Reunion
By Bashfulglowfly
Chapter 1
"Okay, so we all remember fighting Beryl and her Generals and their monsters and dying in the Artic, right?" Minako was speaking softly for once.
The other three nodded.
"But even though we remember those events, no one else does. As far as they're concerned, it's the same year." Said Ami.
"So this last year has been…rebooted?" ask Rei.
"Yes."
"This just makes my head hurt." Groused Makoto.
The bell above the door to the arcade dinged merrily. The four girls watched as Chiba Mamoru walked in, greeted Motoki-nii and sat down with his habitual cup of coffee that Motoki had ready even before Mamoru seated himself.
Rei looked at him with narrowed eyes. "Do you think that he remembers anything?"
"The only way we're going to find out is if we ask." Said Minako. "Mamoru-san! Mamoru-san!" The blond waved at him.
Mamoru eyed her for a moment then got up and walked over the group, carrying his cup of coffee. "What is it?"
Minako grabbed an empty chair and shoved it at him. "Have a seat." Mamoru hesitated for a moment. "Sit down. I won't bite. And I'll keep Rei from molesting you." She didn't even flinch at the kick she received.
Mamoru huffed a small laugh and sat down. "What is it?" he asked again.
"Do you remember anything after you disappeared in the Starlight Tower?" Minako stared at him, watching every nuance. "We never saw you again after that. What happened to you?"
Mamoru took a sip of coffee and carefully placed the cup on the table. "Well, that was certainly blunt." He paused for a moment. "So you know that, somehow, we are reliving this last year."
The girls nodded.
Mamoru sighed. "I don't remember what happened. I remember being attacked by Zoicite. I remember falling to the floor. Then I remember this light surrounding me. Next thing that I know is that I'm back in my room and somehow time had gone backwards." He shook his head and laughed softly. "I've stopped trying to wrap my head around, actually. Perhaps one day, I'll understand but if it's not meant to be then it's not meant to be."
Ami smiled softly. "I'm surprised you've given up trying to understand."
He grinned at her. "We're both a bit obsessive about certain things, aren't we? I just got tired of my head hurting."
Ami laughed. "Perhaps you're right. Some things are just not meant to be understood."
Mamoru stood up. "Enjoy the first day of school tomorrow."
"Again." Said Rei dryly.
"Maybe I'll get better grades because I'll already know what's on the tests!" said Makoto, perhaps not as hopefully as she could.
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Makoto slipped into the desk behind Ami's. "Well, so much for things repeating themselves."
Ami nodded. "We had different classes the last time, yet, this time, we are in the same class. So, we can't expect things to be the same."
Makoto nodded as she looked around the room. None of the boys in this class reminded her of her old boyfriend. She turned back to Ami "If things aren't going to be the same, I really hate to think what going to come and bite us on the butt this time around."
Makoto smiled as her serious friend closed her eyes and muttered "Selene help us!"
"Is this seat taken?" asked a sweet voice.
"No, it isn't." Ami turned to look and stared. She'd never seen this girl before but somehow she seemed so very familiar. She turned and looked at Makoto who had that same look.
"Oh, good." The girl was as blond as Minako with her hair in two balls on either side of her head, the rest of her hair in tails that flowed to her knees. She turned to them with a brilliant smile. "Hi, Usagi Tsukino…no, wait, sorry…Tsukino Usagi." She rolled her eyes. "I have to remember that names are done differently here."
"You went to school somewhere else?" asked Makoto curiously.
The blond nodded. "Yep, in Los Angeles. We lived there for the last eight years, so I don't really remember what it's like going to a Japanese school."
Ami tilted her head, "Why were you in the United States?"
"My dad's job. He got a really big promotion this time around and we had to come back here." Usagi said. She smiled a bit sadly. "I'm going to miss my friends. It's not going to be the same talking to them on Skype or email."
Makoto patted her on the arm. "Don't worry I'm sure that you'll make new friends here."
Usagi laughed. "That's what my brother said. He thinks I make friends a little too easily." She leaned closer. "Is it true about the teachers changing classrooms not the students?"
Ami blinked at her. "Yes. Only the teachers change. Students change classrooms where you went to school? That seems a little chaotic!"
Usagi nodded and widened her eyes. "Tell me about it! It's not fun trying to get past 4000 other students to get from one end of the school to the other!"
Makoto stared at her in horror. "Nothing must ever get done!"
"Well…" Just then the door opened and the teacher entered. Usagi grew silent and looked forward.
Ami watched as Usagi frantically took notes throughout the morning and look increasingly frustrated. When the lunch bell rang, Ami invited her to join Makoto and herself under a tree.
Usagi sat down with a sigh. "My head hurts."
Ami said carefully. "I noticed that you were taking lots of notes."
Usagi gave a wry smile. "Yeah. Even though we speak Japanese at home and my parents insisted that we attend a Japanese learning center twice a week so that we wouldn't lose language and whatnot when we had to return…it's obvious that I've lost a lot. Things are done a lot differently than what I'm used to."
Makoto and Ami traded a quick look. Ami turned to Usagi and said "Makoto and I and two other friends from other schools have a study group. You're welcome to join us."
Usagi gave them both a grateful look and a brilliant smile. "Thank you!" That was obviously heartfelt. "I really appreciate that. I'm going to need all the help I can get. Will your other friends object?"
Makoto shook her head. "I don't think so." Out of the corner of her eye, she could see Ami start to fiddle with something in her pocket. "If anything, Minako will try and find out everything she can about American boys."
Usagi laughed. "Which isn't going to be much. My dad and my older brother give the evil eye to any boy that looks at me twice." She gathered up her trash from her lunch. "Here, I'll take your trash and throw it away with mine." She took the other girls' items and bounced off.
"What are you doing?" hissed Makoto keeping one eye on Usagi.
Ami didn't even glance at her as she removed her Mercury computer from her pocket and began rapidly tapping on it. "There's something strange about her. I'm going to see if my computer can figure out what it is."
"Well, make it fast, she's coming back!" Makoto watched as Ami closed it up and placed it back in her pocket.
Usagi came running back and sat down. "So, what do you do for fun?" And until the bell rang the three girls discussed places to go and see in their area and around Tokyo.
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"There's Minako-chan and Rei-chan." Makoto pointed to the two girls who waited at the intersection.
"Let's see, you said Hino-san is the priestess and she has the long dark hair. And Aino-san is a volleyball player and is the blond." Usagi tilted her head and said musingly. "You know, Aino-san and I could pass for sisters or at least cousins."
"Yes, the two of you could." Said Ami. She was itching pull out her computer and see what it had determined about Usagi.
Minako waved wildly. "Hi! What took you so long? I could have had three different dates in the time it took you to get here!"
Rei rolled her violet eyes. "You're exaggerating again."
Minako pouted. "I could if I tried!"
Ami just shook her head at the effervescent blond. "Girls, this is Tsukino Usagi. Usagi-chan, this is Aino Minako and Hino Rei."
Usagi bowed politely. "Hino-san, Aino-san, it is a pleasure to meet you."
Ami watched closely as Rei's eyes narrowed as she looked at Usagi. Ami had known her fiery friend long enough that she knew Rei sensed something.
Minako laughed. "Don't be so formal. Call us Rei and Minako." She wrapped her arm through Usagi's and began walking down the sidewalk. "You and I could be cousins or sisters or something."
Makoto laughed, "That's what Usagi-chan just said!"
The five girls walked companionably to the arcade and entered. "That's Motoki-nii." Whispered Minako. "He makes the best chocolate milkshakes!"
Motoki waved. "Hello, girls! The usual?" He noticed Usagi. "Hello, you're new!"
Makoto quickly introduced them. Usagi smiled as Motoki asked her what she would like to drink. "I heard that you make the best chocolate milkshakes."
"Your first time here and you've already heard about my chocolate milkshakes?! I have a better reputation than I thought!" Motoki winked as the girls giggled. "Go sit down and I'll bring your drinks in a minute."
As they settled down, stuffing book bags under chairs and purses across the backs of chairs, Usagi said "He's kinda cute."
Makoto sighed. "Yeah, but he has a girlfriend."
"Oh."
Motoki walked up and placed glasses all around the table. "Let me know if you need anything else."
"Thank you!" chorused the girls.
Ami turned to Usagi. "Did you have any questions about our classes?"
Usagi gave her a heartfelt "yes" and books and notes were pulled out. The studying went on for about 30 minutes before Usagi looked up and saw someone walking by. "Oh, there's my brother!"
The other girls looked up as Mamoru walked in. And gasped in shock at who came in behind him.