Moon Revenge
This story follows soon after "Weekend at Mako-chan's".
Chapter 1:
"That's it!" Rei thumped a fist down on the study table, startling the other teenage girls out of their schooling-induced stupor. "How can anyone concentrate when you keep making that infernal racket, Usagi-chan? You're noisier than a string of new year's firecrackers!" Sitting to Rei's right, Usagi paused her loud munching, one hand deeply inside an oversized bag of shrimp-flavored chips.
"Sorry, Rei-chan. Would you like some?" She offered the bag to the miko but Rei waved it away.
"No, what I'd like is for you to stop feeding your face every time we study."
"I'll have a few more, Usagi-chan." Minako reached for the bag, only to freeze at Rei's withering glare.
"Don't encourage her, Minako-chan! It would be great to actually learn something today and get a decent grade on the next exam. That's not going to happen if you add to the din she's making."
Across the table from Usagi, Makoto chuckled. "Grades? Exams? Rei-chan, you're beginning to sound more like Ami every day."
"She's not like Ami at all, Mako-chan. Ami-chan would never be so mean and grumpy to her friends." Usagi reluctantly rolled the bag closed and dropped it on the center of the table.
"Thank you!" Rei said with a sigh of relief. "Maybe now we can finally have some peace and quiet."
"Where is Ami anyway?" Minako asked. "She's usually the last person who'd miss out on another chance to hit the books."
"Ami-chan said she'd be along later" Usagi replied, still eyeing her chip bag hungrily. "Something about Ryo coming over to her place with a surprise for her."
"Those two, always thinking of each other!" Makoto sighed. "It must be wonderful to be so deeply in love."
"If you want to know what true love really feels like, you only have to ask Usagi" Rei said.
"Why Rei-chan, that's very kind of you!" Usagi smiled happily, taken aback by the unexpected comment.
"I'm simply stating a fact, Usagi-chan. There's no truer love in the universe than the way you feel about food."
"Ohh! I just knew you couldn't say something nice for once!" the blonde spluttered.
The girls returned to their studies, only to be interrupted a few minutes later when Yuuichirou appeared in the doorway. He stuck his head inside the room, the worried frown on his face getting everyone's attention. "Minna, sorry to interrupt, but I just took a phone call from Ami. She's at the local hospital."
"My God! What happened to her?" Rei gasped.
"It's not her, Rei-chan" Yuuichirou continued. "It's Ryo. Ami said he was in some kind of fight with a gang or something. I couldn't understand everything she said, she was really upset, nearly crying. Ryo got hurt but I don't know how badly. She asked if you could come."
Without another word, the four girls leapt to their feet and ran to the door, quickly pulling on their shoes. "Should we take a taxi?" Minako asked.
"It's not that far. We'll get there sooner if we run" Makoto replied grimly. "Ok, let's move it." Their studies forgotten, the teens sprinted toward Juuban Secondary General Hospital.
. . . . .
A nurse at the admissions desk checked her paperwork and sent the anxious girls to the third floor. Ami left her bedside chair as they entered Ryo's room, her eyes still rimmed red from tears. "Minna, thank you so much for coming." Her boyfriend lay sleeping, a splint visible on one finger of his left hand and an ice pack across part of his chest.
Usagi gave her distressed friend a hug. "What happened, Ami-chan?"
"Ryo-kun was on his way to my house, he said he had a surprise to give me after school. When he didn't show up, I became worried and went looking for him. I found him in an alley not far from his home." The blue-haired girl's voice trembled as she relived the experience.
"How bad is he hurt?" Rei asked softly.
"The doctor said he has a concussion and several bruised ribs. And a broken finger as well. They took x-rays and sedated him just before you arrived."
Makoto's hands spontaneously began to clench. "Who did this to him, Ami-chan? Was he able to tell you?"
"He said there were three guys in their early twenties hanging out beside an alleyway he was walking past. They saw a package in his hand and told him to give it to them. Ryo didn't think they were serious and refused. That's when they dragged him into the alley and attacked him."
"Three against one? Those bastards!" The rage in Makoto's voice cut the air like a knife.
"Ami-chan, the important thing is that his injuries don't sound too serious" Rei tried to comfort her friend. "I'm no doctor, but I'm sure he'll be back on his feet very soon. He was probably just in the wrong place at the wrong time. Tokyo has its share of troublemakers and it's unfortunate that he crossed their path today."
Ami retook her seat beside the boy and gently caressed his cheek with her fingertips. "Ryo is so kind and gentle, he would never hurt anyone. How can something like this happen to him?" As her heart ached for her love, the shy girl's normally soft, sweet voice changed, becoming cold and edged with anger. "I'll find out who did this. I'll find out and they will suffer for hurting him." Emotion welled up once more within her and Ami began to sob softly.
Usagi placed an arm around the girl's quivering shoulders. "Ami-chan, please promise me you won't do anything rash, ok? Let the police take care of it."
Rei nodded, "For once I have to agree with Usagi, Ami-chan. Let the professionals handle this."
"To hell with the professionals!" Makoto spat out the words in a near-yell. "There's a good chance they'll never find the people that hurt Ryo, and I for one refuse to stand idle while a good friend gets beat up by some pack of worthless thugs! Ami-chan, when Ryo is awake and feeling better I want you to ask him what his attackers look like. We'll find out who they are, we'll track them down, and I guarantee there will be hell to pay!"
Rei looked at her taller friend with alarm. "Mako-chan, you're not suggesting-"
Makoto abruptly cut her off with a steely gaze. "Whatever it takes, Rei-chan. Whatever it takes."
Chapter 2:
A nurse entered the room a few minutes later to check on her young patient's condition. Satisfied with what she found, she asked, "I"m sorry but I must ask everyone to leave now. Visiting hours are nearly over and Urawa-san needs his rest." Reluctantly the other girls agreed and left the room, Ami lingering a moment longer to place a tender kiss on her boyfriend's forehead. "Please look after him" she asked the nurse. "I'll be back tomorrow morning."
"Don't worry, we'll take very good care of him, Mizuno-san. Your mother will be starting her shift shortly and I'll let her know about your friend as soon as she arrives on the floor."
Ami whispered to the still-sleeping young man, "I'll see you very soon, my Ryo-kun" and after a final gaze at her love she joined her friends in the corridor.
"Ami-chan, we don't want you to be alone right now" Usagi said. "Do you mind if we visit with you at your place for a while?"
"Please do. You are all such wonderful friends, thank you all for being there for me." The teens took an elevator to the ground floor and left the hospital, heading towards the Mizuno residence.
As they walked along, Rei whispered to Makoto, "Mako-chan, what exactly did you mean back at the hospital? Everyone's upset by this tragedy, but you still shouldn't take the law into your own hands."
"No? Just watch me."
"You may only make things worse, Mako-chan. Supposing you find the people that hurt Ryo, what then? Even if you beat them up, they'll still be around. And what if they take it out on Ryo the next time they see him? I think it would be a mistake to-"
"To do what, Rei-chan? So you're saying we should pretend nothing happened? I'm sorry but that's not acceptable. Not to Ami-chan, and not to me." As they talked, the two girls lagged behind their friends. "I'm not worried about Ryo getting hurt again by those punks. When I'm done with them, they won't be able to hang around causing trouble ever again."
Her concern growing by the minute, Rei stopped and placed her hand on Makoto's shoulder. "You can't kill them, Sailor Jupiter. That would be so very wrong, it's against everything the Senshi stands for."
"Did I say anything about killing them? I'll deal with them in my own way, Rei-chan. If you want to help, that's great. If you don't, all I ask is that you do not interfere." Makoto continued walking and Rei's hand slipped off the brown-haired girl's shoulder.
. . . . .
Ami unlocked the front door of her home and went inside, finding the house empty. "We must have missed Mama at the hospital. Please, everyone come in and make yourselves comfortable." She slipped off her shoes and walked to the sofa, her friends sitting beside her.
"Let me get you some tea, Ami-chan" Makoto volunteered. "You just sit there and try to relax."
"That's ok, Mako-chan" Ami shook her head. "I'm not very thirsty." Ami reached toward the table beside the sofa and picked up her car keys. The blue and silver Mercury emblem on the key fob sparkled in the light of a nearby lamp and she ran her fingers gently over the metal symbol. "Ryo-kun gave me this" she said, her voice strained and hollow. "He's the kindest, sweetest boy I ever met." A tear ran down her cheek. "And I love him so very much!" She leaned forward and began to cry, clutching the keychain tightly.
Usagi's heart ached at the sight of her dear friend's anguish. She slipped her arm around Ami. "It's all right, Ami-chan. Everything will be ok."
Chapter 3:
"You said you couldn't reach Ryo's parents earlier, Ami-chan. Why don't you try calling them again" Minako suggested.
"His father is out of town on business, and I didn't get an answer when I phoned his home from the hospital. I'll try again, perhaps his mother has returned home from her office by now." Ami dabbed her eyes dry and went into another room to use the phone.
With Ami out of earshot, Rei tried once more to defuse Makoto's often volatile temper. "Mako-chan, hear me out. I understand how upset everyone is. I am too. But we shouldn't charge blindly into a situation like this. All I'm asking is to give it a little time. Ryo is supposed to be released from the hospital later tomorrow, and when that happens I think both you and Ami will feel a lot less need for revenge."
"I'm not making any promises, Rei-chan. You know my feelings on this."
. . . . .
The next afternoon, at the hospital:
"Konbanwa! You certainly look a lot better today, Ryo-chan!" Usagi entered the boy's room to find Rei and Makoto already there, and Ryo sitting fully dressed on the edge of his bed. "Are you ready to escape from here? Hospitals are so depressing!"
"I'm ready, Usagi-chan. I just have to wait for the final release from my doctor. Ami-chan is talking to her now." He shifted his position slightly, hiding a grimace as his chest throbbed uncomfortably.
"What kept you? You should have been here ages ago" the miko grumbled. "And where's Minako?"
"I don't know where she is, Rei-chan" the blonde shrugged. "She isn't at the shrine, I just came from there."
"She's becoming more like you every day, Usagi-chan" Rei teased. "Are you sure you and her aren't sisters or something?"
Ami trailed her mother into the room, looking considerably more relieved now that her boyfriend was back on his feet. "How does it look, Mizuno sensei? Will I live?" Ryo asked the doctor with a wry grin.
"I think you will, Ryo-chan" Mizuno Saeko chuckled. "I've signed your release and you're free to go." She slipped her glasses off and left them dangling from their strap. "Remember the instructions I gave you regarding pain medication, and make sure you get plenty of rest at home. The bruising wasn't severe but those ribs will still feel uncomfortable for a week or so. If you have any questions, have Ami call me, ok?"
"I understand, Mizuno-sensei."
"Ami-chan, I should be home after six tomorrow morning. I'll see you at breakfast." She placed a hand on her daughter's shoulder and smiled. "And stop worrying. Your boyfriend will be fine."
Ami nodded and thanked her mother, and after saying goodbye to the other girls, Doctor Mizuno left the room.
Usagi grinned at the boy. "Some day, you won't be calling your doctor 'Sensei' or 'Isha' anymore, Ryo-chan. You'll be calling her 'shuutome'!"
The other girls giggled as Ryo smiled shyly at Ami. "That would be wonderful."
His girlfriend blushed as she took her boyfriend's arm. "Come on, Ryo-kun. Let's get you into the car and safely home."
Downstairs, Ami gingerly eased Ryo into the front passenger seat before turning to her friends. "Minna, thank you again for your help. You made a very difficult time easier for both of us."
"That's what friends are for, Ami-chan" Makoto said. "Drive safely and we'll see you tomorrow morning at school." They watched the small light-blue car pull out of the hospital parking area and merge into traffic. As it disappeared from sight, Rei sighed, "Well that's one less thing to worry about. Let's get back to the shrine."
"Sorry, Rei-chan, but there's some business I have to take care of first. I'll see you later." Makoto turned and began to walk away.
"Mako-chan," Rei called after her, "would this business of yours involve a visit to Ryo's neighborhood?"
"See you later" Makoto repeated without pausing. She rounded a corner and quickly disappeared from view.
Rei hesitated, struggling with conflicting thoughts. She knew Makoto's idea of vigilante justice was wrong, but she couldn't bear abandoning her friend to an uncertain and probably dangerous confrontation. It didn't take long for the miko to choose her path.
"Usagi-chan, you can go on ahead. I'll meet up with you at the shrine in a little while." Rei grinned, "You need the extra study time more than I do!"
"What are you doing, Rei-chan? You're going to follow Mako-chan, aren't you? I don't think you should-"
"Go to the shrine!" Rei ordered the blonde. "Now, please!" As Usagi watched, the miko followed Makoto's lead, walking away from her and off the hospital grounds.
. . . . .
Makoto slowed her pace as she neared the area where Ryo had been assaulted, her senses taut and alert. The area appeared relatively quiet, with few cars passing by and no pedestrian traffic. She scanned her surroundings cautiously and as she approached the alleyway, male voices could be heard echoing from somewhere inside. One of them was laughing. Makoto flattened herself against the wall of a three-storey building that formed one side of the alley and cautiously peeked around the corner. Several trash bins stood immediately inside the path, and less than a dozen steps further past, three men were talking.
"Hey Juro, what are you going to do with that junk? You going to try pawning it?" The man speaking appeared about twenty, well-built but somewhat scruffy looking. The person he addressed as Juro was a good three inches taller than him, perhaps a few years older and stocky. A third man looked on, this one somewhat shorter and thinner, with a scar that ran between his chin and an ear. Makoto suspected he may turn out to be the most troublesome of the group. The three were a near-perfect match with the descriptions Ryo had given her earlier, though she had avoided telling him why she had asked about his attackers.
Juro casually twirled a fine, thin loop of gold chain around one finger before flipping it high into the air. As it fell he snatched it into his hand and opened his palm to reveal a small gold heart hanging from the chain. "Are you kidding me, Kenta? Who'd give me any money for this crap? The stupid thing even has an inscription on it!" With a sneer he read the words printed on the small heart. "Dearest Ami. My heart is yours forever. Your Ryo." Laughing, he closed his hand tightly around the delicate jewelry. "Without that, it may be worth a few yen, but now? It's garbage." Makoto quickly yanked her head back out of sight as Juro abruptly turned toward the alley entrance. A few seconds later she heard a soft rattle, the sound of the chain striking the inside of one of the nearby trash bins.
Makoto forced down her rage and the sudden, nearly overpowering urge to rush into a fight with the hoodlums. Closing her eyes for a moment, she allowed her heartbeat to slow as she took steady, measured breaths. Her thoughts turned inward and the brown-haired teen mentally prepared herself for the encounter ahead.
. . . . .
Note: English translation of Japanese words used:
konbanwa = good evening
sensei = teacher or doctor
isha = doctor
shuutome = mother-in-law
minna = everyone
. . . . .
Chapter 4:
'Has she lost her mind?' Rei thought. Half a block away from Makoto, Rei slowed her pace and wondered if she should transform. 'Mako-chan is begging for trouble. I hope she knows what she's getting into.' A hand touched her shoulder and she jumped, whirling around to find Usagi standing behind her.
"Usagi-chan you idiot, I told you to go to the shrine!" Rei hissed. "Why don't you ever listen?"
"I'm not walking away from Mako-chan" Usagi whispered back. "I'm here for the same reason you are. She may need help."
"Well keep quiet then. And please stay back, ok? Mako-chan and I will handle this."
"Should we transform?" Usagi asked, keeping her voice low.
"We can't henshin out here in the open, someone will see us." At that moment, Makoto strode into the alley and out of sight of the girls. "I'm getting closer" Rei said. "Stay here!"
Still unnoticed by the men, Makoto reached into a trash bin and retrieved the necklace. Slipping it into her pocket, she raised her voice and confronted the thugs. "So you're the low-life scum that beat up a friend of mine."
Startled, the men turned to face the teenage girl. The one the others had called Juro laughed. "Well look at this! That little nerd sent a schoolgirl to rough us up!" His companions laughed and leered at her as he continued, "Go away, girlie. Before we have to hurt you too."
"So hurting innocent people is a game for you, is it?" Makoto stood defiantly and glared back. "Well the game's nearly over. How it ends is up to you."
Juro approached the brown-haired girl. "Did you hear that? She thinks she can scare us away." His right hand formed a fist as his friends laughed again. "I usually don't beat up little girls. But this time I'm making an exception." His voice became a growl, "I'm going to make you sorry you stuck your nose in our business."
Makoto's eyes narrowed. "Bring it on, tough guy."
Enraged, the punk pulled his arm back and swung hard at the teen. Makoto gracefully sidestepped the punch and grabbed his arm, twisting it tightly behind his back until he gasped in pain. Her other hand quickly followed up, jamming into the back of his head and shoving him face first against the wall.
Juro staggered away, a line of blood trickling from his mouth. "You little bitch!" He charged at her wildly, lunging for her neck. "I'll choke the life out of you!"
Anticipating the move, Makoto intercepted his hand and bent his wrist back until she felt a pop. Juro collapsed onto his knees and clutched at his broken wrist. A sharp cry of pain escaped his lips as he kneeled motionless before the brown-haired girl.
Rei arrived at the alley to see the second man reach into his jacket and whip out a knife. He came at Makoto, waving the lethally-sharp blade from side to side. "I'm gonna cut you good!" Taking a swing, the weapon missed Makoto by inches.
Standing her ground, Makoto grasped Kenta's outstretched arm and spun, twisting it over her shoulder. Untrained in martial arts, the second man struck the cement hard as the throw flipped him onto his back. Winded but still holding his knife, he swung it blindly and slashed the fabric of her skirt.
Makoto pulled the man's arm up tight and aimed her kick at his elbow. A sickening crunch and a scream followed as the joint dislocated. Kenta joined his friend face-down on the ground, immobile and yelling. He cursed the teenage girl and called out through gritted teeth to the third hoodlum. "Tsutomu! Kill her!"
Makoto took a step toward the scar-faced hood, preparing for another knife fight. She gasped as the thinner man pulled out a gun. Too far away to attack, she froze as Tsutomu flicked the safety off and pointed the weapon at her face. He sneered at the girl. "You're gonna die now!" His finger reached for the trigger as Rei and Usagi stood watching in horror from the alleyway entrance.
"CRESCENT BEAM!"
A shout from the top of the second, two-storey building was followed by a blinding shaft of energy. Perfectly aimed, the powerful beam partially severed Tsutomu's trigger finger and ripped the gun from his hand. It clattered to the ground as Makoto and Rei looked up in surprise. Sailor V stood at the roof's edge, surveying the damage with satisfaction.
"If I ever see you or your friends around here again, next time I won't be aiming at your hand! Do you understand?"
Despite their pain, the three defeated men looked toward the voice and trembled as Sailor V glared down at them. "Please stop!" Tsutomu gasped. "We've had enough! We'll leave you alone!"
"Stay away from this neighborhood, and everyone in it! That's my final warning!"
Gathering themselves up, the terrified trio half-stumbled and half-ran from the alleyway, past a stunned Rei and Usagi, and fled down the street.
Makoto smiled gratefully at Minako as she watched her close friend leap onto a stairway, then to the ground in front of her. "Arigatou, Minako-chan. I owe you my life."
The blonde smiled back, her eyes twinkling beneath her red mask. "Don't mention it, Mako-chan. If it wasn't for that gun, I don't think I would have been needed!"
Usagi and Rei rushed up. "Mako-chan! Are you ok?"
Makoto regarded her torn skirt. "Nothing that a little sewing won't fix." She shook her head and grinned at the original Sailor Senshi. "I thought Sailor V was officially retired!"
Minako winked as she wagged her finger at the taller girl. "Mako-chan, Usagi and Rei were right. You should always leave these things to the professionals!"
"I had a feeling I'd find everyone here." The girls turned to see Ami entering the alleyway, smiling happily. The blue-haired girl was amazed to see Minako in her original Senshi form. "What's going on?"
"Nothing much, Ami-chan" Makoto laughed. "But I think it's safe to say those people who hurt Ryo will never bother him again!"
Chapter 5:
The four girls greeted Ami at the door of Ryo's home. "Sorry we're late, Ami-chan. You know how it is, trying to get Usagi to be on time for anything is utterly impossible." Rei ignored her friend's glare as they entered the house and slipped off their shoes.
The aroma of food from somewhere inside soon had Usagi sniffing the air appreciatively. "Something smells good, Ami-chan! Did you do the cooking?"
"Just the rice, Usagi-chan. The other food is from the take-out restaurant down the street" Ami apologized. "I should have made it all myself but there wasn't enough time after class."
"Thank you for inviting us over" Makoto said. "I know the place you're talking about and they prepare some excellent dishes there." The girls met Ryo who was already at the table and were happy to see that his recovery was progressing quickly.
"I owe it all to the wonderful care I'm getting" Ryo stated happily as he smiled at his girlfriend. "After all, I have my very own personal nurse to look after me."
"Let's eat!" Usagi blurted, quickly taking a chair. Rei made a point of sitting as far away from the odangoed blonde as she could and Usagi regarded her with disdain. "Good! You sit way over there, Rei-chan, and maybe then I'll be able to enjoy my dinner in peace."
"My thoughts exactly" the miko replied.
"Now don't start, you two" Makoto groaned.
. . . . .
After their meal, everyone converged on the small living room to relax and chat. While Ami was preparing more tea for the guests, Makoto sat beside Ryo at one end of his sofa. "Ryo-chan, I found something a couple of days ago that I thought you'd like to have." Reaching into her pocket she removed a neatly folded tissue and handed it to the boy.
"What's this, Makoto-chan?" Ryo unfolded the tissue and was stunned to find the gold chain that had been taken from him by the thieves. "The gift I was bringing to Ami-chan! How did you get this?" He could hardly believe the necklace was back in his possession.
"How and where isn't important" Makoto replied. "I'm just happy to see it back where it belongs."
"Arigatou, Makoto-chan" Ryo smiled happily.
"You know, you really should call me Mako-chan. Everyone else does!"
Ryo nodded. "Thank you for finding it, Mako-chan." The sincerity and gratefulness in his voice was the best reward the brown-haired girl could ever ask for.
Ami returned with fresh tea and Makoto moved to another seat so Ami could sit beside her boyfriend.
"Dinner was wonderful, Ami-chan. We'll treat you and Ryo to a nice meal in return soon, when he's back in good health" Minako offered.
"We both appreciate your help so much" Ami replied. "When Ryo-chan is better, how about we all go away on another weekend trip together?"
"Could we?" Minako enthused. "Ami-chan, that would be fantastic! Ryo-chan, please get better faster!"
Rei glared at her. "Nothing like pressuring someone, Minako-chan! And I'm still not sure how I can survive sitting beside Usagi in a car again, not to mention living under the same roof as her for a while."
"Don't listen to her" Usagi retorted. "Rei-chan will be happy to come along too. After all, it's not everyone who gets the honor of traveling with me."
"Honor? Is that what you call it?" Rei sneered. "I'd use a different word, Usagi-chan. The word torture comes to mind." Usagi replied by sticking out her tongue at the miko.
"Ami-chan, thanks to our wonderful friends, I can finish something I wanted to do a few days ago." Ryo removed the chain from the tissue and shyly offered it to his girlfriend. "It isn't much, but I hope you will think of me whenever you wear it."
Ami took the chain and read the inscription on its small gold heart, her eyes growing moist. "Oh! My Ryo-kun, it's beautiful! My love, you are always in my thoughts, every minute of every day." She leaned over and kissed him softly before fastening the golden links around her slender neck.
. . . . . . . . . .
Note: Next in the series is 'Senshi New Year'.