Midair Rescue
The senshi were dealing with a very strong and smart youma. Their fight was the most dangerous one they have had yet with just a single youma. The creature was in control of an airplane and they were high up in the sky. Every time one of the girls got close, it would do a corkscrew in midair, causing the senshi to fall, flip, and roll around. Sailor Mars was irritated more than anything, "Is there any way to stop this thing without getting flipped around like pancakes?"
"We can't take one step forward without that thing spinning the plane. From the looks of it...this youma seems to be flying the plane towards the city. If we were to fry the circuitry, then it would kill the engines and would cause us to all fall towards the water instead of the city," Mercury said.
"Leave that to me," Jupiter said, smiling, "I can short out that panel in no time." The brunette dodged an attack the youma threw at her, then called forth her power, "Supreme Thunder!"
The lightning coursed through the mechanical engineering before killing the engines. The plane slowly began losing control of the engines. The senshi grabbed parachutes and buckled themselves in. Mercury buckled herself in time for the plane to jerk violently, causing the blunette to lose her balance and go tumbling forward, hitting her head hard against the floor, knocking her unconcious.
"Mercury!" they yelled, trying to go to her. The plane began tilting, causing the unconcious ice senshi to slide out of the open hatch.
Jupiter yelled, "No!" Without a second thought, she jumped out of the plane. She didn't hear the others calling after her, she didn't even hear the plane explode after everyone jumped out. All she heard was her heart hammering in her chest. She straightened her arms to her sides against her body, diving further to reach her unconcious friend. Once she closed the distance, she grabbed hold of her and pulled her close, attached the blunette's parachute straps with her own, and latched everything tightly. The brunette pulled the string of her own chute, causing hers to open automatically, holding them both up.
The other three senshi cheered. "Way to go Jupiter! You saved her!" she heard Venus yell. When Jupiter was about to yell thanks to her , the parachute jerked suddenly. She looked up to see the cables were unthreading. She then looked down below them to see that they were a couple of miles from the shore. Jupiter looked back to Mercury before taking her arms out of the straps, the buckle around her waist holding her up. She smacked Mercury across the face a few times, not enough to hurt her, but enough to wake her.
"Huh? What? What happened?"
"You were knocked out from a hard fall and fell out of the plane. I jumped out and got a hold of you and strapped your chute to mine...but now we have a big problem. The cables are breaking trying to hold us both. We are still about a couple thousand feet in the air...we are right over the water," she explained.
"We'll make it...don't worry," the blunette said.
"No...you'll make it."
Mercury looked at her, shocked and scared by those words, "What do you mean? What about you?"
"I'm sorry Ami-chan...but only one of us will make it out of this alive...and it's going to be you..."
"No! Just hold on! I'll think of something!" Mercury yelled, tears sliding down her face at what the brunette was saying. She was frightened that she was going to lose her.
"There's no time..." Jupiter put her hand on the buckle across her waist then looked at Mercury sadly, "I'm sorry."
"Jupiter no!" she yelled.
The brunette clicked the buckle, unfastening her from the chute, and began free falling. She looked down, seeing the water getting much closer. Jupiter closed her eyes, bracing for impact. The last thing she heard was Mercury's agonizing scream before she hit the water. Everything went black after that.
~5 days later~
Ami sat, typing away at her computer, trying to find something, anything that could help Makoto. She had not slept since the incident and vowed not to sleep until she woke up. The blunette had to perform surgery on her. She had to remove the broken ribs that got dangerously close to puncturing her lungs, had to remove a metal rod that had struck through her chest, and had to pull shrapnel out of her arm. Ami was so scared because she had no idea what she could do to help her further. She broke out of her train of thought when she felt a hand on her shoulder. When she looked up, she saw Minako.
"Ami-chan...you're working yourself to death. You need to rest," she said.
The blunette sighed, "I can't. If I don't figure out what I can do to help wake Mako-chan, then she could die."
"Ami-chan...if you don't sleep, you will die. The body needs rest. Please...if you want to help Mako-chan...then you have to sleep."
"But-"
"No," Minako interrupted, "she risked her life to save you. Nearly got herself killed so you would be able to live. She knew the consequences of her actions. She knew she could die...but she did it to save you."
"But why me? She would have done it for anyone...but why me specifically? Are you insinuating something?" Ami asked.
"Geez Ami-chan! Do you really not understand why she would risk her life for you day in and day out? Even though she knows it could kill her?"
"No I don't. Please...tell me why."
"Because she loves you! My gosh she's been in love with you since she met you. She sacrifices herself all the time...because she wants to protect the one she loves...you," Minako said sadly.
"But...what's so special about me?"
The blonde calmed down significantly at the timid question and was about to answer when she was cut off. "Everything," a voice said from behind her. The two turned to look only to see Makoto standing there, leaning against the wall, looking their way.
"Mako-chan! You're awake?" Ami asked, running to her side in an instant.
"Yeah...I woke up and heard talking. I'm sorry I worried you Ami-chan," she said, having a bit of trouble breathing due to the pain.
"Let's get you back to bed. With your injuries, you will have to rest for quite a while," Ami said, leading the tall girl back to her room.
Makoto followed and got back in bed carefully. She looked at Ami, "Ami-chan...you haven't been sleeping?"
The blunette looked away, "Well...I've been trying to find a way that would help you recover...at the time, you were still unconcious."
The brunette looked down before looking back at her, "Ami-chan...are you mad at me?"
Ami looked at her, seeing the sadness in her eyes that she hadn't seen in years. She sighed softly, "No Mako-chan...I'm not mad at you...I just wish you wouldn't be so reckless and risk your life for me all the time. I know it's always the spur of the moment thought and that you act on impulse...I get that. I guess I just want to know...why? Why do you risk your life like you do?"
"So I can save you."
Ami looked in her eyes, "There's more to it than just saving us...isn't there."
Makoto nodded, "Yes...I know it's not healthy and it is dangerous...but I do it so I can save you. I couldn't save my family...I couldn't save friends that I have lost over the years due to violent, domestic crimes...but I can save you, Usagi-chan, Rei-chan, Minako-chan, Mamoru-kun, Haruka-chan, Michiru-chan, Hotaru-chan, Setsuna-san...even your mother. I can save you all from having to feel the heartbreak of you all losing your families or them losing you all. I risk my life...because I don't want to lose the only family I have left." Tears built up in her eyes as she finished.
The blunette sat there, momentarily speechless, taking in everything she just said. She saw the brunette grab a picture from her nightstand, the last picture of her with her parents when she was very young. She saw the tears slide down her usually strong face. The girl looked so broken and lost. Ami finally understood. She placed her hand on top of the brunette's own. When the girl looked at her, the blunette smiled, "I understand Mako-chan...but...we would still feel that heartbreak."
"How?"
"If you died, we would all mourn the death of our friend. No...you are more than just a friend to all of us. You're more special than you give yourself credit for. You see...to us...you're everything. For Usagi-chan, you are the one that always stands by her, whether it be for silly things or serious things, you are always there to support her. For Rei-chan, you are a listening ear when she has a lot on her mind. You listen to everything she says and even give her some great advice. For Minako, you are a kindred spirit. You and she are alike in many ways and she knows that she can go to you to ask questions that we wouldn't be able to give the answers to. You are a second daughter to my mother. You are like a little sister to Haruka-chan and Michiru-chan because they can relate to you. Hotaru-chan looks up to you as a role model. Setsuna-san...I think she's a bit intrigued by you but she loves you all the same. You see...you are everything to all of us...even when you think your life is meaningless," Ami explained.
"What about you?"
"Huh?"
"You named everyone except yourself...what am I to you?" Makoto asked.
Ami smiled, "You're my best friend. You are always there when I need you and are always willing to help. You found a way to break down the walls I built for so many years. We stay with each other all the time, we have dinner together, and we always spend time together. You were there with me when my father decided he wanted to try and take me from my mother. You were there with me in court when he was put in jail for attempted kidnapping. You are always there for me."
"I guess the same could be said for you...you are always there for me. You always take time out of your busy schedule to be with me on the anniversary of my parent's deaths. You have seen me on my best and my worst days...and you never once judged me," she said.
"Is that when you...fell in love with me?" Ami asked, "Minako had told me..."
Makoto smiled, "I know...I heard. Actually...no. I was attracted to you from the first time we met. I knew I had feelings for you when we danced at that college dance. I came to terms that I was in love with you a few years ago. It was a couple of months after the dance. It was the 10th anniversary of my parent's deaths...you and your mother had come over to be with me. You had called and asked if we could spend the day together and I agreed, forgetting what day it was. When you and your mother came in my apartment...you found me on the floor in my bathroom...knife in my abdomen...and blood on the floor. I had passed out from the blood loss. I woke up in the ICU. When I looked around, you were there, holding my hand, crying and begging for me to be alright. I almost thought I was dreaming. When I said your name, you shot up and hugged me right then and there. I almost didn't believe it. When you let go you were asking me if I was okay, if I needed anything, if I was in pain...and the only thing I could do...was look up at you and ask why. Why you were asking me this, why you weren't furious with me, why you were worried...I tried to ask all that...but all that came out...was why. You just smiled and said, 'I know...it's okay.' It may not have been a long detailed paragraph...but those four words spoke volumes to me. Those words told me...I know you're in pain. I know it's a lot to handle. I know you were scared. I know you want the pain to stop. It's okay, because I'll be here when you need me. It's okay to be scared. It's okay to want be with your family again. Those words...they told me that I wasn't alone. You gave me that hope that I didn't have to be alone anymore. That was when we started staying with each other all the time and always ate together. You seemed to know...that I needed you. And that's enough for me."
"Mako-chan...that was beautiful. I was terrified that night. I'm pretty sure I paced so much I left a permanent indentation in the floor where I walked. When my mother brought you out of surgery, I asked her every question under the sun. She said that I needed to calm down and just be there when you woke up. She said...at the moment...I was the one that needed to be with you. The others had sat in the waiting room for hours after that. We were all worried...but that was the time I can truly tell you that I got a glimpse of who you really were. You weren't the strong and confident girl I went to school with and fought with...you were a vulnerable, broken girl. Believe it or not...I didn't leave your side once," Ami said.
The brunette nodded, "I can believe that...I just wish I could have told you myself without you having to find out from Minako-chan."
"Well...why not tell me? I already know...but if you tell me...you will have my answer in return on how I feel," she offered.
"Um...okay. Ami Mizuno. I, Makoto Kino, am in love with you. Over the years, I found that I only ever feel complete when I'm with you. You make everything in my life better. And...even if you don't feel the same, I hope we can remain the best of friends and not let anything change and come between us," Makoto admitted.
Ami felt every word in her heart. She knew the tall girl would never lie about her feelings, so she knew that she needed to be honest about her own feelings for once in her life. She took a deep breath then looked at the brunette, "Makoto Kino. I...Ami Mizuno..." She looked at the emerald green eyes of the girl in front of her, and knew that she never wanted to be the one to cause them to lose their spark. Ami smiled, "I, Ami Mizuno, am in love with you as well. You know me better than anyone else, and you understand me. You always seem to have my best interests at heart. For so long, I have bottled up my feelings. I was never honest with myself about them...but now I know...I know I want to be the one that gets to wake up beside you. I want to be the reason you are happy, and always be there when you are sad. I want to be the reason you smile and laugh. I want to erase all the sadness from your life and just fill it with happiness. I want to be...the one that rescues you from yourself. If you give me this chance, I vow to never hurt you. I vow to love you until the day I die, whether it be tomorrow, or a thousand years from now."
Makoto started crying and she covered her mouth before smiling through the tears, "And I vow to protect you from any and all harm. I promise you, that you will always hold that special place in my heart...and no one else could possibly replace you. You are the only one I would ever want to be with, now and forever."
The blunette smiled before she stood and placed her hands on the tall girl's cheeks gently, looking her in the eyes, "I love you Mako."
"I love you Ami," she replied.
The two leaned forward and came together for their very first kiss. The blunette wrapped her arms around her neck and sat herself on Makoto's lap. The tall girl wrapped her arms around her waist, pulling her closer. A camera flash caused them to break apart from the kiss slightly and look towards the door.
Minako stood there with her camera with Rei and Usagi behind her, grinning at catching them kissing.
Makoto cocked an eyebrow then cut her eyes to Ami. She then smiled mischievously and rolled Ami over, pinning her onto the bed before leaning down and kissing her full on the lips. The blunette responded and immediately kissed back. They heard the door nearly slam shut as three blushing faces disappeared from view. The two giggled right after. Makoto looked at Ami, "Wanna get revenge on them for taking that picture?"
Ami smiled excitedly, "Sure...what will we do?"
"I think a food fight is in order," the brunette grinned.
"Then let's go while we can get the ammo."
The two girls snuck to the fridge and soon began reigning terror on the girls in the living room with spoonfuls of mashed potatoes, rice balls, and jell-o. They were happy and they were together. Surprising of what could come of a midair rescue.