Someone to Watch Over Me
. . . . .
This addition to my series happens several days after 'Most Wanted'.
. . . . .
Chapter 1:
It began as a faint ripple in time and space, a mere whisper of energy among the vast cosmos. Acutely aware and on guard against any disturbance, it took but a moment to alert the senses of Sailor Pluto, the Guardian Senshi of Time. Her solitary vigil at the dimensional gate began to take a strange and worrisome turn as the universe she stood watch over was approached by another of the infinite and near-identical universes in existence.
Drawn by wisps of energy that still eminated from the cold dark remnants of the Silver Millenium, she watched with increasing alarm as the two dimensions began to slowly cross paths. But even the might of Pluto herself could do nothing to halt the interference that was now about to occur in the fates of five teenage girls, reborn warriors from that long-distant time.
Cautiously, Sailor Pluto began using her powers to probe the future result of this intrusion on the Sailor Senshi's lives, alert for even the smallest disruption in their destinies.
What she found alarmed and shocked the black and garnet-clad Senshi into immediate action.
. . . . .
"I'm still wondering what all this is about, Taro-chan" his younger brother pondered.
"No idea" Ito Taro replied in mid-yawn. "Whatever it is, it must be something really big if Setsuna is involved. It's kind of strange though. Being called to an urgent meeting like this at six in the morning, and being ordered to keep the girls in the dark about it... it's just... weird."
Minutes later, the boys' taxi pulled up to the address they had been given, depositing them beside the open gate of a large stately home on the outskirts of Tokyo. They stood silently for a moment, wondering if they were the last to arrive, and deeply puzzling over why they were even here.
The sight of a familiar approaching car answered their first question. Instantly recognizing the vehicle as belonging to Chiba Mamoru, they followed the car inside the property, waited for it to park then hurried over.
The university student climbed out and greeted his friends. "Ohayou! It's great to see you again. I take it you're also here because of the message?"
Taro nodded. "Hai. Last night's phone call from Setsuna was kind of vague, Mamoru-san. Did she tell you why she wanted to meet us?"
"She only said it was extremely important." Mamoru glanced around the unfamiliar area as he spoke. "Very nice place."
Another vehicle soon pulled up and the trio watched the Hikawa Jinja's small utility van park beside Mamoru's car. Kumada Yuuichirou and Urawa Ryo joined the group, both asking Mamoru the very same question after exchanging hellos with the boys from Nerima.
"Now that we're all here, I guess we should go find out why Setsuna wanted to meet with us so bright and early" Yuuichirou suggested. Now more curious than ever, the five teens made their way up the long curved walkway toward the house, past a separate garage containing a maroon convertible and then a bright yellow and very sleek-looking Ferrari sports car.
"My sweet Minako would kill for a hot set of wheels like that!" Taro chuckled as he admired the Ferrari. "She's always complaining about how her car isn't fast enough for her."
Reaching the large double door, Mamoru rang the bell. A young woman of about nineteen greeted them a few moments later. She was quite attractive, but beneath her short blonde hair her choice of clothing appeared surprisingly masculine.
The boys all bowed deeply before the university student spoke up. "Konnichiwa, miss. My friends and I were summoned to this address. My name is-"
"Chiba Mamoru" the woman promptly answered with a warm smile. "I know who you are, Mamoru-san, and your companions' identities as well."
"Great! That makes things go a lot easier!" Yuuichirou chuckled. "And, who do we have the pleasure of speaking with?"
"My name is Tenou Haruka. Welcome to my home." She gestured, "Please, won't you come in?"
. . . . .
Waiting on comfortable thickly padded chairs within the home's opulent parlour, the guests had time to notice a distinct musical theme to their surroundings, including a black grand piano that dominated one corner of the spacious room. They were soon met by another young lady, but this girl wore her wavy dark green hair well past her shoulders, and carried herself in a refined, dignified manner that immediately impressed the two brothers from Nerima.
"Hello all" she spoke. "I am Kaioh Michiru. It's a great pleasure to finally meet each of you. Setsuna-san will be along shortly and we can then begin our little chat." She took her place on a love seat beside Haruka, and the new arrivals were somewhat surprised when the blonde girl slipped her arm snugly around Michiru.
"Forgive me for asking, but... are you... sisters?" Yuji questioned.
Michiru giggled softly. "We're not sisters, Yuji-chan." She shared a tender gaze with Haruka. "We're lovers."
"Oh! Uh... gomen nasai!" the boy stuttered.
"Does that shock you?" Michiru asked the blushing teen. "It needn't."
"Haruka and Michiru have a somewhat unique relationship" Meioh Setsuna spoke as she entered the parlour, holding a ornately-patterned teacup of finest bone china between her slender fingers. "As they also shared during our lives in the Silver Millenium."
Mamoru's eyebrows shot up at the mention of the Moon Kingdom. "Setsuna-san, are you implying that our hosts are...?"
Haruka grinned and stood. "She is, Mamoru-san." Bowing deeply, she announced, "Sailor Uranus, at your service. And my beloved Michiru is also known, from time to time as the need arises, as Sailor Neptune."
Taro and Yuji were as stunned as their other friends. "More Senshi?"
"You were not destined to meet them until somewhat later" Setsuna told the boys. "Haruka and Michiru have graciously offered their help during this... crisis. Minna, an unfortunate event is occurring that is about to temporarily alter the timeline we currently exist within. The consequences will quite assuredly be most dire if prompt action is not taken."
"I don't much like the sound of this" Taro muttered worriedly.
Setsuna settled into a vacant chair and set her teacup aside. "Allow me to explain..."
. . . . .
As she spoke, the five young men felt as though their whole worlds had been turned upside down. Mamoru asked, his heart aching and his voice thick with emotion, "What can we do?"
Setsuna's reply was blunt and to the point. "Protect them. Keep them safe and out of harm's way at all costs, until their lives return once again to the path that is their true destiny. It may take mere hours, or perhaps even an entire day. Until then, one of your fiancees is in grave danger. Without your help, she will surely perish."
"And... you can't tell us which girl?" Yuuichirou asked, his usual joking, good-natured ways now gone. His mood now was heartbreak and fear for the young raven-haired miko he so dearly loved, as well as deep concern for her friends. "You have absolutely no idea?"
"I do not" Setsuna admitted. "When, as Sailor Pluto, I investigated the future outcome of this new and disruptive branch in our timeline, there was but one significant change. Five girls entered, but... only four remained alive at its conclusion. The mists of time did not clear long enough to allow me to identify the one who... did not survive."
The boys from Nerima and their close friend Ryo felt grief-stricken nearly beyond words. Ami's true love struggled to ask, "What happened to the girl that... didn't make it? Was it a cardian attack?"
"I do not believe so, Ryo-chan. From what little I could glean, it appeared to be something else. An accident, perhaps, or some other simple domestic occurance. Nor do I think it was ill health, as the Senshi's inner powers guard them against serious problems until they become quite aged.
"But what if a monster does attack while the girls are living through this temporary new timeline?" he fretted.
Haruka added her voice to the discussion. "That's where we come in. Michiru and I will take care of any battles your fiancees would have normally fought until everything's back to normal."
"Are just the two of you able to handle cardians like the Senshi have encountered recently?" Mamoru asked. "Some of them have been very formidable foes."
Tenou Haruka grinned. "No problem."
Taro wanted to be absolutely sure he understood how best to safeguard his precious Minako. "So what we have to do is watch over our girls' lives until you tell us they're back on the proper destiny track and safe again, Setsuna-san? Make sure they don't do anything careless or dangerous?"
"Correct, Taro-chan. As I mentioned before, it may be a matter of hours until all is normal, or perhaps more than a day. I will be monitoring the behaviour of the intruding timeline closely. Now that I have made you aware of this, you have the temporary ability to influence your loved ones' fates. Use this knowledge well."
"So when does this all start?" Yuji questioned the young woman. "How long until these 'timeline' things overlap far enough to put one of our girls in danger?"
Without checking her wristwatch, Setsuna promptly replied, "Two hours. You have that long to prepare. And remember, the girls must not under any circumstances be informed of your task. Doing so would greatly decrease your chance of success." She left her chair and stepped closer to the teens. "From this moment on, one of your beloved's lives, her future child's life, all that you dream of and hold dear is in your hands. We wish each of you great success."
The young men made firm eye contact with one another, vowing to work together to protect their fiancees no matter the cost. They understood without question that the price of failure by either of them could result in the death of one of their soulmates.
. . . . .
Chapter 2:
The five young men soon bid farewell to Setsuna and the two mysterious new Senshi, gathering in a huddle beside Mamoru's car for an emergency meeting. The deeply shaken teens discussed how to best watch over their loved ones, each boy terrified that tragedy would choose to strike his very own.
"What do you think, Mamoru-san?" Yuuichirou stood with his back propped against the unmarked white van, grateful for the support it gave. "Should we try keeping everyone apart until this whole thing blows over, and just concentrate on looking after our own girls?"
Mamoru's brow furrowed as he mulled the suggestion, the oldest of the group deep in thought. "If we try protecting each girl separately, we risk making a bad decision or a careless mistake ourselves. There wouldn't be anyone else nearby to help. On the other hand, keeping the girls apart would eliminate the chance of one of them to accidentally hurting another." He shook his head. "I'm... still not sure how best to handle this, Yuuichirou-chan."
"What exactly are we supposed to be protecting them from?" Yuji asked. "If cardians aren't involved, won't this be just another routine day in their lives?"
"You're forgetting, brother, that when it comes to my Minako no day is routine" Taro said. "She's such an outgoing and adventurous free spirit, always doing new things. So full of... life." His eyes began to mist. "I'm really going to have my hands full."
"Hai. Me too" Yuji agreed. "We all are."
"Weren't the girls planning on spending the day at Mako-chan's house in Nerima, Taro-chan?" Ryo questioned. "They still don't know that you and Yuji are in town."
"Hai, they were..." A sudden terrible image popped into Taro's mind of his beloved blonde fiancee involved in a horrible car wreck. "We have to keep them here in Tokyo" he decided.
"That will be rather difficult, Taro-chan" Mamoru replied. "Usagi and her friends have been looking forward to another day in the country, and if we refuse to take them we risk arousing their suspicion that something unusual is going on."
"Great!" Yuji groaned. "This is turning into a nightmare." His voice faltered. "If anything happens to my Mako-chan, I... won't go on living." He looked at his friends through deeply saddened eyes. "What would be the point?"
Mamoru gently gripped the younger teen's shoulder and Yuji found comfort in his firm reassuring tone. "We won't let that happen."
. . . . .
After dropping Yuji at Makoto's apartment, Mamoru hurried back to his place and took the elevator up to his floor. Expecting Usagi to still be asleep, he was surprised to hear her working in the kitchen.
"Usako!" he called as he closed the door. "You're up early today." He glanced at his watch and his heart sank as he realized the time Setsuna had warned the boys about was fast approaching.
His bride-to-be came running at the sound of his voice and flung her arms tightly around him in an enthusiastically tight squeeze. "Mamo-chan!"
He kissed her soft cheek. "Ohayou, my beautiful princess."
"Mamo-chan, I just had a horrible dream!" Usagi said. "It scared me so much I woke up crying, and you weren't here to hold me and make everything better! Where were you?"
"Gomen, my love. I just... went for a morning drive, Usako. Please forgive me. I'm home with you now."
"Good!" His girl's big blue eyes twinkled brightly. "You're just in time for breakfast!"
"Oh? What are you whipping up for us this time?"
"American-style pancakes! I watched a cooking show on tv last night and they looked easy to make and so tasty! I hope they turn out ok..." A sudden acrid odour wafted from the kitchen and reached their nostrils, causing Usagi to gasp in alarm. "My pancakes! They're burning!" Rushing away, she flew toward the kitchen before Mamoru could react.
"Fire!" he heard her blurt.
"Nani?" He bolted after her, finding the kitchen quickly filling with smoke. "Stay away from the stove, Usako! I'll take care of it!"
Usagi watched her fiancee grab the pan and dump its blackened contents into the sink. Mamoru turned on the water, raising a thick cloud of steam. "Everything's good! There's no fire, my love. Just a-"
"Just another one of baka Usagi's kitchen disasters!" she moaned despairingly. "Gomen, Mamo-chan! I just can't seem to get the hang of..." Usagi suddenly began to cough from the dense fumes.
"Let me open some windows to vent out the place." At that moment the smoke alarm began to screech and Mamoru hurried away to silence it.
"Hai! Air! I need fresh air!" She staggered into the living room and made her way onto the balcony. Leaning far over its railing, she gulped hungrily for oxygen, breathing too rapidly. A wave of dizziness swept over the odango-hared girl. "Ohh! I feel awful!" The street far below became a swirling blur and she wobbled unsteadily on her feet. "Need... more... air..."
After silencing the alarm, Mamoru was horrified to spot his love dangling dangerously far over the balcony railing. "Usako!" Sprinting across the living room, he quickly pulled her into the safety of his embrace.
'And to think that second timeline Setusna warned us about hasn't even started yet!' he groaned to himself.
. . . . .
Meanwhile, another breakfast was being prepared in a tiny third-floor apartment a half dozen blocks away. Makoto hummed to herself while rinsing a bowl of cucumbers, dreaming happily of the coming day with her Yuji. She placed the vegetables on a cutting board and had just selected a suitable chopping knife when her doorbell rang.
"Who could that be?" the brunette wondered. "Minako is never up this early." Her face lit up with joyous surprise when she discovered Yuji waiting at her door.
"Yuji-chan!" A tender kiss followed before she escorted the boy inside. "What brings you to Tokyo at this early hour?" She added with a smile, "Don't misunderstand, honey, I'm certainly not complaining!"
He seemed not just happy to see her but also incredibly relieved to be there. "I couldn't wait another minute to be with you again, Mako honey. Taro and I came to Tokyo to... uh... spare you and Minako that long drive to Nerima."
"That's really sweet! But we don't mind the trip at all. Not with our guys waiting for us at the end of it!" She told him, "I was just making breakfast. Give me a few minutes to finish and we can eat together while we plan our day. It won't take long and you must be starving."
He followed her into the kitchen, watched her pick up the knife and begin chopping furiously. Yuji cringed as the gleaming sharp blade flew up and down so near her fingertips. "Mako-chan sweetheart, please be careful with that thing! You could get a bad infection if you cut yourself."
Makoto glanced over her shoulder at him while she worked. "Don't worry about a thing, honey. I know how to handle a knife." She casually tossed the tool high in the air, making her fiancee gasp in panic.
Expertly catching it by the handle, she chuckled, "Why so nervous all of a sudden? Now if Minako had tried to do that, she'd probably stab herself and bleed all over the food."
"Just as long as you don't" Yuji breathed.
Makoto dumped the contents of the board into a pan and turned on the stove. The sound of hissing gas was eventually followed by a sharp pop, then a bright blue flame licked up from beneath the pan. "It actually worked on the first try this time!" the relieved brunette exclaimed. "This worn-out old stove has been causing me lots of trouble lately, not igniting when it's supposed to."
Yuji suddenly pictured Makoto's apartment exploding in a fiery cloud. The horrified boy could stand no more. "Mako-chan, I don't want you cooking another thing for the rest of the day! I'll take you out for lunch and to dinner too! And my brother is really good at fixing this sort of stuff. Taro can check out your stove's problem before you use it again. Please!" he pleaded.
Sensing something strange about her young man's behavior this morning, the brunette nodded. "Uh... sure. If you insist, darling." Makoto pondered, 'My Yuji is acting kind of odd today. Really nervous. I wonder what's gotten into him?'
. . . . .
Chapter 3:
Ito Taro sat patiently waiting on the front step of his fiancee's home, wondering how he could reign in his girl's often funny and sometimes crazy antics. He had decided against knocking, hoping that the extra time she spent asleep would be that many less minutes for him to worry about. 'I have to keep Minako away from the busier streets and especially out of her car' he mused. 'But how?'
The front door abruptly clicked open and a gasp of utter delight greeted his ears.
"My Taro!" He sprang to his feet and Minako's slim, tender body was instantly in his embrace, cuddling snugly, wantonly against him. A few passers-by stared at them from the sidewalk as she hungrily pressed her lips to his with a soft "Mmmm!"
The teens eventually parted and the bubbly blonde exclaimed, "What are you doing here in Tokyo, Taro-love?" She giggled, "Wait, I know! You just can't get enough of me! So you came here to make my day completely perfect! And now it is!"
"Hai" he whispered softly in reply. "So very, very perfect. That's exactly what you are, my beautiful goddess."
"Flattery will get you everywhere, my big strong stud-muffin!" Minako giggled again. "But you didn't need to come all this way. Everyone's still going to Mako-chan's house later." She sighed happily, "Where I can feel safe and warm in your strong arms and we can watch the sun go down together." She added with a teasing wink "And after that comes the very best part!"
"Sweetheart, about that trip..." The boy hesitated, remembering Mamoru's advice about alerting the girls to trouble.
"Aren't we still going?" Minako pouted. "We have to! My parents are home today, so we won't have any privacy at all if we stay here. Besides, it's already arranged. We pick up Mako-chan a little later and zoom to Nerima as quickly as we can! And with your Speedy Minako's foot on the gas pedal, you know how fast that will be!"
Her fiancee cringed. "Well..."
"But for now, let's do something else that's fun together."
"Yuji is here too" Taro told her. "He's at Mako-chan's apartment."
"He is? Lucky Mako-chan!" Minako sighed. "How I wish we had our own apartment. Being apart so often is really hard. I miss you so much when you're not with me, I feel like I'm going to die."
Taro gulped. "Honey, don't say that!"
"It's true." Minako's bright blue eyes shimmered with boundless love for him. "I do miss you so." She decided, "I know! Let's go meet up with Mako-chan and Yuji and we can double-date. Just like we did the very first time you and your brother came to see us. Remember that day?"
"I'll never forget that special day. Or the youma that attacked us!" Taro chuckled.
"I wasn't talking about nasty old youma, silly!" She took his hand and lead him toward her car.
"It's a beautiful morning, darling. How about we walk to Mako-chan's?"
"Walk? Ok, sure! Would you mind if we make a little stop at that shoe store near her place?"
"It's a deal. Lead the way, my sweet." He grinned, "Promise me there won't be any more monster attacks?"
Minako's eyes narrowed. "They wouldn't dare!"
. . . . .
At the Hikawa Jinja, Hino Rei was having one of those days. Her grandfather had been in a cantankerous mood all morning, some of the guests to the shrine seemed bent on burying the grounds beneath a mountain of litter, and even her Yuuichirou was acting strangely.
'He's been hovering around me like a doting mother with her newborn child' the agitated miko thought. 'I can hardly raise a finger without him rushing over and doing all my work for me. That hasn't happened before.'
Her thoughts were interrupted by a visitor who strode briskly up to the raven-haired girl. "Excuse me, miss. Do you work here?"
'Another gaijin tourist' Rei muttered to herself. 'Do I work here? Is he completely blind?' Forcing a smile, she replied in English, "Hai. Yes. How may I help you?"
"I see you have your shrine's schedule of events posted on that board over there."
"We do" she answered politely. 'At least he can see that much' she thought.
"Do you happen to have a copy I could take away with me?"
"I... think so. If you wait, I will go and check."
"Thank you. I'm in kind of a hurry. Will you be long?" the impatient man asked.
"I will return very soon." Rei hurried off to the shrine's storeroom. "If you're in such a big rush, why didn't you come back later when you had more time?" she grumbled as she unfolded a wooden stepladder. "Some people!"
The girl climbed nearly to the top of the ladder and fumbled among several boxes of literature. 'Where on earth did Yuuichirou hide those schedules?'
A familiar voice behind the girl startled her. "Looking for something, Rei darling? Be careful you don't fall!" Her fiancee slipped his arms firmly around her legs to support her.
"The shrine's event schedules, Yuuichirou-chan. Where did you put them? And why have you been treating me like I'm made of glass all morning? I won't break!"
"Can't be too careful" he said quietly.
"Yes you can! " she hissed. "Would you mind letting go of me so I can get down and you can find the schedules?"
Yuuichirou reluctantly released her. "We don't have any, darling. I gave the last printed copy away yesterday."
"Oh." She spun around a little too quickly and one foot slipped off the step. With a squeal of surprise she lost her balance and fell backward from the toppling ladder. Yuuichirou quickly caught her in his arms and gently eased her feet to the floor.
"Please be more careful, Rei darling! You could get badly hurt in here."
Despite her sour mood, she planted a kiss on her lover's cheek. "Arigatou, honey. You saved me from falling."
Yuuichirou breathed a deep sigh of relief and grinned, "Just doing my job."
"Someone is waiting for me outside, lover. Otherwise I'd stay here with you a while." She hurried from the storeroom and back into the courtyard, but the man had gone.
"I nearly broke my neck and he didn't even stick around!" the miko fumed. "I can't wait for this day to end!"
. . . . .
At Makoto's apartment, Yuji pulled his brother aside while the girls made plans for their late afternoon road trip to Nerima. "How is it going so far, Taro-chan? Anything unusual happen to you and Minako yet?"
"Not yet. My biggest worry at the moment is getting safely to Nerima. Minako is determined to go and I can't think of a good way to change her mind."
"Keep working on it. Oh, and while we have the time, would you take a look at Mako-chan's stove? It isn't starting properly."
"No problem, Yuji-chan." He paused as his girl breezed past on her way to the bathroom. "It's likely nothing major. Just a loose-"
"Aahhhh!" Minako's sudden scream sent the boys sprinting to her aid. Yuji held back a step as Taro wrenched open the bathroom door. "Minako my love! Are you hurt? What happened?"
"Ants!" the blonde gasped, pointing down with a quivering finger. "I just saw ants over there on the floor!"
Taro's shoulders slumped, his panic fading. "Is that all it was? Just ants?"
"I don't like those creepy crawly things!" Minako shivered. She stuck her head out into the hall. "Mako-chan! You have ants! Quick, bring us some of that bug propellant!"
"You mean bug repellant" the brunette called back. "Sorry, I don't have any."
"I'll take care of the ants for you, sweetheart." Taro dropped to his knees and began crawling around the bathroom floor. "Where were they? I don't see anything here."
Makoto told her fiancee, "Ever since that new family moved in upstairs, there've been ants in my bathroom, Yuji honey. I'm convinced their kid has an ant farm and it fell over."
"An ant farm?" Minako wrinkled her nose. "Why would anyone want to keep those creepy things in their house? Or anywhere else for that matter. Why don't they raise more useful insects, like... bees or something? Bees make honey."
"Bees?" The brunette laughed. "Minako-chan, you can't keep bees in an apartment!"
"I know that, silly! It was just an idea."
"Bees!" Makoto snorted. "What's next? Chickens up on the roof?"
"Hmph! I know you can't keep chickens on the roof! They need to be held in one of those little chicken jails like they use on real farms. Otherwise they'd just fly away."
"I can't believe you just said that."
Nearby, Yuji doubled over in silent laughter.
The teens suddenly heard a muffled thump from the bathroom, immediately followed by a groan. "Ouch!"
"Taro-love, was that you?" the blonde asked. "Did you kill the ants?"
Her young man reappeared, gingerly rubbing the top of his head. "No, but I think I just killed my skull on Mako-chan's sink."
"Oh! Does it hurt bad, honey-muffin?" She steered him over to the living room sofa. "Let Nurse Minako take a peek. Mako-chan, do you have a first aid kit? We may need lots of bandages!"
"No!" Taro blurted "Uh... I mean, it's fine, sweetheart. I'm ok. Really."
"Taro's head is fine, but the sink probably isn't!" Yuji chuckled.
"Why don't you go... herd some ants?" his brother muttered.
The bug scare was more than enough for Minako. "I'm not staying in your crazy ant hill apartment one more minute, Mako-chan. And neither are you. After our double date is finished, we're all going to Nerima!"
. . . . .
Chapter 4:
At the Mizuno residence, soft music was playing behind the closed door of Ami's room. A pair of half-empty soda glasses sat on the night table, while nearby, two young lovers were deeply engaged in a most enjoyable pastime.
Ryo gazed deeply into his Ami's eyes, watching her expression change to sheer delight as he uttered the words she longed to hear.
"Another perfect score, Ami darling! That's the third mock test you've aced today."
The blue-haired girl smiled happily. "I wasn't entirely confident about that last question, Ryo-kun. My answer was... almost a guess."
"That's reasonable enough, considering I'm using advanced senior year questions for your quiz. By the time you graduate from high school, you'll probably be half way through fourth semester college-level work!" The deeply worried boy had hoped to keep his Ami safely within her home for as much of the day as possible. But despite their studies, his girl genius had gradually become increasingly restless.
She left her desk and sat between Ryo and a stack of books that formed a small pile on her bed. "Ryo-kun, our friends are planning on another night at Mako-chan's home. They'll be leaving for Nerima soon. I think we should join them."
"You do?" Ryo's mind quickly tried to calculate the relative safety of the journey as opposed to staying in Tokyo. The end result was, as he suspected, 'insufficient information'. Deciding that strength in numbers may be the safest bet of all, he reluctantly agreed.
'If only I still had all of my old predictive powers' he thought bitterly. 'At least then we'd know which girl was in danger.'
"Sure, if you'd like to go. Do you want me to bring along some of these books? We can practice a few more quizzes after we get there."
"Let's leave the books behind this time, my Ryo-kun." Ami's blue eyes twinkled. "I'd much prefer to spend our evening... and our night... studying each other."
Ryo smiled shyly back. "Hai."
He paused to wonder how his male friends were coping with the difficult challenge they faced, and hoped with all his heart that he and Ami were making the correct decision.
. . . . .
As his working day at the shrine neared its end, Yuuichirou also found himself wondering what lay ahead for his beloved Rei. Keeping such a close watch over his girl through the entire morning and afternoon had added to her frustration, but he had pressed on regardless. 'If Rei is mad at me for a while, then so be it' he reasoned. 'It's a small price to pay for her safety. And that's the only thing that matters.'
His fiancee strolled up to him a few minutes before closing time, having already exchanged her red and white shrine clothing for a casual top and skirt. "Yuuichirou-chan, would you mind taking care of the front gate please? And closing down the shrine for the night too? Arigatou."
"Going somewhere, my love?"
"After that totally miserable day I just suffered through, I really need a little time to unwind." The raven-haired girl glanced around to be sure her grandfather wasn't within earshot. "I'm going down to the park for a cigarette. I'll be home soon, honey."
Yuuichirou gasped. "No! You can't go to the park today! Not alone!"
"Nani?" The young miko bristled, hands becoming planted firmly on her hips. "And why not? I just need a little time to myself to forget about the constant aggravation I've put up with each and every minute since we opened this morning. Would you mind telling me why you think I shouldn't?"
"I know you've had a real bad day, my sweet. But..." he offered, "Just give me ten more minutes to close the shrine and change clothes and I'll go down to the park with you."
Rei's growing frustration began to boil over. "Yuuichirou-chan, you've been following me around like a lost puppy for hours now! I always love your company sweetheart, but your behaviour today has been odd, and more than a little bothersome! What's gotten into you?"
"Me? Nothing, my love!" His mind worked furiously as he grappled for any excuse to stop her. "Are we still going to catch that movie later? How about we go now? They have early showings at-"
"I don't want to see a movie at this time of day!" she cut him off. "And the weird way you're acting isn't helping improve my mood!"
"Gomen."
"I'll be back in half an hour. We can decide then which movie we want to see." She kissed his cheek and quickly strode away without speaking another word.
"Now what can I do?" the apprentice groaned, his panic rising to new heights. The decision came easily from the young man's aching, love-filled heart. Abandoning his duties, Yuuichirou ran from the shrine and after his future bride.
At that same instant, Rei's grandfather happened to glance out through his office window. "Where is that boy off to now? He hasn't even closed the shrine yet, the front gate is still wide open!" Muttering to himself, the old priest left the comfort of his chair and locked the gate himself. On a hunch, he walked on toward the nearby park.
. . . . .
Rei chose her usual secluded bench nestled deep within a grove of tall trees. Lighting a cigarette, she took a long relaxing puff and exhaled a white stream into the soft breeze. The girl frowned when her fiancee appeared on the path a few seconds later.
"I knew you'd follow me here."
Yuuichirou gestured toward the bench. "Excuse me, miss. Is this seat taken?" His warm, lopsided grin softened her heart, as it always did.
"No" Rei relented. "It isn't. You can sit there if you want to."
Yuuichiro promptly did so. He spoke quietly, "Rei darling, I'm truly sorry for the way I've been acting today. There is a very good reason."
"You should be." She inhaled deeply on her cigarette again. "So what's the reason?"
"Because... I love you?"
"Acceptable... I suppose." As her trials at the shrine began to fade from her thoughts, the girl began to feel calm for the first time in many hours. "I'm sorry too, Yuuichirou-chan. I guess I let my frustration show a little too much. I never meant to push you away from me like that. It's just..."
"I understand, darling. We all have our bad days..."
"Rei-chan!"
Both teens jumped at Hino-sensei's sudden appearance. The miko's grandfather stood glaring angrily at her. "Are you smoking?"
Knowing this moment would eventually come, Rei took the offensive and glared defiantly back. "Hai. I am, Ojii-chan."
Yuuichirou felt his stomach tighten, expecting a massive all-out war to break out between the elder and younger Hinos. Trying to stop the fight before it escalated too far, he said, "Rei isn't smoking, Hino-sensei! That's... uh... my cigarette. Rei was just... holding it for me while I... uh..."
"You make a very poor liar, Yuuichirou-chan" his teacher growled. Noting telltale pink imprints on the cigarette's white filter, he gestured to it while asking, "Boy, since when have you taken to wearing lipstick?"
"Lipstick? I... uh... heh."
"I must say, I'm somewhat disappointed with you for this, granddaughter."
The raven-haired girl's earlier sour mood abruptly returned, this time in full force. "Why should you be, Ojii-chan? My personal life is my own business. I don't need your approval for every last thing I do! Or anyone elses!"
"You are a miko, Rei-chan" her grandfather reminded her. "And as such, you are expected to hold to certain standards-"
Rei shot back, "Being a miko doesn't make me any less human! When I'm off duty, my life is mine to live and enjoy. I had hoped you would be fully aware of that."
"Indeed I am" the old man growled. "Nevertheless... smoking cigarettes like a... a... common schoolgirl!"
Livid, Rei leapt to her feet. "In case you've forgotten, I am a common schoolgirl! At least most of the time!"
Yuuichirou gently touched her arm but she shook his hand away. "Most of the girls at my school smoke, Grandfather. There's nothing unusual about it. I don't smoke very often, and never near the shrine!" Her acrid tone gave her grandfather pause. "Why is it such a big deal?"
"Because it's unhealthy, Rei-chan."
The raven-haired teen glanced around the clearing before she replied. "And you think me fighting youma as Sailor Mars is healthy, Ojii-chan? The Sailor Senshi go into every battle knowing there's always a chance we won't survive. Is that all you can say?"
"And because..." The old man's voice softened as he once more found himself taken aback by his granddaughter's unyielding tenacity.
"Go on" Rei prodded.
As she suspected he would, her grandfather buckled. "You are not permitted to smoke anywhere near our shrine. Or while wearing your miko uniform. Those are my rules."
"I already told you, I already follow those rules, Ojii-chan. And furthermore, I don't smoke just because other girls do. I smoke because I enjoy it."
The elder Hino frowned deeply. Long accustomed to prevailing in nearly every argument he waged, there was but one exception. His granddaughter.
"Very well" the priest relented with a grumble. "As you are sixteen, you are now old enough to make your own decisions." In a vain attempt to save face, he next turned to scold his apprentice. "Yuuichirou-chan! You abandoned the shrine and came out here before your work was complete. Return to your duties at once and finish closing. I believe enough has been said on this matter for now."
"I'll come home with my Rei, but only when she's ready to go." Yuuichirou's blunt reply was so firm and out of character it shocked him nearly as much as it did his teacher.
Without another word, Hino-sensei abruptly spun on his heels and left.
When he had gone, Yuuichirou groaned and slapped his forehead. "What did I just say? He'll hate me now!"
Rei found herself feeling happy for the first time since breakfast. "Arigatou, honey. You finally stood up to Grandpa."
"Big mistake! He's going to make my life miserable, darling!" the boy fretted. "I just know it!"
Rei took her love's hand. "He won't. Ojii-chan may be old-fashioned, stubborn and set in his ways, but he respects people who stand up for what they believe in."
"I believe in... you, Rei-chan."
She smiled sweetly at the boy who had captured her heart. "I don't feel much like a movie tonight after all, honey. How about we spend the evening with our friends instead?"
"In Nerima? Only if you promise to drive very, very carefully. And really, really slowly. Better yet, how about if I drive?"
"Yuuichirou-chan!"
"I'm pushing my luck, aren't I?" he chuckled.
"You are. This time I'll forgive you. But only because I love you."
. . . . .
Chapter 5:
"Ohh! Every last one of those stupid video games was rigged!" Usagi whined. "They had to be! And that new Sailor V game was the worst of all! Way too hard!"
After a considerable investment of her fiancee's cash, Usagi emerged with Mamoru into bright sunshine from their afternoon at the Game Center Crown. The odango-haired blonde continued her angry tirade against the machines as they strolled hand-in-hand to her fiancee's car.
"Stupid, evil things! I must be having a bad day, Mamo-chan. I couldn't beat even a single one of my old high scores."
"Maybe you'll have better luck next time, Usako." Mamoru chuckled. He opened the passenger door with a flourish and bowed. "Your carriage awaits, my princess."
Usagi aimed for his cheek, but he turned to smile at her and she kissed his nose instead. "Gomen, Mamo-chan. I missed!"
"Usako my love, each and every kiss from you is divine." He softly kissed her lips in return. "Even on the nose."
"Now that's the right way to treat a princess!" Usagi giggled. She waited until he took his place in the driver's seat. "I'm having such a wonderful day! I miss you so much when you're at that horrible university of yours. You spend far too much time there, Mamo-chan."
"I know" he sighed. "Try to think of it as an investment in our futures, Usako. I want to do well for us, and for our future daughter."
"But... if I really do become a queen some day, won't that make you a king? And then you'll have servants you can ask to do all the work."
"All the more reason for me to study hard now, my love. A king, or a queen, should rule with compassion, understanding, and wisdom." He chuckled, "It's getting that last part right that's eating up all my time lately." The nineteen-year-old glanced at his watch. "Speaking of time, it's getting close to dinner. Feeling hungry?"
"Hai, a little." Usagi asked, "Can we go out to the house? Mako-chan said that Minako and her are staying there overnight with their guys. Maybe she'll make everyone one of her huge, delicious meals!" Usagi licked her lips in anticpation. "I wish I could cook like her. But I can't even make a simple thing like pancakes without ruining them."
Much as Ryo had felt earlier, he wondered if taking his fiancee out of town would be a wise move. He quickly came to the same conclusion as the younger teen. "I think we can manage that, my princess."
"You're so kind and sweet to me, my prince. I love you."
"And I love you, Usako."
. . . . .
Rei found her grandfather sitting quietly at his desk in the shrine's office. "Ojii-chan, Yuuichirou and I are planning on spending the evening at Mako-chan's. I promise we'll be back to help you open the shrine first thing in the morning. Is that ok?"
"Fine" the old man muttered curtly.
"Are you still upset? About me smoking?"
Her grandfather looked out the window at the empty courtyard beyond, not speaking for a time. Finally he answered with a single word. "No."
"You're obviously mad about something." Rei sat on the corner of his desk. "If that isn't it, then what's bothering you?"
"It's nothing, Rei-chan."
"Really?"
Hino-sensei frowned. "I suppose it's just that I'm not used to being rebuked. But today I was. By my very own granddaughter, and by my apprentice as well."
"I understand. Your pride got a little damaged and now you're angry. Not at me, or at Yuuichirou. At yourself."
"Pride? Perhaps you're right, Rei-chan. Just the foolish pride of a grumpy old man."
Rei slipped off the desk and stood beside him. "We still love you, Ojii-chan."
"You do? It didn't seem that way back at the park."
She leaned down and kissed the top of his bald head. "Well we do. Very, very much."
He looked up at her. "Rei-chan... do you think I'm too old? Too... out of touch?"
"Absolutely not" the miko insisted. "Stubborn, yes. Difficult to live with at times, definitely. But never too old. You will always and forever be my Ojii-chan, and I will always respect and look up to you. Even if we do happen to have our little disagreements at times."
Her grandfather smiled. "Arigatou, child. Go now. Go to Nerima with your fiancee and enjoy the remainder of your day together with your friends."
She helped him from his chair and hugged him tightly. "Arigatou, Ojii-chan! You'll always be very 'in-touch' with me. I love you so much."
As she turned to leave, he said "But tell that young man of yours something from me. If he ever disobeys a direct order of mine again, I'll... still respect him."
Rei grinned. "I will."
Hino-sensei chuckled. "Ah... on second thought, don't tell him that."
. . . . .
The soft refrains of a masterfully played violin filled the parlour. Haruka sat at the piano, reading along to the sheet music while Michiru worked her magic on her instrument's four strings, finally closing the classical piece with a last long note.
"Bravo, Michiru" the blonde clapped. "Tchaikovsky never sounded better."
"I do hope everyone at my recital next Thursday agrees with you" her lover said with an appreciative smile. Her smile faded as Setsuna entered the room. "You appear somewhat more concerned than before, Setsuna-san."
Haruka noticed the look in the young woman's eyes as well. "Were you able to learn anything else about the effect of the timeline change on the girls?"
"I'm still unable to identify which girl is in danger, Haruka-san. However, there appears to be a correlation between the Senshi in question and the means of her demise. It is most troubling."
"You're saying that the girl's power is symbolic of whatever tries to kill her?"
"Precisely. Water for Mercury, electrical energy for Jupiter, and so on. We can only hope her boy is able to interfere and break the timeline before it becomes her destiny."
"Dreadfully ironic" Michiru mused. "Is there anything further we can do to help them? Surely there must be something."
"Nothing, Michiru-san. It is now entirely out of our hands."
. . . . .
After yet another white knuckle-inducing ride to Nerima, Makoto told the blonde in the driver's seat, "We should stop at the grocery store while we're in town, Minako-chan. I need to pick up a few extra things for dinner tonight." She grinned at Yuji, his face and his brother's both deathly pale after Minako's heart-stoppingly fast drive from downtown Tokyo. "And our guys look like they need a minute to stretch their legs. And restart their hearts."
"My driving really scares you that much, honey-muffin?" the blonde asked her love. "Honestly?"
Taro croaked from the front passenger seat, "Not at all, sweetheart. My palms always sweat and my heart always pounds like this whenever I travel by car. I usually hold my breath for minutes at a time too. It's completely normal."
"Silly!" Minako giggled. "Ok, Mako-chan. I'll stop at the store and you three scaredy-cats can relax and get your things. I certainly don't understand why everyone always feels so nervous whenever I drive." She pulled sharply into the store's parking lot with a squeal of protest from her tires. "Minna, just look at how busy this place is today!" the blonde exclaimed. "There isn't a single empty parking spot anywhere!"
"Why don't you drive over the curb and park in the middle of the sidewalk, like you did the last time we were here?" the brunette laughed.
"Very funny, Mako-chan! I don't do that. At least... not very often." The blonde's eyes suddenly lit up. "Wait, there's an opening!" She gunned her car toward the vacant space just as another car, travelling just as quickly, turned toward them from across the crowded lot.
"That's Rei and Yuuichirou!" Yuji blurted.
"It is Rei!" Minako gasped. "Well! That's the only spot left and it's all mine!"
With her engine screaming, she beelined straight toward it. Rei spotted the familiar orange hatchback charging toward the last empty spot and promptly did the same.
"Ahhh! We're going to crash!" Taro covered his eyes as the cars approached each other head-on.
"Minako-chan! Slow down!" Makoto yelled. She squeezed her fiancee's hand and Yuji squeezed hers even harder. "Better yet, stop!"
"No way!" The determined blonde increased her speed even more. "Rei isn't beating me to that spot!"
As the vehicles converged on the solitary vacant space, both girls panicked and jammed on their brakes. The two cars screeched to a halt mere inches apart, directly in front of the coveted spot.
Minako promptly rolled down her window. "Back up, Rei-chan. I saw it first!"
"No, I saw it first!" the raven-haired teen yelled back from her red convertible. "My fiancee wants a coffee and he's getting one!"
"It's mine! Find your own space!" the blonde countered.
"Forget it!"
Yuuichirou offered, "Rei darling, it's not worth fighting over a simple cup of-"
"Shut up, Yuuichirou-chan!" the miko hissed. "Let me handle this!"
Several customers emerged from the store and stared at the dueling girls. "This is embarrassing" Makoto groaned.
With both young drivers refusing to give way, Minako and Rei leapt out of their cars and stared each other down. "Mine!" Minako insisted, pointing at the spot.
"Sorry. You'll have to find somewhere else to park that orange eyesore of yours. Like a pumpkin patch!" Rei scowled.
"How dare you! Get out of my way or... else!" Minako threatened.
Rei dug in her heels. "Or else what, Minako-chan? You want me to move? Make me!"
"I think they're actually going to fight!" Taro gasped. He scrambled out and pleaded with his girl. "How about we forget the groceries this time, sweetheart? We can do without them."
"No!"
Makoto slipped from her seat and hurried into the store. Taking the hint, Yuuichirou did likewise. Two minutes later they hurried back with their purchases, finding the girls still stubbornly bickering away.
"I'm telling you for the last time, I'm not moving, Rei-chan!" Minako stormed.
"Have it your way! Neither am I! We can wait here forever for all I care!"
Makoto held up her shopping bag. "Ahem. We can all leave now. We already finished our shopping."
Astonished, Rei and Minako stared at Makoto's bag and Yuuichirou's fresh coffee.
"Well! I guess that's settled then" Minako muttered.
"Hai" Rei muttered back. "It appears so."
Returning to their cars, both girls backed up and sped away toward Makoto's old house
. . . . .
Chapter 6::
"Looks like we're the last to arrive, Usako." Mamoru parked his car on the shoulder in front of Makoto's house, its driveway already crowded to capacity by three other vehicles.
"I hope we didn't miss dinner!" Usagi fretted. "We have to hurry, Mamo-chan!" She hopped out and quickly dragged her fiancee inside the old home. "Minna! We're here!"
Rei snickered from the sofa, "Really, Usagi-chan? I never would have guessed."
"Quiet, Rei-chan!" Usagi noticed that three of the other girls were sitting together on the sofa. "Where are all the guys and Mako-chan?"
"The boys are setting up blankets on the lawn behind the house, Usagi-chan" Ami spoke. "Yuji is helping Mako-chan in the kitchen. She's planning on having a picnic for our dinner tonight."
Usagi beamed, "A picnic? Sugoi!" The excited blonde squeezed in between Rei and Minako, accidentally poking the miko in her rib cage with a flying elbow. "I love picnics!"
"And everything else that could possibly involve food" Rei scoffed. She tenderly rubbed her side. "I'm honestly surprised you didn't stop for lunch while we were fighting Beryl's youma."
Usagi stuck out her tongue at the miko while Mamoru hurried outside to offer his help. "Even on a nice day like this, you can still find time to be rude to me, Rei-chan!"
"It's my job" Rei replied bluntly. "Someone has to do it."
"And she does it so well!" Minako giggled.
"Hai. Too well" Usagi grumbled.
At the rear of the house, Mamoru met up with his male friends. "Anything unusual happen to anyone yet?"
Yuuichirou chuckled as he unfolded a blanket across the grass, "Other than Rei and Minako nearly getting into a brawl in a parking lot, it's been kind of quiet, Mamoru-san. Just a typical day so far."
"Same here" Taro added. "You haven't heard anything back from Setsuna?"
"Nothing yet, Taro-chan. Whatever this trouble is, it's bound to happen soon. Probably while we're still here at the house." As if to underline his concerns, the boys felt a weak tremor in the ground beneath their feet. But as quickly as it began, the shaking ceased.
"We've had a few of those this week" Taro remarked. "More than we normally get."
In the living room, Usagi gasped. "Minna! Did you feel that?"
"What? Your stomach grumbling again?" Rei teased.
"That wasn't me!" the blonde hissed.
"The island of Honshu has a large number of fault lines beneath and around it, Usagi-chan" Ami reminded her. "An occasional tremor is to be expected in a geologically active area like Japan."
"Well I don't like it! Not at all!" Usagi muttered.
Makoto called from the kitchen, "Minna! Dinner's nearly ready! Everyone go find a spot outside."
The couples were soon sitting together beneath a bright blue late afternoon sky and enjoyed another of the brunette's delicious home-cooked meals while they chatted.
"Feeling a little better now, Usako?"
"Hai. Earthquakes frighten me, Mamo-chan." She leaned snugly against him while nibbling on her last piece of grilled pork.
"The way you devour everthing in sight frightens me, Usagi-chan" Rei teased.
"Mind your own business, Rei-chan! Uh... Are you going to finish that?"
"I am! Hands off!"
"Summer is nearly over and we'll soon be back in school again, Taro-love" Minako sighed. "I'm going to miss you so." She took a long jealous look at Ami and Ryo. "You two are so lucky. You're always together. You even sit together in class!"
Rei laughed, "If Minako and Taro were together in the same grade, they'd be sharing every evening in detention."
"Why?" the blonde puzzled.
"Isn't it obvious? You'd spend the whole day making lovey eyes at each other instead of paying attention to your sensei."
"You say that like it's a bad thing, Rei-chan" Minako replied with a smile. "I know I'd learn so much more with my honey-love by my side!"
"Especially human biology" Ami giggled.
"Ami-chan! You're hardly one to talk!" Minako muttered, producing a soft blush on the blue-haired girl's cheeks. "Minna, there's nothing wrong with having an active love life with your guy." She winked coyly at her Taro. "Is there, my little stud muffin?" Taking it a step farther, she promptly slipped her arms around her young man and kissed him deeply.
"Oh please!" Makoto groaned. "I just ate!"
"This time, I must admit Minako is right" the miko grinned at her fiancee. "Isn't she, lover?"
"Someone's in a good mood" Yuuichirou chuckled. "Finally!"
"Rei?" Usagi scoffed. "In a good mood? Ha!"
"Did you have a rough day at your shrine, Rei-chan?" Mamoru asked.
The miko shook her head. "Absolutely horrible, Mamoru-san. Everything that could go wrong did."
"It got even worse when Hino-sensei caught Rei having a cigarette in the park this afternoon" the apprentice chuckled. "I was worried for a minute there that world war three was about to start!"
"Well... at least it's finally out in the open now" Rei said. "Anyway, it isn't an issue. I know the thought of me smoking still bothers Ojii-chan, so I'll try to be more discreet in the future."
"That's a nice thing to do for Hino-sensei, honey" Yuuichirou said.
"I only have one grandfather" Rei replied quietly. "And he's done so much for me... I love that stubborn old man dearly." She kissed Yuuichirou's cheek and stood. "I'm going to go freshen up, lover. l'll be back in a few minutes, so don't you dare go anywhere without me."
Yuuichirou smiled up at her. "I wouldn't dream of it, darling."
After she had left, Usagi leaned against her fiancee with a happy sigh. "Delicious food, wonderful friends and my Mamo-chan by my side. This day couldn't be any more perfect."
"I can think of something that would make it even better than perfect, Usagi-chan!" Minako spoke from deep within her Taro's embrace.
"I know just what you're thinking, Minako-chan!" Usagi grinned back. "And I agree." Both girls suddenly began to giggle.
Makoto muttered, "That's all we needed here tonight, Yuji honey. Two maniacs!"
"Mako-chan, I am not a-" The odangoed blonde stopped her indignant retort when the ground beneath the teens suddenly began quivering again. But this time the tremor rapidly grew, tipping over cups and glasses and making the old wooden house behind them creak and sway. A loud, ominous noise came from somewhere on its second floor.
"Earthquake!" Usagi screamed, flinging her arms tightly around Mamoru. "Save me, Mamo-chan!"
"This feels like a big one!" Yuji exclaimed in alarm. Remembering Setsuna's warning, he tightly grasped Makoto's hand in his. "Don't let go!" he told her. "We'll get through this thing together!"
"Oh my! This is quite powerful!" Ami gasped. She immediately felt her Ryo's arms wrap protectively around her.
The earth rippled and heaved violently beneath them, producing a squeal of alarm from Minako. "Taro-love!"
"Somebody make it stop!" Usagi wailed, squeezing her eyes tightly closed in sheer panic.
Yuuichirou struggled to get to his feet despite the continuing strong tremors. "I have to find my Rei!" Another jolt sent him staggering but he recovered, determined to reach the house and the girl he loved. "Rei-chan!"
Nearby, the kitchen window glass shattered with a loud bang, sending jagged shards flying lethally onto the lawn.
"Minna, hang on!" Mamoru urged. "We just have to ride it out!" They heard a low rumble as the ground shifted back and forth in undulating waves that blurred their vision.
Another ten seconds of terror and the quake began to ease, until all again was eerily silent.
The teens cautiously stood up. "That was a big one" Yuji breathed in relief.
"Ohh! I feel seasick!" Usagi groaned.
Mamoru told the other boys, "Let's go see if Rei and Yuuichirou need our help!" Unheeding the risks, they ran inside the weakened structure with their girls following close behind.
"Yuuichirou-chan! Where's Rei?" the university student called out from the living room.
Inside the windowless upstairs bathroom, Rei had been drying her hands when the quake struck. She dropped the towel and clutched onto the rim of the sink for dear life while the entire structure swayed and moaned around her. With a sudden clatter, the shower's curtain rod broke free and dropped to the floor. The light above the vanity mirror flickered, then went off, leaving the raven-haired girl standing in total darkness.
Soon after the shaking stopped, she heard footsteps thundering up the stairs. "Rei-chan! Darling! Are you ok?"
"I'm unhurt, honey" she reassured her fiancee. "It's really dark in here. I can't even see where the door is."
The knob turned but the door stubbornly refused to yield. Yuuichiruo repeatedly put his shoulder hard against it, without success.
The miko heard her fiancee's worried voice reply to Mamoru's distant call. "She's safe, Mamoru-san! Rei's still in the bathroom, but the door is jammed tight. I can't get it open!"
"We're on the way!" Mamoru turned to Yuji and Ryo. "Lead the girls back outside! The house may be badly damaged! Taro, come with me!"
"Hai!"
The bathroom light briefly came on again, much dimmer than usual this time as the miko heard more footsteps thumping up the curved stairway toward her. This time, the bulb's faint glow was accompanied by a sharp crackling noise from somewhere behind it. Rei pulled hard on the door handle. "Yuuichirou-chan, I think I smell something burning in here." To her dismay, the bulb again went dark and blackness suddenly returned.
Unnown to the miko or her friends, wires in the bathroom light fixture had broken free during the tremor. They shorted together, producing a shower of blue sparks deep within the wall. A heartbeat later a tiny flame appeared, spreading quickly to an adjacent wooden frame.
"We'll have you out of there in a minute, darling!" the apprentice yelled through the thick door. "We're going to try forcing it open. Stand back!"
His love's sudden alarming reply sent an ice-cold shiver down the young man's spine.
"Yuuichirou-chan! I think the bathroom is on fire!"
. . . . .
Chapter 7:
Upon hearing Rei's warning about fire, Yuuichirou attacked the door like a madman. The desperate teen threw his body against the wood with every ounce of his might. With Mamoru and Taro on either side, they kicked and pushed along with him. Though the door creaked loudly in protest, it stubbornly refused to yield.
"Impossible!" the apprentice shouted in disbelief while beads of sweat dripped from his chin. "No door is this strong!"
"It must be interference from that second dimension!" Taro realized. "It's as though there are two doors in one space!"
Rei's muffled voice was trembling. "The wall above the sink is glowing!"
"Rei-chan, can you still breathe ok?" Mamoru asked.
"Hai, the air is still clear enough but... it's getting worse! Please get me out!"
Yuuichirou rammed his shoulder against the door so viciously he bounced off and fell to his knees. Winded and gasping for breath, he was helped to his feet by Mamoru.
"I can see flames now!" The raven-haired girl was as near to complete panic as she had ever been before. As Sailor Mars, she relied on her powers as well as her miko training to help her stay confident through a battle, but without her henshin wand she felt utterly, hopelessly vulnerable. "It's so hot in here!"
"Rei-chan, get in the bathtub and turn on the shower!" Mamoru ordered.
The miko did as he instructed but opening the tap yielded scarcely a dribble. "There's no water!" Her slender fingers touched her engagement ring and the girl thought of the happy future it once promised, but which now seemed lost forever.
Outside the house, the remaining teens heard the muffled shouts from inside and wondered why their friends had not returned with Rei. Ryo soon noticed the peril the miko was in as the white paint on the second floor began to bubble and blacken. "That looks bad! Ami-chan, I think the house is on fire!"
Realizing their friend was in grave danger, the teens rushed back inside the dwelling, leaping once more over the overturned pots and broken plates littering the kitchen floor and sprinting to the bottom of the stairs.
They were horrified to find the three boys above them nearing exhaustion. "Door's still stuck!" Taro managed to wheeze.
"Minna, find our henshin wands and transform!" Minako ordered. "Maybe we can blast that thing open!" The girls began a frantic search for their purses amid the rubble and dust.
Despite his fading strength, Yuuichirou refused to give up. He thudded against the obstacle again and again, leaving red blood stains from his raw knuckles on the painted wood.
"Minna, leave me." Rei's final request was surprisingly calm but insistent, as though she had found a deep inner peace and resigned herself to her fate. "Get out. Save yourselves before the whole house goes up."
"No!" Yuuichirou gasped. "I won't leave you! Not now, not ever!" With tears streaking down his face, he lunged forward again, but his effort was fruitless. His remaining energies all but spent, he collapsed against the door and pressed his fingertips against it. "Rei-chan!"
Her faint reply was overflowing with tenderness. "I love you, Kumada Yuuichirou. Please remember me."
"Minna, stand aside!"
Taro and Mamoru whirled around to find Sailor Moon standing at the top of the stairs.
Mamoru nodded, grabbed Yuuichirou by his shirt collar and dragged him away from the door. Taro also scrambled out of the way, allowing Usagi a clear shot. "Give it your best, Sailor Moon!"
"Hai! MOON TIARA ACTION!"
The mystical golden weapon carved effortlessly into the wood, turned and sliced its way out again before returning to Usagi's hand. The blonde Moon Senshi unleashed a second attack against the door and then a third before finally stepping back.
"Try it now!" the lunar warrior urged.
Yuuichirou hit the door like a battering ram. The gashes made by Sailor Moon's attacks had weakened the door just enough and it began to splinter, then finally yielded, flying open with a hollow thump. The Shinto apprentice rushed in, gathered his kneeling Rei into his arms, and carried her quickly into the hallway. Behind them the inner wall of the bathroom crackled with intense heat and flame.
"We'd better get out of here while we still can!" Mamoru took Sailor Moon's hand and lead the group downstairs. They were shocked to see Sailor Mercury running past them, directly towards the fire.
"Mercury, go back!" Sailor Moon ordered. "It's not safe!"
"I have to try something first!" the blue-haired water Senshi replied. Reaching the bathroom, the teens downstairs heard her invoke a familiar command.
"SHABON SPRAY!"
A cascade of water blasted into the room, gushing into the burning wall. The girl's gamble paid off as her attack soaked the old house's frame, extinguishing the flames instantly. Satisfied with the result, she detransformed downstairs and followed her friends outside.
Yuuichirou held his beloved tightly in his arms, his body still trembling. The two young soulmates lingered silently for a time in a sweetly tearful embrace while the other teens looked happily on. "That was... too close" Makoto breathed in relief.
. . . . .
The following Friday afternoon found Hino Rei sitting at one end of the study table within the shrine's living area, along with Usagi and Minako. The miko offered, "Can I get you anything else, Usagi-chan? Anything at all?"
Usagi vigorously shook her head from behind an collection of empty soda bottes and crumpled chip bags. "No thanks, Rei-chan. I'm already stuffed!"
"I really want to thank you again for-"
"No need to. Anything for a best friend" the blonde smiled warmly. "Don't mention it." She added a moment later, "Although... there is one other little thing you could do."
"Just name it."
"Stop being so nice to me!" Usagi laughed. "It's not normal! You're creeping me out!"
Rei grinned back. "If you insist."
The door across the room slid open and Makoto entered, along with Ami.
"What did the insurance company say, Mako-chan?" Minako asked breathlessly as they took their usual seats at the table. "I really hope it's good news!"
The tall brunette was all smiles. "Minna, the damage is fully covered! They've already hired people to fix up the place and soon it'll be as good as new."
"Yay!" Minako erupted in an exuberant cheer, joyfully flinging her hands in the air.
"That is great to hear" Rei agreed. "But why were you so worried, Minako-chan? It wasn't your home that got damaged."
"Because, silly! My honey-muffin and I still need that place to go for our romantic love-weekends together!"
"Actually, it is her house, Rei-chan" Makoto corrected the miko. "In a sense, it belongs to all of us." She then told her future sister-in-law the bad news. "You may have to put your love life on hold for a while though. The repairs will take at least two weeks, Minako-chan. Maybe even three."
Minako stared at the brunette in comically wide-eyed horror. "Three weeks? That's an eternity! How will my Taro-love and I survive?"
Usagi snickered, "Looks like you're going to have guests at your apartment the next few weekends, Mako-chan!"
"Hai" Makoto sighed. "I kind of expected as much." She suddenly grimaced. "My poor sofa!"
"But... what about the ants?" Minako pouted.
Wearing a devilishly wide grin, Makoto leaned across the table and looked her friend straight in the eye. "No problem, Minako-chan" the brunette said. "Just tell them they aren't allowed to watch."
. . . . . . . . . .
Note: To anyone who's gotten this far in my crazy series, a heartfelt thank you!
Next up is 'Happy Birthday, Taro-Love!'.