visible part of her body and
finger marks on her arms from being gripped tightly. She had numerous
untreated cigarette burns, gashes, scrapes, and other various open
wounds. She was horribly malnourished and looked extremely fatigued.
Mamoru was aghast at the sight to say the least. He had a nearly
uncontrollable urge to strangle whoever had done this, and for a brief
moment, it scared him, "My God..."
"I-I'm very... very sorry... I've been... been running and... And I'm
just so tired..." she apologized softly as Mamoru helped the poor girl
to her wobbly feet. He couldn't help but notice how she shrank away
from him.
Before either of them could say anything more, an angry, slurred voice
shouted, "Where are you?!"
Usagi's already alarmed eyes widened even more. She gasped and looked
at Mamoru in panic, "Kami-sama! It's him!" then her eyes welled up
with tears and she began shaking even more, "Please don't let him get
me! He'll kill me! I know he will! I told him I'd leave, but he
didn't believe me! I don't know why he wants me to stay but... Oh
please, please, just get me out of here! Please..."
Mamoru, feeling an immense connection with this girl and a need to
protect her filled his every pore and woke him up. He would never have
left anyone to die or be taken back to a home such as this, but he knew
he wouldn't have always felt this...
Or would he? Mamoru told himself he was being stupid and put it down
to his night job.
But all he said to her was, "Of course,"
Mamoru quickly ushered her battered form into the car. He sent a
random, threatening glare into the dark woods before entering the
vehicle himself. He didn't even waste time with a seatbelt, and
flinched as the tires screeched loudly on the blacktop.
Mamoru decided it would be best not to ask her any questions just yet.
He snatched a quick glance at her bruised and quivering form, wracked
with sobs and covered in wounds. He had better let her be for now.
Mamoru's eyes may have been locked onto the darkened stretch of road he
traveled, but his mind was in another place all together. They were
focused on the no-name victim weeping beside him. She was obviously
younger than he was, too young to be facing the harsh realities of
life. But then, he couldn't think of any age that would have been able
to deal with the kind of thing she must be going through.
He couldn't help but notice the way she was curled up in a fetal
position, pushing herself against the car door as much as she could.
He had a feeling that the second he hit a red light, she'd take off
running. Then he might never be able to help her.
But then, maybe she was so tired and glad to be out of that situation
that she wouldn't run from him as she had done with who he assumed was
her father. He couldn't be sure, but he knew he had to help this child
any way he could.
If she could be called child. He didn't know why, but there was
something absolutely fascinating about her. It wasn't as much as her
looks, for they were pretty much non-existent and covered with blue-
purple marks, but there was something else. Something wonderful and
dazzling. The only word he could come up with to describe it was
angelic.
But there was another, stranger sense lying there. Something
familiar. Like he had known her before...
He had a brief flash of a girl staring up at the earth. Mamoru gasped
quietly, too quietly for her to hear. He stole another glance at her
and briefly wondered... But not for too long. Now was not the time to
be worried about the Senshi, the princess, or the Ginzuishou.
Mamoru noticed the girl peering out the window, her eyes wide with
terror. Watching and waiting. He couldn't help but compare her to
some frightened rabbit. He wanted to help her, console her at best,
but he couldn't get up the nerve.
Usagi noticed Mamoru's eyes on her from the reflection in window glass.
It made her uneasy, and even more paranoid than she already was. She
kept looking out the window, searching for the familiar, battered pick-
up truck her stepfather drove. And even going as far as to
searching every face she saw, no matter how unlike him, just to make
sure it wasn't him. Or one of his "drinking buddies" as he insisted on
referring to them.
Usagi shuddered at the thought of those nights when they'd come over.
She'd often locked herself in her room, but sometimes not even that
worked. She could just as easily be burned through the door, if only
verbally. And then she'd pay for it once she finally came out. No
matter how long she waited, he was always waiting outside the door.
This was no different. She knew if she got out of the car, he'd be
there, waiting for her. He was in every car, lurking in every shadow,
he was in every man she'd ever meet, even the one who saved her. He
was everywhere and in everything evil. There was no escaping him, for
everything had some degree of evil within them just as everyone and
had good in them. He'd follow her to the ends of the Earth and find
her... No matter where she went, he'd be there. And then there might
not be anyone to help.
And so when Mamoru pulled up to a red light, Usagi did not run.
Usagi thoughts ran wildly and came quickly, reminding her of how a
person suffering from some form of mental disease or on something would
think, 'But I can't stay here with him... No matter how nice he seems,
he'll turn on me. I can't trust him. I can't trust anyone. But I
need help. He's the only one who can help me now. But I can't trust
him. Or anyone else. What am I going to do?"
Usagi could still feel his eyes on her and she shrank away even
further, 'Why does he keep looking at me? What's he planning?'
Usagi suddenly realized that maybe this kind stranger wasn't so kind.
What man drove around in the backwoods at this time of night? Yes
there were people around now, but this was a busy stretch of the
highway. He had pulled off onto the exit that went by there house. No
one ever took that exit.
'Is he some kind of pervert? Did I run straight from Yukio to a
rapist? Or does he just really want to help me? I can't tell
anymore... I don't know what's good and what's evil... but everything
is evil and good... Everything is dark and light... And painful...'
Then Usagi's thoughts managed to drift back to Yukio.
'No matter what I do I can't please him...' Usagi thought, 'He always
hits me... He kicks me when he's drunk and uses me as an ash tray when
he's sober... I'm his waitress, his servant, and his punching bag. I'm
his to showcase and his to despise...'
'I'm his...'
Mamoru finally became uncomfortable with her obvious fear of him.
Also, he felt terrible that he had been too cowardly to see if there
was any way he could help her right now.
He cleared his throat quietly and said, "It's all right," she jumped at
his voice and looked at him with sheer horror in her crystalline eyes.
He felt hurt, but quickly reminded himself that he did know her and she
did not know him. Mamoru glanced at her out of his peripheral vision
and added, "I'm not going to hurt you..."
Usagi felt her breath catch in her throat and she realized she hadn't
exactly gone out of the way to hide her fear. Then she looked back out
of the window and into the dark night. Into the woods that still lined
the highway. Into the few cars that were still on the rode at that
hour. And into her savior's face through his reflection on her window,
"Even if you don't, he will... You don't know him. He'll never let me
go. He'll find me. And beat me like always... He hates defiance. He
doesn't like it when I think on my own..."
Mamoru shook his head and turned his eyes back to the rode. After a
few seconds he said, "Hated,"
Usagi blinked in surprise and looked over to Mamoru in surprise,
"Excuse me?" she asked, sounding genuinely confused.
"You referred to your life in present tense... He can't get you now..."
Usagi laughed bitterly and the words 'How little you know' came to
mind, but she did not say them. Now it was her turn to shake her head
and keep her eyes on the road, making sure he wasn't there, "What are
you going to do? Protect me from him?"
"I said I would, didn't I?" Mamoru said softly.
Usagi turned to stare at him again, "I'm not sure..."
Mamoru continued to look out at the road and then furrowed his brow,
"Neither am I..." then he shook his head to clear his thinking, "But
even if I didn't, I am now..."
Usagi studied him for a long while, as if she was sizing him up. She
was trying to decide if he was being sincere or not. He kept his eyes
on the road and pretended not to notice her scrutiny. Finally, she
shifted out of her fetal position and did not press herself against the
door quite as hard. However, she did not take her eyes off of the
window when she said, "Maybe I can trust you..."
'Well it's a start...' Mamoru thought.
*~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~*
* The play I spoke of is one I'm currently in, The Crucible.
This is dedicated to victims of abuse along with their friends, and
families. And if you are suffering from abuse of any kind, it isn't
hopeless. There are people and organizations that can and will help.
Also, if you know or suspect that someone is being abused, don't keep
it to yourself. Don't be a coward and look away. Do the right thing
and confront the problem. Get help, for yourself or for them...
please... don't do it because I'm telling you to. Do it for yourself
and the ones that didn't make it.
If you need help, call:
The National Domestic Violence Hotline
1-800-799-SAFE
The Rape, Abuse, Incest National Network (RAINN)
1-800-656-HOPE
Childhelp USA National Child Abuse Hotline
1-800-4-A-CHILD
Or call your local authorities or any state/local agencies that can
help you or someone you know get out of your situation.
Coming Soon: Chapter Four: Wounded