SailorsPathfinder : Love and Without By : MJade – fanfic@mjade.com Episode 2 : Shock *ATTN:* This is a Special Bulletin... Hello, this is KCFL News six- o'clock. A new and shocking story has just developed. It seems the city was subjugated to an attack around 2:12am this morning. An anonymous call tipped off authorities, who then rushed to the affected area. They were met with a scene of utter destruction. Part of the home of a local family had been totally demolished. Three members of the family lay unconscious on the floor of a bedroom. The fourth, a teenage girl, whose name cannot be released at this time, is missing. The other three were rushed to the hospital two are being treated for electrical exposure, and one for shock. On interviewing some of the neighbors, some say they witnessed a large object in the sky. One person reportedly said that they saw the "Sailor Scouts" fleeing the scene... This just in, authorities have just released to the media the identities of the family.... Rei flipped the TV off as a picture of the Tsukino family flickered up onto the screen. Besides, who could hear the TV anyways, with Usagi sobbing in the bedroom. She could hear Minako and Ami trying to calm her down. She knew they wouldn't succeed... How could this have happened? She put her elbows on her knees and then lowered her head into her hands and stared at her shoes. The past twenty-four hours reeled through her mind. There was, of course, the attack, but the images in her mind were fuzzy. Then there was a period of nothing-ness when she had been unconscious. But every memory after waking was all too crystal-clear... * * * Ami was the one who had awakened them. She had come to first. They had all surveyed the damage and were shocked to find no trace of Usagi or Tuxedo Mask. Venus had called the police, then they had all retreated to her apartment. As they ran, they de-transformed. Mina snuck them inside and they convened a small scout meeting in her room. Makoto expected the worst, that both of their friends were dead, and even if they weren't that they would never see them again. Ami and Mina had told her to be rational, that there were other possibilities, and why did she have to be so negative. Rei had simply sat in silence, thinking. However, they knew they couldn't stay there forever, dawn and school were approaching, and they all agreed to meet at the temple right at three and start brainstorming for theories and ideas. Rei had returned to the temple slowly. Her mind was thinking in cycles, desperately trying to figure everything out. As soon as she arrived, which was well into morning and well after the time she should have arrived at school, she locked herself in the fire room. For several hours she meditated. Then coming out of her trance, she glanced at her watch. 1:23PM. In an hour and a half the scouts would arrive, and she still had no idea what to think of everything and no ideas of her own at all. Desperately she tried to focus her thoughts into the flames. She called out "God of Fire, God of Mars, PLEASE HELP ME!" She stared into the flames. Slowly they twisted into Usagi's form. She was crying... but where was she? Rei reached out for the answer, found it, then swore at herself. The image disappeared as Rei lost her concentration, but it did not matter, she had found her answer. As she sprinted towards Usagi's location she mentally took herself down a couple notches for not figuring it out earlier. When she arrived at Mamoru's apartment, she found the door slightly ajar. She pushed it open slowly and closed it securely behind her. She made her way slowly to the bedroom, not knowing exactly what to expect. She found Usagi asleep in Mamoru's bed, her face buried in his pillow. Rei lowered herself to the bed and gently shook her. Usagi woke with a start and jerked a tear stained, puffy eyed face up at Rei. "Wha-?" She seemed to have momentarily forgotten everything. Rei watched several emotions flash through her eyes, though, as in the next few moments, everything came to her. Usagi shuddered and used one arm to push herself to a sitting position. "Um, Rei-san, I..." Rei could sense her trying to hold herself together, probably because the person sitting next to her was the person who always made fun of her. Rei instantly found regret in her past actions, actions that could make someone act this way... but now was not the time. "Usagi-chan, it's okay." She hugged her friend. "Can you tell me what happened?" Usagi was startled only for a moment before she sobbed into Rei's hair. "Oh, Rei, it was awful, I can't believe this is happening..." then her voice was choked off by more sobs and tears. * * * Over a period of time that seemed like forever, Usagi told her, very loosely, what had happened. As she heard of Mamoru's fate, she felt tears brimming in her own eyes. For the next while, she had cried silently along with Usagi. * * * In time, Rei had looked at her watch. The chrono read 5:43. The Senshi Meeting! "Usagi-chan," she said as she stood up, "um, I'll be right back." Usagi made no response, but simply grabbed a pillow and cried into it. Rei softly closed the door behind her and pulled out her communicator as she wiped tears from her face and eyes. She wondered briefly why they had not called her earlier, but discovered she had turned it off. "Minako-san, Makoto- san, Ami-san?" Ami's face appeared on the tiny screen. "Rei-san! Where have you been? We've been here for almost three hours! We tried calling you- " Rei cut her off, "Ami-san, you and the others get over to Mamoru's apartment now." Ami's eyes enlarged significantly, "Mamoru's... Rei-san have you been crying?" "Just get here now." Rei ended the connection and slumped down into a chair. She knew she had told Usagi she would be right back, but... She lowered her face into her hands and cried... She knew that Mamouro loved Usagi, and that they were destined to be together. But Rei still loved him... She had cried... * * * As she did now. She could hear the scouts in the other room once again, pleading with Usagi to tell them what had happened, but when they had come in, she had completely lost any control she had had while Rei was in her room. Rei felt a hand on her shoulder. She looked up to see Makoto kneeling in front of her chair. "Rei-san, what happened? Did Usagi-chan tell you? Where is Mamoru?" Rei ran a hand across her eyes. "Yeah... get the others and bring them in here, let Usagi-san be... I think she really needs to be alone right now..." * * * Rei's image was blurry in Ami's eyes as she listened to her, "...and after she had cried for awhile, she felt her last hope was here. She walked over here, I figure probably around two-thirty, two-forty-fiveish, and found the door open. She searched the apartment, and when she couldn't find him, she got into his bed and cried herself to sleep in his pillow..." Ami shook her head... How could this happen? * * * Makoto was in shock by the time Rei finished. Less than 24 hours ago, the world had been perfect... now their friend and comrade was... dead. How could this have happened? Minako said those words, those they had all thought, "How could this have happened? I mean, we've never had anything like this happen... It couldn't be the Dark Kingdom again... Beryl is dead... Earl and Ann are happy and gone... nothing is out there. But even so; why would anything..." she stopped and looked at something behind Makoto. Makoto turned around to see that Usagi had come out of the room, and was now standing in the doorway looking at the rest of them. The five girls sat there, for several seconds, each hoping someone else would break the silence. Astoundingly enough, Usagi did. "I don't remember much, now... I was asleep at first. Then all of the sudden there was a crashing of glass and Tux... he was protecting me. I saw the crystal and got really scared. The next thing was looking out and seeing all of you and my parents lying there. I was going to transform but he told me if I did that it would kill me... then there was a picture, a picture in the crystal." Ami now reached up and took her hand. "Usagi-chan... what was that picture of?" "I-... I'm not sure. I think it was a person, and then all of the sudden I was being.. pulled toward it. It was like a million people were pulling me towards it. And Mam- my Mamo- " her heart threatened to take over again, as she shook her head. "I don't know how, but he kept me from going into it. I was so scared... And then it stopped and we fell back down onto the bed. But then it started in on him and I couldn't hold him..." Her eyes swelled with tears as her voice quavered. "He held on to me and wouldn't let me go... why couldn't I hold him..." Her legs went slack beneath her as she fell to the floor, Ami jumping to catch her. As the sobs overtook her, you could clearly hear the words... "All my fault..." * * * Around 7:30 they entered the hospital, Minako, Ami, Usagi, and Makoto flanking Rei as she entered the building. She walked up to the nurse behind the desk. "Um, excuse me, but..." The nurse held up a finger, motioning her to wait. Rei watched as the other four sat down in some of the chairs lining the wall of the lobby. Usagi sat staring off into space, a look of utter destruction in her eyes and one of the saddest expressions ever known on her face. Minako held one of her hands. Rei turned back to the woman behind the desk she now leaned on. The nurse seemed to be deeply involved in a telephone conversation, although all she was doing was nodding. Rei stared at her hands for a moment. The woman continued to nod. Rei played with a piece of her hair. The woman continued to nod. Rei drummed her fingers on the counter. The woman continued to nod. Rei started tapping her foot on the floor. The woman continued to nod. Rei looked at Usagi. The woman continued to nod. Rei felt fire in her eyes as the woman continued to nod. "ExCUse me, but I have a FRIEND here who would LIKE to SEE her PARENTS!!!" Rei felt all eyes on her. She, of course, could care less, but she could hear Ami sigh. The nurse looked both startled and insulted. "I'm sorry, but you'll just have to wait a minute like every other person in this waiting room!" Rei did not like waiting. "Listen. My friend over here has been through a lot in the past 16 hours, her room was utterly destroyed by some huge object, her parents are in the hospital, and the police have her listed as missing, and above all that could possibly be trivial, she lost..." Rei realized what she had been about to say and slammed her fist down on the counter as she came up with a good way to continue, "she wants to see if her family is okay!" A man had overheard the conversation (well, with Rei, it was hard not to hear it) and was now hovering over Rei's shoulder. "Was this girl the one who's house was attacked last night?" "Yeah... why?" Instantly a thousand cameras began clicking as people surrounded the group of girls. "Which one is she...must be that one, look at the hair...what happened...are you hurt...please make a statement for the press...where were you...was it an alien...were you taken to a spaceship...were the Sailor Scouts there...did they take you...did they attack you...what exactly happened last night...who are you girls..." Just as Usagi was about to collapse (and Rei and Makoto were about to explode) she spotted someone out of the corner of her eye. "Oka-san!" She threw herself into the mass of people, plowed through them, and flung herself at her mother. "Mom!" A dozen camera flashes went off. Several times. * * * They all sat silently outside the Tsukino's hospital room. The reporters had all been denied access to this wing of the hospital. Minako had hugged her folded legs to her chest and was resting her chin on her knees. Traces of her tears were still evident, but her face was mostly dry. Usagi had been in the room alone for over forty-five minutes with her parents. The entire time her four friends had sat in silence in the hallway, each deep in thought about the past twenty-four hours and the effect it would have on each of their lives. Minako once more went over the events and shuddered... It all seemed too eerie... not right... How could Mamoru be gone? They had all seen him in the park with Usagi... Oh, Usagi... A single tear managed to fall as she thought once more of her dearest friend. How could the girl go on, I don't know if she's strong enough. And how is she holding up now, in there with her parents...? She can't even tell them, we can't tell any one... What about his friends, that boy at the arcade... there had to be others too. And his apartment... did he own it? What would happen to his things now that he was dea-- She found that she couldn't completely think the word. For it couldn't be true... none of this destruction could’ve happened. They were the Sailor Scouts! They didn't lose!! She squeezed he eyes closed, wanting to believe that when she opened them, she would be in her bed, never having heard the motorcycle speed past... Her eyes opened. She was still in the hospital, her friends were all next to her, and Mamoru was still gone... * * * Ami looked up as a door opened across the hallway. Usagi stood beside a nurse who had an arm on her shoulder. "Girls," the woman began, "Her parents would like to thank you for bringing her here, and they would also ask a favor of someone named Makoto...?" Ami watched as Makoto stepped forward, "Yeah?" "Her mother would ask if it's alright for her to spend a few nights with you?" "Of course!" "Well, then, thank you all again." She looked down at Usagi, who hadn't moved at all during the brief conversation. Ami walked up and took her hand. "C'mon, Usagi-chan, let's go..." But she found that as she moved away from the doorway, she was pulling her friend. "Usagi-chan, please, for me! We need to go now." The blonde nodded and sluggishly began moving, letting herself be led. The nurse stared at Usagi strangely, the re-entered the room. Ami slowly led Usagi to the elevator. They all got in, and started descending four stories, in silence. But even before the elevator door opened at ground level, they could hear the voices. And even before the doors had fully opened, flashes were going off. As the reporters' questions rang out, Ami looked for a way to get past them, but it was as if they were a wall... suddenly she felt Usagi's grip tighten on her hand. She looked up and into her face and saw anger building-- A shrill scream silenced the entire floor. "LET ME OUT OF THIS STUPID ELEVATOR BEFORE I KILL SOMEONE!!!" Ami was stunned as the crowd parted and Usagi pulled HER towards the door. The entire trek took a matter of seconds, and then they were in the street. Usagi let loose, "I CAN'T BELIEVE THIS WHAT IS GOING ON!! IS THE WORLD INSANE OR IS IT ME?! THIS IS NOT HAPPENING!! NONE OF THIS IS HAPPENING... NONE Of this is happ--" The brief strength that anger had forced into her collapsed. She sobbed as she fell to the concrete. "MAMO-CHAN!!!" * * * Makoto picked her up. "Usagi-san, we've got to go before the reporters come back." "Yes, Usagi-chan, please." Minako added as she helped Makoto. For a moment all that could be heard were small sobs and then Usagi began, "Makoto-san, I want to stay in his apartment... I want to be as close to him as I can... I can't just--" Makoto shook her head, "Usagi-san, I don't think that's a good idea... you need to-" "Please!" As she looked into her friend's eyes, she saw, for the first time, how dangerously close to the edge she was. Saying no might push her over... "Okay." * * * As they all left the apartment, Minako looked at the rest of her friends. "Are you all sure she'll be ok?" "Definitely not. But it's the best we can do for now." Rei answered in a strange tone. Makoto put a hand on her shoulder. "And what about you, Rei-san?" Rei moved away, "I'll be fine." When they reached the ground floor, Rei took off, without a word. The others looked after her. Minako voiced the collective thought, "Yeah, right." * * * As soon as her friends were gone, Usagi wandered the apartment. She went in his closet, found his clothes and put some of them on. She then went into his bedroom and sat down on the bed. She cast her eyes about the room... his room... and now, he, the one she had loved for a thousand years... was gone. Her eyes fell on a picture, their picture. She picked it up, gazed into it for a moment, and then hugged it to herself. She let herself fall back onto the bed, as a wave of sadness overtook her once more... Outside... rain began to fall... Ep. Two End Sailor Moon is ©Naoko Takeuchi But I © this to me, ©1997 MJade Productions … And I truly hope she doesn’t mind …