"In other news, the murders of formerly convicted criminals continue. Today the body of one Yur-" Ikuko flipped off the television, it really was a violent world and she didn't need the newscaster to remind her.
She coughed into the back of her elbow as she put a ceramic dish away. Shaking her head to clear the fog that had been over her all morning, she reached for another glass from the dishwasher, setting it down on the counter when her hand trembled. Taking a deep breath, she swallowed the mucus she could feel building up in her throat. Shingo must have passed his cold onto her, she mused. Shaking her head again, she put the glass away. Since she was a housewife, she figured that a day or two of procrastinating on the laundry would be the worst of the detriment caused by a cold.
The floorboards creaked as Shingo wobbled down the staircase. "Shingo!" She called out, already moving to assist the boy as he poked his head around the corner. "You should be in bed, resting; you'll be too tired to go to the doctor later if you don't." Shingo waved her off, sitting down in the living room.
"I was hungry and I heard someone down here. Make me a sandwich?" He grinned. She let out an exasperated sigh, throwing a loaf of bread to him.
"You aren't that sick, but nice try." Overcome by a wave of dizziness, she gripped the counter to steady herself, her back to Shingo.
"You okay mum?" Before he could finish speaking, Ikuko crumpled to the floor like a puppet whose strings had been cut. "MOM!" Shingo drew a raspy gasp as he dropped the bread, trying to catch her weight before she cracked her head against the floor, succeeding in holding up some of her weight while she fell.
Her body hit the floor before her head, and for that Shingo was grateful. He was only able to slow the descent of her upper half to the floor, but it was enough to make sure she didn't get a concussion. Adrenaline raced through him, as he sat awkwardly on the floor with the unconscious body of his mother. He shook her shoulders, but she remained unresponsive. Setting her full weight down on the floor, he jumped up and grabbed a towel, turning on the faucet and running the water. A small cough bubbled up in his throat, escaping as he drenched the towel. Returning to his mother he put the cloth to her face, exhaling with relief when she blinked owlishly. "Shingo?"
He felt like bear-hugging her but settled for helping her sit up. "You passed out Mom," he let out another unsteady breath which devolved into coughing afterwards. Ikuko took the towel, holding it up to her forehead. Shingo was caught up in the fit of coughing, and he curled up on himself, wheezing and gasping until the spasms had passed.
"I guess I got your cold," she admitted, rubbing his back until he could speak again.
"Almost gave me a heart attack," Shingo complained, followed immediately by, "Does this mean I don't have to go to the doctor today?"
She turned bemused eyes onto her son, "No, it means I'm scheduling an appointment for myself, too."
Usagi was too busy preparing for her date with Mamoru to notice the small commotion downstairs. She flipped through her closet, searching for an outfit that didn't scream immaturity, a task that was proving to be quite difficult. Frustrated with the excess of sundresses, she pulled out a strapless purple one. She ignored the fact it had red hearts printed up and down it, reaching for the scissors. After making a generous slit in the side, she nodded her approval, pulling it on. She spun around, disappointed when it only showed off her kneecaps. She pulled a red shawl from her closet, looping it around the middle of the dress. Folding the fabric up on itself, she pulled the shawl tight around her midsection, satisfied when the hemline rested above her knees.
It took her well over an hour to find and apply the right shade of lipstick, eye shadow, eyeliner and powder to lighten the bags under her eyes. She was still having nightmares, and Luna had yet to return home. She let her worry roll off her shoulders though, Luna could defend herself just fine.
She studied her reflection, making sure everything was perfect. Blowing her reflection a kiss she grabbed a comb and started untangling her hair. Once it was tame, she twisted it up into buns, braiding ribbons into the trailing streamers of hair and looping them back up to wrap around the buns. Satisfied, she skipped downstairs, calling out a cursory goodbye as she left the house.
Shingo stared after her in confusion. Had she not really noticed that both he and Ikuko were still on the floor? And that hadn't looked like her trademark hairstyle either. He fidgeted, suddenly itchy as the door closed behind her. He reached up to scratch his neck, but it failed to alleviate the uncomfortable feeling.
oOoOoOo
Minako was on a mission. Her objective: to find the cutest binky ever. Her status: still despairingly single, and failing at said mission to compound matters. It was the trendiest thing for children right now to have stuffed animals, blankets were out of style, and Minako wasn't about to play granny-aunt and buy the baby clothing. She perused another rack of toys, wondering whether a stuffed bunny or a squirrel would seem less threatening to a baby. With the massive plastic eyes they'd sewn onto each of them, she had no doubt the kid would have nightmares for weeks. Above that, a display of neon stuffed plant-creatures guarded the eyeball monsters. It was like something out of a children's horror movie. Minako shook her head.
Turning around to face the other side of the shelves, she picked up a seemingly harmless dog toy. It let out a boisterous "Veggies rule! Let's go to school!" and Minako almost dropped it in her surprise. She looked around, sheepish, but there were only a few other patrons in this toy shop and they didn't seemed bothered by the musical styling of the stuffed animal. Putting it back she ambled away, glad Artemis was not with her to witness.
Moving onto another aisle of plushies, Minako stopped in front of a sales display. On it, a pyramid was stacked to the ceiling, made with teddies. Selecting one at random, she examined the creature. Its fibers were soft, and its eyes weren't impossibly large, but it still didn't feel right to her somehow. Setting it back down, her eyes fell upon another bear.
This one was a different color, brown instead of white like the previous toy. Picking it up, she turned it over as she scrutinized it. Soft fur, marbles for eyes, and a brand name that told her it was still a popular item, said this was the decided winner. Smiling, Minako moved away from the display towards the register, bear in hand.
En route, she saw a familiar figure in the aisle behind hers.
"Unazuki?"
The chipper redhead turned towards her, a broad smile on her face when she saw her.
"Minako-chan!" Laughing she went towards the blonde, an oriental man tailing behind her. "Its been so long since I last saw you!"
Minako eyed the man hovering a few feet away. "Yeah, it really has..."
Catching her line of sight, Unazuki remembered her introductions. "Minako, this is Nobuo. Nobuo, Minako." Unazuki clasped her hands around Minako's. "So if you're in this store too, that means..."
Minako face faulted, laughing and trying to think up a quick retreat without being insensitive. "No, I'm just here shopping for a friend of mine. But you are...?" She let the question hang.
Unazuki's ponytail bobbed up and down as she nodded, and Minako could see her cart was already stuffed with diapers and toys. "Four months!" She declared, pride showing through. "We're getting married first though."
Before she could continue, the electronic hum of Route Venus interrupted the two.
Feeling embarrassed, Minako fished out her phone, waving an apology and farewell to the two as she answered the call.
"Hello?" Her smile dropped when she heard the voice on the other end.
"That sounds nice, but after the other night I really don't think—"
She frowned, worrying her lower lip. "…Yes I'm free, but—" She paused to listen. "I do want to see that…" After another moment she sighed and nodded, "I guess I'll see you then."
Clicking off the phone, she noticed that Unazuki and Nobuo had left the store. "Just my luck," she muttered.
Not far away, a pair of garnet eyes watched her before slipping back into the shadows. Now was not the right time to reveal her presence, and there were other matters to attend to.
oOoOoOo
When Rei woke, her skin was hard with dried tears. For a blissful moment her memory of the previous day did not come. But it returned with the weight of a boulder, pressing down on her, along with a massive headache. Clamping down on her rising emotions, Rei stood. Today she would be expected to be strong, and she would be.
The morning was lost in a blur. When she gathered herself again, she was standing before a casket. She wanted to recite a prayer in old Japanese, but the words were unfamiliar and never made it past her lips. Instead she just stood there staring at the polished rosewood, unable to push down more tears from her hollowed heart.
Her thoughts were trapped in the maze that was her mind, and the pain she had suffered yesterday had fled her while she slept. Now she was left with a clawing emptiness, her heart caged in a coffin of its own.
The afternoon that followed went by in a similar haze, and when she regained her senses, she found herself in the prayer room. Sitting before the flames, she tried to keep her composure, but in front of the fire more ancient and holy than even her grandfather had been, she could feel her sorrow rising again.
She didn't know when it happened, but when she woke up, she was still seated before the fire, her skin sticky from sweat or tears. She couldn't remember crying, but she didn't rule out the possibility.
On impulse, she began to meditate. She sent out the most heartfelt plea to the fire to grant her a vision for the future. Anything to prove she would live past the grief that was eating at her ability to feel, to exist.
The silence it returned her stung like a physical blow.
Feeling more tears gathering, she stood, moving away from the fire. However, Yuuichirou was standing in front of the door, blocking her exit.
"Rei?"
He watched her slip back into her shell, the shiny glimmer in her eyes dissipating. She made a noise of acknowledgement, but her stare was blank.
"I wanted to talk to you..." He went up to her, taking a seat in front of her. Rei sat down as well, but he couldn't tell whether or not she was listening. The vacant stare was disconcerting. "Last night, I...well," he closed his eyes. "You won't be a miko much longer, especially now that the temple is yours."
"What?" Rei snapped out of her trance, zeroing in on what he'd said. "This temple isn't mine."
"But, the attorney earlier... he said the Grandpa Hino left it to you, remember?" Yuuichirou didn't bring up the money Grandpa Hino had left to him. It wasn't much, but he knew the man only made a meager living to begin with. "Without a head priest, and since you now own the Hikawa Jinja...I assumed you would take up the role of priestess..." Rei's eyes were glazed again, but she did respond.
"Its not mine," she reiterated. "I am a mere miko, I can't perform the duties of priestess, I don't have the spiritual authority to-"
She sounded like a robot, and Yuuichirou didn't want to hear the rest. If she didn't want the title of priestess there was no hope of her ever being eligible to wed. Miko were celibate. Dimly he wondered if she was being sensitive, since the only other person suited to run the temple was himself.
"Rei," he placed a hand over hers, trying not to wince as his bloodied skin chaffed at the contact. "He left it to you. He didn't want anyone else, even me, running this shrine. He wanted you to follow his lead, and he taught you everything you'd need to know to succeed. I respect his choice." He looked at her eyes, that same exotic violet but with less shine and irritated red skin around them. She must have been crying again.
"There is still time before the funeral, so think about it." He removed his hand, putting it back in his lap. "And if you want to remain a miko, I will...well I'm not sure what I'll do. But its your decision Rei." He stood up, leaving before she could say something to make him stay.
Not that she would have.
Rei was so lost she didn't know whether she was awake or dreaming some nightmarish version of reality. Everything was upside down and inside out, and she just wanted to close her eyes and make it all go away. She'd only heard half of what Yuuichirou had said, but it was too much information for her overtaxed mind. With grandpa gone, the fire rejecting her again, and the new polymorph enemy threat to worry over, she could barely function.
Yuuichirou's presence was a small comfort, but his words were not. Couldn't he understand that she didn't want to be head priestess? It meant that grandpa really was gone, and that she was alone.
She wrapped her arms around herself, giving in to the show of weakness while she was isolated in this private sector of the shrine.
There were still preparations to be made for grandpa's funeral. She would need to have her wits about her for the kagura dance, a customary farewell to the deceased. Maybe she'd already done it; it was so hard to remember anything when all she could think about was grandpa.
She couldn't even remember the last thing she'd said to him.
More depressed than ever, Rei tossed a forlorn look at the fire before steeling herself to re-enter the main hall of the shrine.
oOoOoOo
Ami went back over the jar's readings a sixth time. Her computer had the biochemical structure pulled up on the screen, along with the physical properties, and yet she still couldn't quite grasp exactly what the substance was. It appeared to be made up of mostly lipids and proteins, and if its hydroxyl groups were any indication, it was highly volatile. That explained the massive amounts of energy put into the water vapor attacks, since heating a liquid up required large quantities of energy. However, the other properties of the substance were more complicated, and more troubling.
Unlike most creatures with regenerative properties, the polymorph substance did not have stem cells for redifferentiation. It was likely some form of epimorphosis, but what kind exactly eluded Ami. Even after several hours of research she still couldn't quite grasp how it could reform itself so quickly.
More troubling was the dual-state nature of the substance. It appeared to be somewhere between liquid and solid no matter the temperature, a constant gelatinous mound. It had swollen to the full size of the jar, and Ami was too worried that removing the lid would expand it further to risk extracting a segment for chemical testing. Her compact's observations would have to suffice. It was frustrating to the academic side of her, being unable to study it under a microscope in the presence of other substances to understand its full capabilities and weaknesses. However, the cautious side always took the wheel in Ami's decisions, and this would be no different.
One thing she had learned, was that the substance was full of impurities at the cellular and macro biological level. Larger degradation made sense, since the first polymorph had been absorbing most of its surroundings in the park, it was bound to accumulate excess matter. This would erode and corrupt the surface cells, but what didn't make sense were the impurities on the internalized cells and their organelles. Difficult as it was to gauge their extent given her limited sample and small compact screen, she could still make out the altered structures. It could be the result of mutenagenic compounds or radiation, or even both. Ami had no way to determine which was the underlying cause, only that the result was a mutated DNA strand that didn't match any organisms in the public Gene Bank database.
The camouflaging technique the polymorphs employed was an illusion, caused by the structure of the epithelial cells floating on the surface of the gel. Light bent around them, giving the impression that whatever was behind the creature was in front of it as well to organisms with only sight in the visible spectrum. Ami was doubly glad she'd made the cheap visors for the other girls, since there was little else that could be done to counter the effects of what she'd dubbed the 'invisibility cells'. The creative part of Ami wanted a sample of those cells in particular, so that she could work out her own more practical use for them, but the cautious side won out again, and she put the closed capsule back into her subspace pocket. With a sigh, she looked back over the information, stopping again at the section she'd begun about the cloning tissues. Maybe it was some type of asexual reproductive cycle...
Before she could give her new hypothesis much investigation, the phone rang. Since her note from last night was still prominently displayed, she wondered if her mother was calling to let her know she wouldn't be home again.
Picking up the receiver, she answered. "Hello?"
"This is Tokyo General Hospital, is this Mizuno Ami?" Perplexed, Ami was already forming theories in her head for why the hospital might be calling the home phone number for her and not her mother. Hope rose in her at the idea that the internship might have an earlier opening.
"This is she, how may I help you?"
"Your mother, Mizuno Mariko-" Ami tried not to feel a twinge of disappointment that the call wasn't about her, before hearing the rest, "has been put into the ICU for hypothermia."
Ami's eyes widened, she felt her own temperature drop as a chill went through her. Her mind was already racing. How was it possible she could have hypothermia in the middle of August?
"Her pulse is weak, but we have her on oxygen-"
"Are sure this isn't one of Mariko's patients? She is a surgeon at Tokyo General, are you sure you didn't dial the wrong number?"
Even if it were unlikely Ami had to be sure. Hypothermia was generally treated before a patient would be allowed to have surgery, but there were cases where it could not be avoided. Operating on a hypothermic patient would be extremely risky though, with a very low success rate. Just the kind of case her mother would take: a challenge to her skills.
The woman on the other end of the line paused, and Ami heard paper rustling as she double-checked the file. "No, it is definitely Mariko. We're giving her oxygen even though her breathing is only slightly irregular. She is still conscious, but she will be held overnight to make sure there is no further trauma."
Ami's mind was in overdrive now, already thinking up all the possible causes for hypothermia, then systematically eliminating them. Her heartbeat was a drum in her ears. She ran over the symptoms in her head again, hands already flying over her desk to grab her essentials.
"Is it possible she's just dehydrated?" Denial was beginning to creep in, but Ami was already too worried to notice. Grabbing up some sentimental items, she crammed them into her bag as well.
"According to her blood work, she's completely healthy. She doesn't remember how she induced the hypothermic response, but it could be she's still groggy from the slowed neural reuptake. She could remember once we get her body temperature back up." Ami nodded even though she knew the other woman couldn't see her. Her fingers paused over the compact, before she slid it into her bag as well. She knew it wasn't professional to become so frantic in a medical emergency, but her concern over her mother was a thing alive.
"Is she able to see visitors?" her voice sounded breathless even to her own ears.
"Not yet. She will be once her pulse stabilizes." Ami nodded again, already cramming her notes on the polymorph substance into the stuffed bag as well.
"Call me as soon as she's stable." She didn't wait to hear a response before putting the receiver down. She'd have to research the polymorphs later, she had a senshi meeting to attend. She could always go over the notes before the meeting, or in the waiting room, or even after visiting her mother. It was difficult for her to prioritize senshi business above her own mother, especially when she was in critical condition; from mysterious circumstances no less. Ami locked the door behind her, heading to the elevator of the apartment complex.
Tokyo General was on the other side of town, however. It would take her at least two hours to get there, and it was in the same direction as the Hikawa Jinja. With any luck, she could summarize her findings for the others in thirty minutes, then head straight for Tokyo General.
"Hold on mom," she whispered to herself as the doors dinged open.
oOoOoOo
"Yeah, can you be believe him? Trying to get me to wait on him hand and foot just because he's got the sniffles," Usagi scoffed. Minako and Makoto were both laughing at the story.
Rei could hear them from behind the screen door, and she took an extra second to regain her composure before pushing it open.
If Usagi was here, everyone had arrived at the temple for the meeting. She wasn't sure she could keep up her stoicism for them though. She'd held herself together as best she could all morning, but now that she stood before the faces of her closest friends, her strength was quickly leaving her again. All she wanted was to find some dark corner where she could keep her pain private, but she knew they would find out from someone else if not her.
"Grandpa has gone on to the next life." A hush fell over their chatter.
The meekest among them was the first to break the pall. "How? I know he was suffering through a cold, but he has always been in good health. Was he sicker than he looked?" Ami asked.
Rei thought back to the morning he'd slipped past her to watch the sunrise, and then the evening before when he'd stayed up to listen to her babble on about Metallia and Death Phantom. It seemed so careless now, and she felt guilt rise up for letting him skip rest for simple pleasures. She flinched, a chink in her armor. "I'd rather not talk about it."
"Oh Rei…" Minako leaned forward to put her hand on top of the priestess', trying to convey her compassion without words. Makoto hugged the black-haired girl too, but Rei didn't react to either of them.
He had been healthy, Ami was sure of it. She had examined him herself when he'd first fallen ill. He may have been getting into his golden years, but even with a virus he still should have been fine with rest and good nutrition. But bringing it up would only undo the thin barrier separating Rei from sinking into a depression. Ami decided she would run a quick scan on his remains after the meeting and processions were over. Remembering herself, she added a note to herself to make it a brief scan.
"My mom is in the hospital, so I can't stay for very long. I will go over all the information I've collected so far before I leave though." Ami saw the silent approval from the other girls in their nods, but Rei remained detached. She might not have realized that Ami had meant her mother was a patient at the hospital, not on duty as a doctor.
"Let's just get down to business, okay?" Rei sat down with the rest of them, curling her hands into tight balls on her lap. "The fire gave me a vision." She left out the time frame on purpose. "There was an image of a dark-haired woman. She had pale skin, and I could feel that she was corrupted by evil. I felt like it was someone we know, someone we trust." Rei sighed. "I couldn't make out her face though."
"Is she the new enemy?"
Rei shrugged. "She could be. The fire didn't tell me much."
"I have some new information from the scans on the polymorph," Ami missed the dark look Rei shot her at interrupting her own data briefing. "The polymorphs are definitely not a natural organism, their DNA is too highly altered from the other species on Earth. The camouflaging is exactly as I first assumed, and the visors will be our only real means to combat that for a while. Their cells are internally impure, which is how they are able to maintain the gelatinous texture. Unfortunately, because of those same cellular corruptions, the polymorph cells do not solidify with cold or liquidize with heat. I haven't been able to get a grasp on how they regenerate yet, but I will go back through the data later and try to find a correlation."
Minako mulled over the information they had on the new enemy. Try as she may, her thoughts kept drifting to the troubles with friends and family they'd all been having. Then she remembered Rei's vision, and immediately she felt like a heel. As leader though, she knew the importance of communication, and so she voiced her concern to the group as diplomatically as she could manage. "I don't want to think it but...first Grandpa Hino, and Shingo, now Ami's mom? All getting sick in the same week? It just doesn't add up." She tried to be optimistic, "But its probably nothing new, just some evil in the hospital, or a mad scientist releasing some deadly virus," her words didn't bring the other's much comfort.
"So our choices are between ANOTHER new enemy, one that can strike with plague instead of physical attacks who is probably human, or a double agent?" Makoto didn't look pleased. "How could any of us do that after all we've been through? Ratting the rest out to this new enemy to save their own skin..." Makoto clenched her fist.
Usagi was silent as the other girl's debated what might be going on. There was only one thing on her mind. When they quieted down, she shared the thought in a tiny voice.
"Luna hasn't come back yet."
Everyone stopped talking. Ami and Makoto looked at Usagi with sympathy, Rei and Makoto just hung their heads.
"You don't think..." Makoto began, but Ami hushed her.
"Its unlikely, but we have to consider the possibility. Luna could have betrayed us. Her human form matches the description Rei gave, dark hair and pale skin." Rei adopted a poker face, not admitting to the different eye color she'd seen.
"That could be half of Japan though," Usagi protested, unwilling to believe that her guardian could have betrayed them. "Dark haired and pale skin is the standard..."
"But what does she have to fear? Surely this enemy isn't any worse than any other we've faced," Makoto pointed out.
"What about her human form?" Minako said, her voice soft. She was glad Artemis wasn't listening in on this meeting. "I know that...Artemis is always thinking about it, wishing he could be human again...What if they convinced her to join them by granting her the form of a human again?"
Nobody had a response to that. Minako looked down.
"I really don't like thinking this way about anyone on our team."
Makoto didn't bother waiting a breath, remembering her earlier suspicions. "It could be Setsuna."
"Her skin is hardly pale..." Minako pointed out.
Makoto waved it off, "Technicalities. She never helps us in our fights, and she keeps too many secrets." No one was brave enough to point out that until a few days ago, Makoto had been keeping secrets of her own.
"She is the guardian of time, I would assume that role alone requires a high degree of secrecy," Ami postulated.
The brunette crossed her arms. "I don't trust her."
"Maybe there is a third party, someone we don't know about, like when we first met Tuxedo Kamen. Someone who has watched us battle and discovered our identities on accident."
"Its possible," said Ami, tapping her chin. "I'll have to run some numbers to see the probability of it compared to any other feasible explanation."
"Hitomi has black hair," Rei said, eyes downcast. Everyone glanced at her. "If she listened in our meetings...she could have..." Rei didn't want to frame Hitomi for this, but if it kept her own name out of their growing pile of suspects, she was willing to point out the possibility.
Ami shook her head. "Hitomi would have to have access to the enemy, and unless she's left the temple in the last few days, its unlikely that she is the woman in your vision." Tapping a few keys on her compact, Ami tucked it back into her bag. "Any number of people match the woman in Rei's vision, and its foolish for us to try and pinpoint someone with certainty without any evidence to draw on beside's pallor and skin tone. If its all right with everyone else, I'd like to get to the hospital now." The other girls gave her their silent agreement, and Ami slipped out the front door to the temple before ducking back in a side entry to scan grandpa Hino's body. With her analysis complete, she went back out and made a beeline for Tokyo General.
As the other girls lingered, Rei stared off into space.
If someone had betrayed them, and cost grandpa his life, there would be hell to pay.
And she would be the demon bringing it.
oOoOoOo
She smelled them before she saw them. Ducking behind a tree trunk, she watched the couple approach her position, hair standing on edge.
She scowled in disapproval when she saw the outfit and makeup Usagi had put on. It was much too provocative and undignified, unfitting for a future queen. She kept her mouth shut though, lest she give away her position to the third figure skulking through the alleyways nearby. She wasn't about to compromise her goal just to lecture Usagi.
Convinced they hadn't seen her, Luna chased after the hooded figure. She made sure to run behind the couple where she would remain undetected. Her loyalty was with this mission until it was completed, protecting the princess was a duty left to her other guardians.
Usagi paused mid-stride, feeling eyes bore into her backside. Eyes narrowed, she turned around searching the crowd. No one seemed to be looking at her or Mamoru. She pursed her lips, she'd been sure she'd felt someone watching her...
"Usako?" Mamoru asked, distracting her.
Noticing his concern she shook her head, "Its nothing." The feeing lingered though, and Usagi took one more paranoid scan of her surroundings.
They made their way to a bistro, where Mamoru escorted Usagi to an outdoor table. Sitting down, a busty waitress arrived to take their orders. Usagi shot her chest a jealous glance before the girl left them alone to put their orders in.
Usagi crossed her arms, pouting. She had dressed up nice and even put on make up and Mamoru seemed...dissatisfied, if anything. He had smiled at the waitress but he had yet to smile at her. He hadn't complimented her once, and his stony silence was more off-putting than ever. She fingered the un-hemmed slit on her skirt, sulking.
"Now I know something is wrong," Mamoru pointed to the untouched basket of bread sitting in front of Usagi.
Azure eyes flicked to the food before her, "You're so mean Mamo-chan," she whined. Shrugging off her negativity, Usagi reached for the bread anyways, wincing as her injured palm rubbed against the rough crust.
"Are you alright?" Mamoru leaned forward, concerned.
Usagi stuffed the bread into her mouth, waving away his worries. "Jub a scrad," she said around a mouthful. Swallowing it, she sipped her water, admiring him from across the table.
"Let me see," he reached for her hand, while Usagi yanked it back to her chest.
"I said it's just a scratch!" She crossed her arms again, a dark cloud descending on her mood. "Why do you have to do that?" She scowled at him.
"Do what?" Mamoru blinked at her, confused by her shift in mood. In his head, he wondered if she was on her cycle, but he was smart enough not to voice the thought.
"You only care about me if I'm hurt." Mamoru looked taken aback.
"Usak-"
"No, don't Usako me." She glared at him. "This was supposed to be a fun date with my boyfriend," she stressed the word, "who I haven't spent time with in two weeks. Bu-"
"You know I have been studying for the MCATs, that's not fair..." he started before Usagi broke in again.
"Its not fair that I only get to see you once every two weeks and when I do see you, you're so consumed by your med school preparation that you don't even notice me." She scowled, "And when you do notice me its only because its an injury or something else about my health. I'm your girlfriend, not your patient." Her face was red like it had been the first time he called her an Odango Atama, but her voice wasn't as loud as it usually was when she was about to have a crying fit. Mamoru took this as a good sign.
"I'm sorry Usako," Mamoru felt more tired than guilty, but he sent her a pleading look nonetheless. "I have been far too busy for a lot of things, including sleep. These MCATs are taking over my life." He ran a hand through his hair. "But I shouldn't have let it get this far. Today is for us, not that, I'm sorry I ruined our date."
Usagi huffed but said nothing, her stiff posture softening. With a sigh she reached for another piece of bread, picking at it for a minute.
She knew, just as he knew, that she was still angry with him.
That didn't lessen her surprise when he pulled out and offered her a fresh red rose. It was the apology in his eyes that told her where her heart would always belong.
She leaned forward for an awkward kiss across the table, the rose held firmly in her uninjured palm.
"Forgiven," she whispered, thumbing the petals.
With a relieved sign, Mamoru leaned back in his chair, taking a moment to examine Usagi. She did look beautiful, as always, but there was something different about her.
"You're wearing makeup," Mamoru noted, tapping his chin. Usagi looked up from breathing in the rose's scent. "You never wear make up." Usagi shrugged, setting the flower down next to her plate.
"I felt like prettying up for you since you have been extra stressed lately." She gave him a sly smile, "Even doctors need a bit of candy every now and then."
The words 'you look better without it' ran through Mamoru's head, but he bit them down in light of their recent spat. Instead he just nodded, taking a sip of his water.
At that moment the waitress returned, laying their meals in front of them. Within a beat Usagi had already picked up her fork and gotten midway through her meal. Mamoru ate slower, relishing the taste of real food after weeks of living on top ramen and instant rice. He was only a few bites in when Usagi finished off her pasta and began eyeing his plate.
With a bemused smile he offered her a bite of chicken on his fork. He didn't have time to blink before the fork was cleared of food. Returning to his food, he ignored it when Usagi stole a few more bites.
He paid for their meal and led Usagi to their next destination, a butterfly conservatory. They caught up on recent events as they walked, and Mamoru felt better now that Usagi was in improved spirits.
After reaching the exhibit, Mamoru purchased two tickets and they headed inside. The door gave a vacuuming whoosh of air as they entered, and Mamoru explained it was air being blown inward to keep the butterflies from escaping. Usagi nodded, already delighted by the variety of tropical plants and butterflies all around.
As she rushed ahead to chase a large violet butterfly, Mamoru approached a woman who was watering some of the plants. "Excuse me," he said, drawing her attention to him. He gave her a charming smile to which she instantly turned all the way around, putting her squirt bottle down.
"How can I help you?" She seemed pleased by the attention, a response Mamoru wasn't unused to. Having failed in her attempted capture, Usagi watched the exchange from behind him with growing envy.
"Are you a lepidopterist? I was wondering about the different varieties in this exhibit."
She looked disheartened, "No, I'm just in charge of maintenance." She gestured to a poster that was pasted to the wall of the entrance. "There is a list of butterflies over there."
"Thank you," Mamoru gave a short bow, moving towards the list, with Usagi lingering a few feet away.
Turning from him, Usagi went back to watching the butterflies. They were colorful and various sizes, but she found herself unable to enjoy them like she had been. Seeing that Mamoru had still not peeled his eyes off the poster to see that the woman he asked for help from was checking him out, Usagi began to wonder why she was even here. She had gone to the effort of dressing nice for this date, and even after expressing how much she missed his affections, Mamoru was still inattentive. She felt her eyes sting with unshed tears. He had enough energy to ask other women about things that did interest him though. With that in mind, Usagi made a decision.
Crunching her ticket in her hand, she left, with Mamoru still unaware.
When he turned back he looked around to see no twin bun braids in sight. Thinking she was still butterfly chasing, Mamoru moved to sit on a nearby bench and watch the insects parade above him. His focus was drawn to a suspended butterfly, wriggling for freedom on the ceiling. A spider's web had snared it, and the creature looked like it was too weak to break free. The scientist in him was too detached to be moved by something as primitive as the food chain, but still a sense of unease flooded through him.
Standing, he looked around again to see if Usagi had returned from her butterfly hunt. Still, no blonde hair was in sight. Closing his eyes, he reached out with his other senses, attempting to pinpoint a location or emotion from his soul mate. Discovering her to be outside the conservatory already, he frowned before following after her.
Jogging, he caught up to her, putting a hand on her shoulder. "Bored already?" He asked, chuckling.
"No I just..." Usagi schooled her features, avoiding eye contact. "I am pretty tired too. I think I might just go home and sleep." Mamoru nodded, releasing her shoulder.
"Do you want a ride?"
"Your car is back at the restaurant, and that's in the opposite direction from my house...I think I'll just walk." Usagi moved away from him, waving over her shoulder with false cheer. "See ya!"
As Mamoru watched her back retreat, the same sense of growing unrest returned.
oOoOoOo
Why she'd let herself get talked into another date, was beyond her. But it had sounded like a good idea at the time, and now here she was, trapped in a dark theatre with the same man she had ditched in a fancy restaurant a few nights prior. Minako let out a heartfelt sigh, and someone behind her shushed her. She scowled into the darkness of the theatre.
In the first ten minutes of this action flick, he'd already spilled some of his soda on her, clumsily tried to clean it, and spilled more on her in the process. By now the film was half over, and he was trying to slip a limb over her head to rest on her shoulder. Minako was having none of that. She slunk away, shrugging off his arm. The thought that he was a hopeless case kept coming back to her.
Someone behind them screamed at a scene, and Minako turned around halfway in interest. Right now was a tame scene given the suspense of the first part of the movie. It was almost a welcome relief to see that there was a strange glimmer in the light from the projector. It gave her the excuse she needed to rush out of the theatre and away from her date.
Slipping in the ladies room, she pressed the all call button on her watch.
Three faces answered Minako's call immediately, a blonde, a brunette and a raven-haired girl. After telling them her location, Minako clicked off and transformed.
Ami hadn't answered her communicator.
Super Sailor Venus re-entered the theatre, just in time to see her date get a scalding hit of steam to the side of his arm. She felt a surge of satisfaction since the man had absolutely ruined her dress, but she squelched it down. His burn would take longer to heal than her clothes would to dry clean.
This polymorph was smaller in size, easily half the height and girth of the previous two. Unlike the previous two, this one seemed to have a physical form to it, that of a biped with two limbs on its upper half. It was still camouflaged against the environment, with two divots where its eyes should have been. The most disturbing difference was the resemblance between its conformation and that of an animal. Whereas the previous polymorphs had been ambiguous blobs, this one looked partway human underneath its wavering outline and gelatinous coating.
"Everyone out!" she called, already fishing in her subspace pocket for the visor Ami had given her. Once it was on, she leveled the intruder with her pointer finger, "Venus Crescent Beam!"
The pinpoint beam of light ricocheted off the polymorph and blasted into a row of seats, carving a hole into one of them. The creature continued to slug forward, throwing off another round of steam at the final couple making their escape. Glancing around to make sure everyone had cleared the room, she summoned more power for another approach, "Crescent Beam Shower!"
Immediately the cascade of light rained down on the polymorph and everything around it. Again, the monster did not seem fazed by the attack, although bits of popcorn and trash dislodged themselves from its body during the assault.
Behind her a light shone through the dark theatre. She didn't turn to see which senshi had joined her, having aid at all was a relief.
Jupiter surveyed the damage, at first confused by the absence of any visible threat. She heard the others clamoring into the theatre behind her. The real trouble was that in the dim lighting of the theatre with the night-vision visor on, it was extremely hard to see.
Jupiter had a bad feeling as soon as she realized just how much of an advantage the polymorph would have in this environment.
"We need to get it outside!" She said, her voice partway drowned out by the gunfire of the cinema's climax, which was still being projected onto the screen in front of them.
"That's where all the civilians are!" Venus argued, dodging a steam blast and landing in a roll behind the polymorph. Her visor fell off as she tumbled, and she let out a curse as she groped the floor in the dark to find it.
Sailor Mars seemed to be idling beside Sailor Moon, who was hesitating to attack since most of her attacks had no effect, and the ones that did were counter productive.
Sailor Jupiter let out a string of vulgarity as the attack singed her side, searing a hole in her uniform. She'd been too focused on arguing with Venus to notice the tiny red blur in her visual field speeding towards her from the humanoid polymorph.
"Mars Firebird Strike!" The attack singed the carpet of the theatre, but did nothing to the creature.
"You need to leave! Now!" Venus protested, upset at the almost injury that Jupiter had taken just for being a bystander.
"I'm just fine, thanks officer," Jupiter brandished herself off, daring to glance down to ensure there was no lasting damage. Her skin was red, but the cloth had absorbed most of the heat and kept it from burning her too bad.
While they were busy, Eternal Sailor Moon was growing impatient. Mars was still on automatic next to her, too distracted by her tragedy to do more than react and shout out basic, and uncoordinated, attacks. Mercury was still nowhere in sight. Taking matters into her own hands, Sailor Moon began to move towards the heat spot on her visor, leveling her tiara at the polymorph.
"Don't even think about it!" Tuxedo Kamen was suddenly beside her, roughly shoving the tiara back on her head. "If you attack it with that, it will just generate another polymorph!"
She pouted, yanking free of him and rushing forward. She delivered a roundhouse kick to the creature with a war cry, only to find her leg lodged in the black goop of what might have been its neck. As gravity began to pull her upper half down, she yanked on the limb, managing to pull it free of the sticky substance. "Yick-"
The polymorph, enraged by the attack, began firing off wild bursts of steam in all directions. Caught in close proximity, Eternal Sailor Moon let out a high pitched scream as the barrage approached.
With the swish of fabric, Tuxedo Kamen dove to her rescue yet again, pulling her to safety from the majority of the blasts. She winched as they landed, her knee would surely bruise. On instinct Tuxedo Kamen gave it a once over. Feeling a bit more self-conscious than usual, she stood up to avoid his scrutiny. She realized it was foolish for her to launch an impromptu assault on the creature, but she'd have felt worse if it had resulted in an injury to herself or the others.
Sailor Mars had watched the exchange through vacant eyes, but seeing Sailor Moon hurt, she launched another slew of flaming arrows into the creature. It roared as boiling liquid spewed out its would-have-been eyes.
"We're all here, lets just finish this!" Venus shouted, taking back up the mantle of leader.
"Where's Mercury?" one of the others called.
"Just surround it! Talk later!"
Following orders, the rest of the senshi formed a circle around the creature, drawing forth their strongest attacks. As they channeled their strongest attacks into the monster all at once, Venus noticed that it was not contracting as quickly as the former foe had. Displeased, she focused more of her energy into the onslaught. It was a grueling minute, but the polymorph shrank as its predecessors had and then expanded into nothingness.
Jupiter heaved a sigh, leaning over and propping her hands on her knees. "That was one tough cookie!" Mars' mind was too far away to throw a witty or sarcastic barb at the girl, and Jupiter looked over at her worriedly as she tugged her visor off.
"Glad its done with. I'm going home." Before anyone could say anything in edgewise, Moon had de-transformed and left. Tuxedo Kamen wasn't far behind.
"Good job guys." Mars' words were hollow, but her voice was more so. Nobody blamed her for her lack of enthusiasm.
Jupiter stood back up, cracking her back as she did. "So where's Mercury?"
Venus shrugged in response, watching the embers from Mars' attack burn themselves out on the upholstery. "She never responded."
Jupiter shrugged back, moving over to guide Mars out of the theatre. "Well, see ya, then." She didn't complain about the burning in her side that continued even after she dropped her transformation. Mars let her transformation slip as well.
While everyone left the scene, Sailor Venus lingered like she had at the last battle. Mercury hadn't been here to see this fight, and Mars had been useless. With the other senshi already gone, she had no one else to verify what she'd seen. Or what she thought she'd seen, she wasn't even sure of herself lately. With the flickering light from the movie, the thermal-imaging visor over her eyes, and
the flashes of power as everyone hurled their attacks, it really was difficult to distinguish things.
But she was sure that the navy fabric in Eternal Sailor Moon's outfit was now a solid black.
oOoOoOo
Something dark and terrifying was approaching her. It drowned the sky and smothered the air, making her skin crawl and turning her heartbeat staccato. Her pulse was like a drum in her ears, pounding as it grew closer still. It surrounded her on all sides, blanketing her in an endless abyss. It stole her vision and hearing, but she could still feel it coming closer, moving faster and faster. She could taste her own fear. Her gut twisted in familiarity, and yet this was somehow different than ever before. It was advancing on all sides, cocooning her inside of it.
She was trapped, with no escape.
Hotaru woke up with a scream, clutching her blankets.
A calming voice broke through her pulsating adrenaline. "Hotaru-chan," unclenching her eyes, Hotaru saw Setsuna sitting on the edge of her bed.
"Setsuna-mama," she breathed, sighing her relief and working to slow her heart rate back to normal.
"How long have you been having nightmares?" Setsuna asked, her face unreadable, but her voice unsurprised.
Hotaru hung her head, hiding her expressive eyes behind raven hair. "This is the first one since the silence came." Hotaru shifted in her blankets, still breathing harder than usual. "It was just like before, Suna-mama, it drowned out my voice," Hotaru looked up her eyes pained, remembering being trapped within herself while Mistress Nine took over. "It cuts into your head and spreads like poison, 'til you can't find your way back."
In the stillness Hotaru thought she saw a flicker of melancholy filter through Setsuna's mask of indifference, before it too was hidden away. Setsuna rested a hand on top of Hotaru's on the bed.
Looking at her, Hotaru could feel the significance of the moment even before Setsuna spoke. "You will always find your way back, Hotaru-chan. That is your gift." Setsuna's lips curled up into a smile. "I brought you something," she admitted, reaching into her purple jacket to pull forth a small amulet. It hung on a thin silver chain, and even in the lightless room Hotaru could make out the size and form. She extended her hand to accept the gift before realizing what it was.
Recognizing the petal shape, she drew back, "Don't worry," Setsuna reassured her, even as Hotaru gave the amulet a wary look, "There are no remnants of Pharaoh 90 anywhere in this system. This necklace is only what it was meant to be, an heirloom from your mother." Setsuna's eyes were hard like the stone they resembled, but she helped fasten the necklace around the smaller girl with a mother's tenderness. Hotaru traced the amulet with her thumb, thoughts of her former life foremost in her mind.
"Nothing stays the same," Setsuna said, eyes locked on some random point on Hotaru's wall. "What once was and what jwill be may echo one another, but the past and future are as fluid as we make them." A sliver of silence passed between them.
Setsuna was always cryptic, but Hotaru could feel that Setsuna was telling her more than she could understand. Confused by the stoic woman's words, but still distracted by her memories, Hotaru ventured a question, "How can the past be fluid? Isn't it already done?" Setsuna would never reveal time's secrets, Hotaru knew, and yet she still felt like in this exchange Setsuna would expose more than ever if she dared to ask.
Her intuition was right, although Setsuna hesitated before answering. "Knowledge and memories from the past shape our present, which shapes the future," she explained. Hotaru pondered it for a moment before giving a grudging nod.
"You make it sound as if we can change the past by changing the present..." Setsuna did not respond for another moment, only continued to stare at the same fixed point on the wall. Hotaru wondered if she should keep pressing the woman for more information, or if she should satisfy herself with the few wisdoms the woman had already released to her.
Setsuna's voice was soft when she spoke again, "Your memories of that time, they are burdensome. They wear at your resolve like stones tied to your feet, dragging down your self-confidence and chipping away your hope for a brighter future." Turning to face her foster daughter, Hotaru felt herself swimming in those ancient eyes framed within such a youthful face. "Memories are what we make of them. You see your actions then as a failure, something you would not repeat if given the option. But in reality, it was a necessary evil, and you protected everyone else at the expense of yourself. Even if you did not succeed in utilizing it in time, your determination now to never repeat such an occurrence makes those memories invaluable." Hotaru palmed the necklace, looking down at it.
"How can you say that, even knowing what I did, and might have to do again?" Hotaru clenched her fist around the jewelry, her doubts outweighing Setsuna's support.
Setsuna looked at Hotaru again, a faint smile on her face. "You are very different now than you were in those days." Setsuna seemed to withdraw into herself before continuing, "You and I have more power as senshi than any of the others, but it is not always necessary to utilize that power to accomplish our ends." Hotaru couldn't help but notice that Setsuna had omitted any mention of the responsibilities that accompanied both of their roles. Setsuna leaned forward to click on a lamp, and Hotaru blinked at the sudden harsh light. Setsuna extended her palm to rest on top of Hotaru's clenched fist. "Your greatest power though, is in who you have become, not who you were. We all have another power inside us, and it is limitless." Hotaru had the impression that Setsuna might be quoting someone, before her eyelashes fell down over the garnet orbs and the spell that had been woven over Hotaru broke.
"Setsuna-mama," Hotaru whispered, gathering the taller woman up in thin arms. "I'm scared," she confessed.
Setsuna stroked her hair, holding the girl close. "Everyone is scared." She eased Hotaru back onto her pillow, and Hotaru stopped hugging her as she sat up straight again. "However, we are senshi, and we must conquer our fear to create the best future."
Violet eyes glittered in the darkness as Hotaru watched her. To Setsuna, her childlike nature was gone in that moment. "I do not fear death, it is a part of me." Setsuna knew, even without words, that she was speaking now to the solider and not the girl. She knew what Hotaru wanted to express, and she reached out to put one hand on Hotaru's arm.
"I know what you are afraid of," she said, touching the pendant that hung around Hotaru's neck. Her voice was laden with regret. "But you may be the only one among us strong enough to face it." Setsuna closed her eyes, letting out a slow breath.
Hotaru lowered her head, her words but a butterfly's whisper. "I know."
"But enough of that." Setsuna stood up, motioning for Hotaru to follow her. "Michiru and Haruka are waiting for you," her eyes twinkled, "and I think they have a surprise in store."
Hotaru brightened, eagerly trailing along behind the older woman, her nightmare and fears forgotten amidst her zeal. "What is it? Give me a hint Setsuna-mama!"
As they entered the quaint foyer to the apartment, Hotaru's question was answered by a fuzzy sensation at her feet. Looking down, she saw a tiny creature running in frenzied circles around her legs, sniffing at her and licking her skin.
"A PUPPY!" She squealed, bending over to scoop up the ball of fur and hold it close to her chest. It was a newborn animal from a local shelter, and it looked like some mixture of spaniel and setter. It couldn't have been more than a few months old, especially given its diminutive size. It had an energetic personality, and had melted Haruka's iron heart from when they'd first gone to see it, buried beneath a bit of scruff from living on the streets. It was the perfect companion for their little girl, especially after Michiru had washed and fed it.
Haruka and Michiru were watching Hotaru from their position on the sofa, parental pride on both their faces at having pleased their child. "Thank you so much Michiru-mama, Haruka-papa!"
"You're very welcome, firefly." Michiru knew that Hotaru was disappointed over having to move back to Japan and delay getting her license and first car, but Setsuna's idea of getting her a different present to make up for the loss had been truly genius. She set the Aqua Mirror down on the table, more interested in the scene unfolding before her than the polymorph battle she had just witnessed with Haruka through the mirror.
"She always thanks you first," Haruka mock griped, still smiling as she watched Hotaru and puppy entertain themselves.
"She just loves me more," Michiru sassed, enjoying the teasing game. Haruka slipped an arm around her shoulder.
"I think she loves that puppy more than both of us," Haruka pointed out, watching as Hotaru began to roll around on the floor with the creature attempting to jump up and lick her face.
"Ew no frenchies!" Hotaru squeaked, wiping her tongue with her hand, still laughing.
Setsuna took a seat beside the two, smirking. "Does the landlord know about this new member to the family?" Michiru blanched, and Haruka looked embarrassed. "I thought not. Would you like me to work my 'magic' on him?"
Haruka laughed, Hotaru's pleasant mood raising her spirits. "You don't have to Setsuna, we could buy and sell this complex if we really wanted to..."
"But then you'd have to go back to the circuit," Michiru pointed out, crossing her arms. "And I would have to start touring again. Our pockets aren't bottomless Haruka." Haruka looked sheepish, Michiru was in charge of both their finances, but she hadn't said that they might be reaching their limits. "Besides, we have another mouth to feed now. We would be very grateful if you could...help things along Setsuna."
Hotaru was locked in a game of tug of war with the canine over a chew toy, and she was too enraptured by the puppy to be listening to anything they were saying. She was talking to it as they played, and Haruka gathered that she'd named the critter already.
The dark haired woman nodded, tipping her head to both of them before standing to leave. Hopefully she would reach the property manager before the animal started making enough noise to call attention to itself.
Michiru leaned back with a satisfied sigh, resting her head on Haruka's shoulder. "Mayu, huh?"
"It is a strange name," Michiru agreed.
Haruka gave her a wry look, glancing back up to Hotaru. "We'll never be able to get her to sleep now." Michiru smiled.
"Hotaru or the dog?"
"Both."
"They'll wear each other out," Michiru offered in consolation.
"Not early enough for me to still have time to wear you out," Haruka grumbled.
"Oh perish the thought," Michiru teased. "Besides, we could always slip away and let Setsuna tuck her in tonight."
Haruka gave a wolfish grin, "I like the sound of that."
oOoOoOo
By the time Makoto made it back to her apartment, she could already feel that something was wrong. The burning in her side had turned into an ache, and then stabbing pain, which had spread through her lower midsection.
Artemis knew what was going to happen before she did, he could smell the blood over the fragrance of her many potted flowers. Standing up, he hopped up into an open windowsill where the fresh breeze would blow away the scent, closing his eyes. There was nothing he could do for her as a cat, and he wasn't sure she would even want him to do anything for her if he were human. He and Makoto had never bonded very much, but nevertheless he kept one ear up in case she called for help.
She'd been inactive ever since first taking the pregnancy test, giving up her akido classes and even broken her morning exercise routine. She knew she was at a higher risk than most women given her active lifestyle, but Makoto never thought that simply attending a few senshi battles would be enough to push her body to this.
She sat hunched over the toilet, dimly aware that she was throwing up as the pain cascaded over her again. She let out a low moan, hands clinging to the bowl to steady herself. "Nooo..." Another contraction hit and she swallowed down more bile. "No god please nooo..." something wet and sticky was sliding down her legs and in that moment she realized it was already too late. She was going through menstruation, which meant she would probably lose the baby.
She sat helpless in the bathroom for hours that felt like days, drenched in sweat and blood. She was able to stumble to the cabinet and reach for a painkiller, although even after taking six she could still barely move. Dragging herself into the shower, she peeled off her ruined clothes. Switching the water onto scalding, she hunched over and tried to stifle her sobs. She watched the blurry red swirl go down the drain, her tears lost in the stream.
She had been in the shower for two hours when Minako arrived back at the apartment. It had taken her longer to get back from the fight since she and her date had both been interviewed for the media that arrived after the attack. There wasn't substantial damage to the auditorium despite their fight, but thinking back on the damage to the grocery mart made Minako's conscience hang heavy. She'd ditched her date, again, and returned to help the volunteer clean-up crew get sift through the wreckage. Picking up the spare key from inside the porch light, Minako let herself in, curious when she didn't see Makoto anywhere in the apartment.
Hearing the front door open, Makoto pulled herself free of the shower and wrapped a towel around her body. Returning to the small mess she'd made by the toilet, she waited for another contraction to hit. Instead the bathroom door opened.
"Mako-chan!" Minako said in surprise before it transformed into shock, seeing the smears of red everywhere and the almost naked brunette. Embarrassed but now concerned as well, Minako reached to turn the shower off, cringing as the water burned her. "There was steam coming up from under the door and the picture you had hanging on the wall was curling...so I came to see if you were okay," Minako defended, bending down next to Makoto. "Aren't pregnant women not suppose to get their periods?" Makoto didn't answer.
The brunette's hair was wet and clung to her very red and wrinkled skin, Minako deduced that she had been underneath that boiling water for quite a while. The towel was rimmed in blood, both the shower and small pool of it that Makoto was currently squatting in reinforced what Minako had already guessed. Makoto's eyes were red and puffy, and she looked like she might be ill at any moment. Before the thought was even finished, Makoto dry heaved over the basin, and Minako reached forward to pull her strands of wet hair back. Unsure whether to call for help or just stay and try to soothe the hurt Makoto was no doubt in, Minako settled on the latter. There was probably nothing that could be done at this point to save the baby anyway.
"Here," the blonde picked up a trash can, stepping back to open the bathroom door wider and help Makoto out. Makoto seemed unable to carry her own weight, and Minako grabbed another towel so that Makoto could take a few breaks as they made their way to her bedroom at a snail's pace without staining her floors. When Minako had helped Makoto to get situated into her bed, she went back to the bathroom in search of lady's products, and came out with a few more towels as well. Setting them both down by the bedside, Minako went to the dresser to look for clean clothes and something to put around Makoto to stem the leaking blood. The towel she was using was already too saturated to use for much longer.
"I'm calling Ami," Minako said, dropping the garments on the side of the bed. "Do you want me to call an ambulance too?" Makoto shook her head, looking haggard. Minako could see fresh tear tracks on her face.
"Don't call Ami," Makoto tried not to sniffle, but failed. "There isn't anything anyone can do. Please just go," she whispered, holding a blanket to her chest. She looked so vulnerable, so unlike her usual self, that it took Minako an extra second to process the request.
Surprised, Minako didn't speak for a long moment. She wasn't sure what to say in a situation like this, and her priorities were at war. She wanted to comfort Makoto and get her anything she asked for, but what little she knew about pregnancy told her that miscarriages were not safe for the mother.
Minako drew a deep breath in, eyes older than her body watching Makoto. "What if it's serious? You could die."
Makoto looked at her, eyes fierce. "It IS serious, my baby could be dying." Her grip on the blanket was so hard her knuckles were turning white. Reigning in her outburst, Makoto looked down again, still crying. "Just please leave me alone."
Minako picked up Makoto's communicator from the dresser, setting down on her bedside. She snatched a box of tissues to place near her too, before finally turning to leave. Once she was back in the living room, she pressed the blue button of her own communicator, sending up a prayer that this time she would get an answer. Belatedly, Ami's face appeared. Minako spoke in a hushed tone. "Ami, how dangerous is a miscarriage to the mother?"
Ami's face was whiter than normal, but Minako didn't notice in her rush for assurance that she wasn't endangering Makoto. "It has a low fatality rate, usually due to-" Minako didn't wait to hear the rest.
She clicked off the communicator, ignoring Ami's insistent urgings to explain what was going on. Turning back around, she searched the living room for a white lump.
Seeing that Artemis was watching her from the window, she motioned him to come over. As he did, she stuffed her few unpacked belongings back into her suitcase. She closed the lid and headed for the door with it in tow. Scooping up the teddy bear she'd bought earlier she felt bitter tears gathering in her eyes. Scrubbing them away she set the toy down on Makoto's coffee table, feeling more foolish than ever.
Makoto wasn't ready to deal with others yet, and Minako would give her the privacy she deserved. When the time came that she needed her friends to shoulder some of her grief, Minako would be the first one there. But right now, Makoto was in a bad state, and clearly wanted to be left alone. And given the recent fight with her parents, Minako took the rejection even harder.
Shutting the door behind her, Minako closed her eyes, wondering where she should go now.
oOoOoOo
Minako wandered through Juubun Park, aimless in her quest for a destination. However, the sun was dipping lower in the sky, and Artemis was still recovering, so she knew she couldn't keep walking in circles for much longer. Another day, another failed date, and another rejection from the ones she lived with. What a day.
Artemis interrupted her thoughts, "You should go home." Minako glanced at him, focusing on his face rather than the uneven fur beginning to grow over his burned side.
"Why, it's not like they miss me," Minako said, sitting down at a nearby bench. She pulled out her cell phone, skimming through missed calls and text messages. "They haven't tried to contact me once since I left." Her voice was even from her practice concealing her emotions, but it was still bitter to Artemis' ears.
"That doesn't mean they don't miss you. Some people are just too stubborn to put pride aside and admit they were wrong." Artemis hopped up onto the bench with her, settling himself in her lap. "Deep down, you know they care about you."
Minako thought back to the fight earlier in the week with her mother, and the cookies she had made for her afterwards in apology. Pressing her lips together she stroked Artemis' fur absently. "They don't want me there though. Dad thinks I'm a whore and mom just wants to fight with me all the time." Minako lowered her head, letting her bangs hide the tears gathering in her eyes. "If they care about me, they're better at acting than I am."
Artemis nudged her hand with his head. "They do care about you, Minako." Standing up, he turned to face her again. "Why not go home? The worst that could happen is that you'd run away again." Artemis gave her a weak smile, "But this time you've already packed."
With an amused smile, Minako nodded, scooping Artemis up and placing him on her shoulder. "You're right. I shouldn't wallow. If they want to yell at me again, I'll just leave." With her mind set, Minako began rolling the suitcase behind them, heading home.
From the end of the street, Artemis heard the first sounds of a fight. His ears perked up, but knowing that Minako wouldn't be able to hear it at this distance he kept his mouth shut. As they approached Minako's house, the shouting match grew louder, until the blonde stopped outside the door. "Maybe this wasn't such a good idea..." Artemis didn't want to agree with her, but given the sheer volume being projected from behind the doorway he couldn't help but feel this encounter would only upset Minako further. Swallowing down her emotions and summoning up her courage, Minako opened the door, stepping inside.
Her mother loomed at the kitchen table, paperwork strewn across it, her father at the other end of the table, an angry flush coloring his pale skin. A shattered plate lay at the floor next to the window, which had a crack Minako had never noticed before. They both seemed oblivious to her entry, continuing to scream at one another.
"I don't care if you bought the damn car, I need transportation to and from work! How else am I going to pay this ridiculous settlement rate you want!"
"Excuses! You could easily afford another car; you just want to leave me penniless!"
"What do you need the car for, so you can go shopping and waste even more of my money? Or is it so you can visit your side dish anytime you please? You did enough of that without divorcing me!"
The words drilled into Minako's brain like knives. "Divorce?" She asked, her soft voice louder than their bickering. Suddenly aware of her presence, they both turned to look at her.
"Look what the cat dragged in," her father quipped, clearly nonplussed by her intrusion.
"She's your daughter too!" Her mother screamed at him, slamming her hands down on the table, papers shuddering from the impact. "Take some responsibility!"
"Oh I think you're going to be holding me accountable for enough things already," he remarked, holding up a thick stack of paper.
"Really...?" Minako asked herself, feeling the weight of the past week rest firmly on her shoulders. "Are they really sitting here screaming at each other after not knowing where I was for almost two days?" Artemis gave her a sympathetic look. This night was going from bad to worse. "Well, I guess we're through then." She turned on her heel, heading towards the door.
"Don't you dare!" Her mother yelled, pointing an accusatory finger at Minako's back. "Don't you walk away from me, young lady! We are your family!"
"Some family..." Minako muttered, opening the front door. "I've seen dogs with better behavior."
Her father made a sound of outrage, but Minako cut off any arguments that were about to ignite. "You clearly don't want me here, and I don't want to be here. All we ever do is fight, and if you guys are going to divorce anyway than why should I stick around? I'm not wasting one more tear on you two." Minako walked out the door, ignoring the cries and threats coming from her parents.
They followed her out onto the porch as she moved away from them, but she kept her heart defiantly closed to their lies and cries. Her mother was still screaming, demanding she stay. And her father was threatening her, yelling something about the order of a family.
Closing the gate behind her, she left her parents behind.
She walked into the night, aimless again. Turning to Artemis, who had fallen asleep on her shoulder an hour after the fight, she decided against waking him up just to serve as a confidant. She knew of one other place where family had fallen onto hard times, and so she headed there.
When she finally finished climbing the many steps to the Hikawa Jinga with her bag of belongings, she rapped on the paper door, expecting Yuuichirou or Hitomi to answer. Instead, Rei slid the door open, looking three times more worn than she had that day. Her eyes were puffy, her nose was red and if her entire body weren't swallowed within her robes, Minako would have seen how gaunt she looked as well.
"Rei-chan..." Minako embraced her friend, and Rei returned the embrace with robotic ease. "May I come in?" Rei nodded, and Minako stepped into the foyer with her suitcase.
"I know its late-"
"You didn't wake me up." Minako closed her mouth, deciding to try a different approach.
"I thought you would like some company tonight." Minako gave her a dull version of her usually megawatt smile.
Rei shrugged, "I have Yuuichirou, and Hitomi to keep me company." Her words weren't unkind, but Minako knew that Rei's emotions were buried beneath this impassive facade.
"Aren't they asleep by now?" Rei shrugged again. Minako couldn't help feeling out of place, both with Rei's disconcerting attitude and how unwelcome she felt at a shrine that had been her second home growing up. "Do you mind if I crash here?" Rei seemed to blink out of her stupor, eyes zeroing in on Minako's suitcase.
"A bit." Rei seemed to have even less patience than usual. Still, she stepped to the side to let Minako enter the shrine.
"I'm sorry to ask, but my parents were having another fight and I didn't feel like Makoto wanted me at her place right now."
Rei's spark of interest was back at this new information, if a bit damp from her emotional day. "You've been staying at Makoto's? Doesn't she live in a micro-apartment?"
Minako shifted uneasily. "I guess so, she let me stay on the couch. I didn't know where else to go." Minako bit her lip, letting out a sigh. "I know I must be terrible for coming here, I know you're still hurting. I just thought that we could both use some family right now." She plucked the sleeping Artemis from her shoulders and set him down on a cushion.
Rei couldn't help being touched by Minako's earnest confession, even though she was still fighting her way out from behind a wall of sorrow. "I could use a sister right now," Rei agreed, wrapping Minako in a hug.
The display of affection was off-putting to Minako. She had seen Rei physically abuse others in ire countless times, but she had only rarely seen Rei hug someone else. Nevertheless, she hugged Rei back with equal warmth.
"Would you like some tea?" Rei offered, helping Minako with her bags. Once she was settled, Minako turned her attention back to Rei.
"How are you holding up?" She could already see the evidence for how poorly Rei had been faring despite her efforts to hide it earlier, but she wanted to hear it from the source.
"I can't sleep," she admitted, face tense. "I've been crying myself into unconsciousness, and there are chunks of time where things are happening that I can't recall. Like this," She held up a stack of paperwork, which looked like a legal document. "Its grandpa's will," she answered the question on Minako's face, "but I have no idea how it got here, or who brought it. The last thing I can remember clearly was the vision I had the night he..." Rei seemed to choke on her words, and Minako reached out put a hand Rei's shoulder. "That night. Yuuichirou has been very sweet to me the whole time, although I think he's in as deep a pain as I am. He won't show it, proud man." Rei sighed, shaking her head. "But there are even gaps of time with him that I don't quite recall. It's so hard to focus on anything other than the fact he's... he's gone..." Rei drifted off, but Minako quickly distracted her.
"You had another vision? Was it the same one?"
Rei's guilty expression showed that she hadn't meant to reveal information about the vision at all. "It was just...another vision. You know, lots of evil and the usual."
Now suspicious, Minako pressed her for more information. "What happened in it?" Rei closed her eyes, trying to dredge up the full vision.
"I was somewhere dark. There was a feeling like loss... or regret..." Rei swallowed the words, 'it felt like I feel now.' "It was extremely cold, wherever it was, and my hands were on fire. Or, they were being burnt by something, maybe not fire, I'm not sure. I saw a face but, I couldn't really make it out," Rei lied. "But it ended with the same sense of betrayal."
Minako felt her blood running cold at the implication of this recurring vision. "Betrayal, then…who…?"
Rei's dark hair swayed as she shook her head, "I have no idea. Usually the fire shows me images, like a movie or a flipbook. This vision was different, it was almost entirely tactile. I got a few flashes of color, but for the most part the story it told was through emotions."
Minako pondered the words, sipping the tea. Deciding she didn't have any answers, she settled for suggesting a senshi meeting. Rei tentatively agreed. After leaving a quick message on their phones, Minako turned back to Rei.
"So what's all this about you and Yuuichirou?" Rei flushed the color of her element. "Where is he anyways?" Rei shrugged. "He's probably just exhausted from watching over you," Minako cooed, the devilish matchmaker emerging at the opening. "I mean, he's been checking on you every few hours just to make sure you're doing all right..." Rei swatted her arm, already falling victim to an extended love-life interrogation with the blonde.
In a room further down the hall, an outdated TV had been left on and was flashing various colors of light across the paneled flooring. A newscaster was midway through a report on the Justice Killings.
"Another body washed up on the Yokohama shores today, and has been IDed as Nakamada Kaito, a former crime boss recently released on parole." The increased light from the picture of his face on the screen revealed a body lying prone on the Hikawa Jinja floor. "While police are still unsure of suspects for these murders, they say that this relocation of a body signals that the perpetrator may be escalating in his or her crimes. Police are urging anyone who may have information to call the number to their hotline." The number flickered on, and the bright red glare bathed the room in an eerie glow. Illuminated in the darkness was the head attached to the limp form, none other than Kumada Yuuichirou.
AN: Feedback is appreciated, criticism is cherished. Thanks to MGray again for beta reading this lengthy chapter. I hope those of you who read through the original fanfic are favoring this rewritten version(now that I've finally reached some of the new scenes!), and the rest of you are enjoying this crazy ride. Only two chapters left!
