Dreams & Memories
Part 9
By: Tisha

	Usagi knocked on her door and waited. It took a while before anyone answered it. Glancing at 
her watch she saw that it was almost nine. She finally heard the lock snap open and her dad stuck his 
face out the door. Upon seeing her his eyes widened and he pushed his glasses higher on his nose.

	"U...Usagi?"

	Usagi bit her lip and nodded. "Papa?"

	He slowly pulled the door open, still staring at her in shock. "Ikuko! Come here!"

	Usagi came inside and hugged him.

	"We...we thought you were dead."

	Ikuko walked in with a dishtowel she was using to dry her hands. "What is-" She was cut off 
when she saw her daughter looking at her with watery eyes. 
Ikuko wasn't able to hold her own tears as she dropped the towel and ran forward to hug Usagi.

	"Usagi. What happened? Where have you been?"

	Usagi was about to answer when Shingo ran down the stairs. "What's going on down here?" 
He saw his sister and a strange expression crossed his face. 

	Usagi laughed. "Hi Shingo." He still didn't move so Usagi went toward him and gave him a quick 
hug. She turned back to her parents. "You want to sit down?"

	Ikuko wrapped an arm around Usagi's shoulders and led her into the family room, Kenji and 
Shingo followed.

	Usagi sighed as she looked at her family, wiping the happy tears from her eyes. "Please don't 
think I ran away, 'cause I didn't. Two years ago I hit my head really hard and got amnesia. So basically I 
haven't remembered any of you for two years."

	"But how? I mean we called all the hospitals."

	Usagi shook her head. "They didn't release my name. I...I didn't let them."

	"But why not?"

	"Well the only thing I *did* know was that a man had seen me running when I tripped and hit 
my head. I didn't know what I had been running from so I was afraid that there might be someone 
after me."

	Usagi's mom squeezed her hand, tears still flowing from her eyes. "What had you been 
running from?"

	Usagi bit her lip and shrugged. "I just got in a fight with my friends and started running. I 
wanted to be alone."

	Kenji shook his head at the whole story. "So how have you been supporting yourself all this 
time?"

	"Nice people pretty much. At first I stayed with the guy who took me into the hospital." She 
glanced at her dad, who didn't seem to care very much about what she had just said, which kind of 
shocked her. "He taught me English and then I decided to move to America. He even sent money with 
me. The landlord of the apartment building I moved into in New York was very nice and he helped to 
get me a good job as a waitress. So I made enough for my apartment and I actually have a lot left over 
too." She stopped and shrugged.

	"How did you remember everything?"

	Usagi wondered how to explain it and just decided to tell them the complete truth. 
"Well...Mom, you know Mamoru, right?"

	Her mom nodded. "Yeah, your boyfriend, right?"

	Usagi glanced at her dad who smiled. "It's okay Usagi, I met him at your funeral. He's a good 
guy."

	Usagi smiled a huge smile at this and nodded. "Well I started getting memories of him when I 
was in America. I decided to come back to find some answers and I just happened to run into him. He 
managed to make me remember with one kiss." Usagi smiled at the memory and looked at her 
parents. "I guess that's it."

	"Wow, you really got amnesia?"

	Usagi laughed. It was the only thing Shingo had said so far. She nodded in return and stood up. 
"Is my room still there?"

	Her mom nodded. "We didn't change a thing."

	Usagi smiled at the thought. "Well I'm still on New York time and right now it'd be about seven 
in the morning so I think I need to go to bed."

	The other three stood up, all hugging her again before she went upstairs. She looked around 
at her old room. Everything was still exactly the way it had been. She didn't even have her luggage 
with her since it was at the hotel she was supposed to stay at. She had grown quite a bit in the last two 
years but she was forced to wear one of her old nightgowns anyway. She sighed as she plopped onto 
her old bed, loving the feel of being in that bedroom.

•••••••••••••••••••

	Usagi spent Saturday morning with her family, the afternoon with her friends, and the evening 
with Mamoru. On Sunday morning all she wanted to do was sleep but she got herself up earlier 
because she was planning a trip to the other side of Tokyo. She yawned as she climbed out and she 
saw Luna looking at her strangely.	

	"What?"

	"Usagi-chan, getting out of bed before eight *purposely*? You really have changed."

	Usagi smiled. "Trust me, I'd love to sleep longer. But there is someone I have to see." She got 
up and quickly changed into a spring dress. She reached into her wallet and took out a couple 
hundreds. Now Luna was really looking interested.

	"What's all the money for?"

	"Someone that I have to pay back. And pay a visit to. And give a thank you gift, which I'll have 
to buy first."

	"The one who found you?"

	"Uh-huh. If any of the girls come looking for me just tell them where I am. See you later Luna!" 
She waved over her shoulder as she stuffed the money into a purse.


•••••••••••••••••••


	Usagi smiled when she saw the apartment door. She knocked, hoping someone was there. 
She hadn't called because she wanted it to be a surprise. The door opened up and Shika, Hiroshi's 
girlfriend, looked out. She smiled when she saw her. "Akina!"

	Usagi hugged her. "Is Hiroshi here?"

	"Yeah." She pulled the door opened, inviting her in. "I didn't know you were back in Japan."

	"I got in Friday."

	Hiroshi came out from the family room and saw her. "Akina!"

	Usagi smiled as she hugged him. "Actually, it's Usagi."

	"You mean you remember?"

	Usagi smiled widely and nodded. "Thanks to you. I bought you this." She shrugged handing 
him the wrapped gift. "Just to thank you for letting me stay here and everything."

	He set the gift down and offered her a seat. "So what happened?"

	"Well I told you on the phone I had remembered someone named Mamoru, who I knew I 
loved. So I went looking for him, and I found him within an hour. He kissed me and my memories all 
came back."

	Shika sighed. "Sounds like a fairytale."

	"And I have you to thank for it Hiroshi."

	He smiled. "What about the memories that scared you away? The people trying to kill you?"

	She laughed a little. "Well, you were kind of right about those. They *were* memories, but 
they were memories *of* dreams. These dreams I'd been getting about my friends wanting to kill me. 
They are what got me all confused that night when I was running."

	Hiroshi nodded. "Well, I'm glad you remembered. And whoever you are, Akina or Usagi, you're 
always welcome to come here."

•••••••••••••••••••


	"Mamo-chan, where are you taking me?"

	"Just keep your eyes closed. We're almost there."

	She walked blindly for a few more minutes, being led by Mamoru's hands on her waist. He 
suddenly pulled her to a stop and turned her. 

	"Okay, open them now."

	Usagi took her hands from her eyes and gasped. She was staring at her own tombstone. She 
slowly read the words that were inscribed.

Tsukino Usagi
Beloved daughter, 
friend, and girlfriend

	She looked up at Mamoru. "Girlfriend? How'd you ever..."

	"I convinced your dad to put that on there. Even though I knew you weren't dead I wanted it 
to look perfect."

	Usagi smiled and hugged him. "Wow, this is kind of creepy. I feel like a ghost."

	Mamoru leaned down to kiss her, a long lingering kiss. He finally released her and seemed to 
be thinking. "Well, you sure kiss well for a ghost."

	Usagi giggled as they walked from the cemetery hand in hand. "I love you Mamo-chan."

	"I love you, Usako."


THE END!