A/N: ^^ I think thunder, lightning, and ice calls to me more than the other senshi nowadays, so hopefully it'll come out pretty readable. XD There's. . . a bad word coming from Makoto, so that's kinda a warning. *grin* And since I kept coming back to this fic about five time, the whole plot changed DRASTICALLY in the past week. XD
DISCLAIMER: Naoko Takeuchi, your works are amazing! ^^ Sailor Moon belongs to you, truly, madly, and deeply. X3
Bubble Space
I don't need bubble space when I'm with you.
". . . Talk about crowded."
Ami Mizuno felt the restless crackle of unleashed energy coming from the tall brunette behind her. Smiling, the blue-haired genius pointed out the window, looking over her shoulder up into the warm green eyes of Makoto Kino.
Electric.
Shocking.
"Yes, but at least we have a good view."
Green eyes held her a moment before a gentle smile came to Makoto's lips. With a slight coloring to her, the pony-tailed girl replied, "Yeah, we do, don't we?"
Warmth coursed through Ami and she quickly turned back, nodding shakily. She was comfortable with Makoto to the point of being her one and only best friend, and Ami cherished that place in the tall girl's life.
But lately Ami had noticed that wild heat rushing into her more and more, especially being anywhere near Makoto or conversing with her. Placing a hand to the cool window of the train, Ami drew its chill to her forehead and tried to cool herself off.
A small jolt and the train stopped, letting on more passengers.
The two were headed to a new mall in the Hokkaido district, their Princess claiming they all needed a break but off-handedly putting in to check for youma. Since Makoto had generously offered to bring food and snacks, Ami had stayed behind with her to help. It was only an hour after their fellow senshi had left, and Ami and Makoto caught the next train to the new mall.
With the train stopped, the scenery was more clear; miles of farming fields and a few clusters of rice paddies focused into view. Even though Tokyo wasn't much on being a sight-seeing agricultural trip, the outskirts of the city showed true Japanese workers and their labor.
Ami checked her watch.
Only a half hour more and they'd pass through the muralled tunnel that was loaded down with creative art and old paintings, much like an underground sea cavern filled with old fossils.
Turning around to tell Makoto this, Ami felt her foot catch on one of the food baskets they'd bought. In less than a heartbeat Makoto was there, her concerned grip on her upper arms uprighting her gently.
"You okay, Ami-chan?"
Makoto steadied her, a hand resettling itself on her shoulder as one eased under her arm and down to her hip, balancing her completely. Emotions tore through Ami, about drowning the blue-haired girl in her best friend's scent, but before Ami could nod her thanks and okay, the train jerked to a run and Makoto was pushed up against her.
Makoto's hands slammed self-supportingly into the window behind her. If Ami was drowning a minute ago, she was submerged in heaven's hold now. Makoto was flushed tight against her from chest-down to foot, and Ami could sense that restless urge even more so now coming from her best friend.
Wiggling a bit, the Senshi of Ice peered over her partner's shoulder and realized her warm companion really had no room left to stand, the train was packed. Makoto squirmed a bit, but looked down into her eyes, her own green orbs reassuring as the Senshi of Lightning and Thunder smiled.
"Mako-chan, I've got a little bit of room here, you don't have to-"
Unbidden, the thought flashed.
"-get hurt protecting me."
At Makoto's shake of her head, Ami wanted to protest. Her best friend had always looked out for her, always, in battle and in everyday life when it came to matters of strength, and Ami opened her mouth to argue.
"You listen to logic, so let me tell you that first."
Makoto's playful grin eased the bluntness of her words even as the taller girl was pressed closer. Ami could only nod as heat circulated through her system. She was positive she was blushing, and definitely not from the heat of the train's compacted passengers.
Drawing herself together, Ami focused on Makoto's next words.
"If you DO give me that room. . ."
A short pause, then a clearing of throat as Makoto recalled what she was going to say after an insistent push for more room from behind.
". . . there's more chance of us being squished. You more than me, which is why bracing yourself is the ultimate way to go."
Suddenly a white haze caught her, and Ami had the wierd sense of Sight as she felt herself spiritually being laid horizontally and Makoto taking up the same position, bracing her muscles and gently coaxing Ami to- Ami to. . . her to. . .
"Ami-chan?"
Makoto's urgent call of her name had her snapping back to the present and Ami could only blush as the nearness of her friend affected her sanity.
What was happening. . .?
"The next time we get on this train, I want to be on-"
"-top."
"- *cough*- on the outside."
Her partner was shaking her head again, dark silky locks swinging entrancingly from side to side. Somehow the brunette's voice was deeper, huskier. . .
"No, Ami-chan. This position here suits me just fine. Besides, you're pretty soft, so it's almost like leaning into a cushion."
Squeezing her eyes shut Ami unconsciously recalled the time of a half hour. And right then the train entered the muralled tunnel, and with it came Hokkaido and the protective darkness that hid the sudden fire of her blush.
They were here.
000000000000000000000000000
"Thunder! Ami-chan, over here!"
After getting off the train in one piece, Makoto and Ami spotted Rei's waving hand, Minako and Usagi bouncing over to inspect the contents of their baskets. There was a rich aroma of brand new clothing and spices filling the air, and they were still standing at the Center Hall and not really immersed in actual goods.
Ami watched the blondes sneak cookies out and chuckled when Makoto bonked Usagi good-naturedly on the head, Rei dragging Minako away and scowling as the Senshi of Love crammed a cookie into the miko's open mouth.
"Now! We've got to split up and search for goodie- eh, youma! But first- FOOD!"
Laughing, Ami followed the three girls and smiled up at Makoto as the taller girl took the basket from her and nudged her playfully towards the others. The blue-haired genius didn't see the affectionate warmth in those electric green eyes.
Likewise, Makoto didn't see the odd silhouette blink out of sight on top of the town square's large clock overlooking the large map of the city.
"I'm going to go look for a bathroom. Will you guys be here in the next ten minutes?"
Makoto watched her friends look up at her briefly, then return back to their excited plans to look around the city. Rei and Minako gave smiling nods, Usagi eyed her picnic basket hungrily, and Ami gave her a responsible 'yes'. Grinning, Makoto reached down and ruffled Ami and Usagi's heads. Usagi might be hungry, but she knew her princess would be able to locate her with her sense of smell, whereas Ami her communicator.
"I'll look around for some land marks we could look at, so don't worry if I use up the whole ten minutes."
Turning, Makoto headed out for a nearby restaurant that had an open door welcoming customers and the occasional bathroom user. Poking her head inside the thin sheet of green curtain, the Senshi of Lightning couldn't help but smile at the scents of spices, ones that she's been able to tell from her earlier years with her parents.
"Excuse me? Do you have a bathroom that I could use in the back?"
Stepping inside when she heard a dim affirmative, Makoto glanced around at the forest-themed room. The floor was lined with comfortable padding that looked like moss and strewn with natural leaves to make it smell right. Plants stood out from the occasional ferns, yet to a normal customer who didn't have a clue as to what as what, it all looked the same: clear, earthy green.
Running a finger over the tabletop she passed by Makoto observed it was made from something akin to a largely cut tree, the rings that told of age faded but still in sight. The bark had been sanded down, but then one couldn't expect less.
"I'm sorry for the wait. The bathroom's in the back, and there are some free soaps if you care to take some. They're made out of some spices that come natural in these parts. Local advertisement, but we love to do it anyway."
Makoto smiled at the woman that appeared before her from the back of the restaurant. Green eyes twinkled in warmth, laugh-lines softening the harsh glare of her forehead, dark brown hair tied back severly in a ponytail. There was a scent to this woman, and Makoto could only place it as some sort of unique perfume tailed off of Jasmine.
Nodding her thanks, the Senshi of Lightning noticed a leather strip hooked around a lethal-looking claw as a necklace before going to the back and using the facilities.
The bathroom was just as nice as the outside of the restaurant. There were sample soap spices, as promised, and the area was just simply clean. Amusingly enough, it was designed to resemble something like an outdoor woods type of bathroom, with brown rough bark for the toilet. Smiling at the ingenious of it, Makoto stepped out into the hallway.
A customer walked past and 'ooh-ed' at the sight, sneakers bouncing a bit in delight at this new experience.
Coming back out into the main room, Makoto nodded to the woman she'd asked and voiced her thanks. Glancing at the non-neon cheer of a menu, the brunette asked for a glass of iced tea and drank deeply. Somehow the spring air outside spoke of the coming of summer, and the preheat came into the restaurant.
"This is an amazing place. I used to go out for walks in the forest around my old home a lot and this is the very same scent that was out there in the wild."
"Thank you. I've tried very hard to keep this restaurant running and pleasing the customers. I've heard a lot of compliments, but coming from a young girl like you instead of the normal passerby tourist stopping in for pictures- it's refreshing."
Nodding her understanding, Makoto finished her iced tea and rotated on the well-worn bark of a chair. Looking at the map on the wall, the brunette cocked her head.
"Are those all the sights around here?"
Green eyes twinkled in silent amusement, and Makoto caught those laugh-encased wrinkles twitching in a smile. The woman cocked her own head, nodding almost absently and looking at her full-on. There was a wisdom in those eyes, a wisdom that transcended age and beauty, though this woman had full well both.
"More or less. The public sights don't have many dangers, they've all settled down into comfort zones. Yet the woods, trees, nature- ask any plant or tree and they'll tell you of the Dark Ones. Others would call them youma. Like you."
Smiling, Makoto shook her head.
"Do you tell everyone this is they come asking for information?"
A slow shake of dark brown curls.
"Nope. Only you, Makoto. I DO presume you're a Kino? You've got that aura around you, the aura of protection. It's been a long time since I've seen my great grandaughter, but I should recognize you, after all these years."
Dumbfounded.
Makoto stared at the woman before her.
Dark brown hair, wrinkles, yes, and those knowing eyes, but no. It couldn't be. This woman couldn't even be above the age of fifty, and with two generations seperating her from Makoto, and the age of her parents, though young when they'd gave birth to her, it couldn't. . .!
"Yes, Mako-chan. I'm so sorry for your parents."
Slamming her fists into the counter, Makoto felt splinters spear into her wrists and lower palms. The woman before her seemed to waver in a kind of searing heat as her whole form changed, and green eyes never changed as her body took on the shape of an older woman, more plump, more wrinkled, but definitely of the same mold as the hair was let free of the tied ponytail and brown locks turned into a long white mane.
"G-Grandma. . .?"
Sweet laughter shook the air, and Makoto wondered at the current of electric power coursing through her.
"That's me, little Zeus."
Her heart thudding painfully in her chest, Makoto didn't notice the door solidifying and the room morphing into a real forest. There was a dim yell of fear in the background, but the brunette could only chalk it up to the nearby stores and the sharp sound of chopped wood. Everything around her took on a tinted green, trees shooting out of the ground and sprouting high, proud limbs strong and free into the evening sky. There lacked the sound of nature, but Makoto only had eyes for the woman before her, that shifting mass of wisdom coiling out of human form and sprouting into nature's will herself.
"Grandma. . .?"
Those green eyes peered out from the healthy aged bark, and Makoto realized she was looking at a magnificent oak tree, worn and brittle bark, and the root somewhat upturned a bit, but undoubtedly alive.
"I've missed you so much, little Zeus. You were such a precious baby, all bundled up in a light green blanket and your toes sticking out of the bottom. I was with you still all as an old woman and cast-out shaman. We had our last picnic here together, right under this tree, and I told your parents I would leave this earth the next day, and to throw my ashes here, so one day you'd all come visit me again. Your father and mother agreed, but since they couldn't because of the accident, I'm so glad you've come back, Makoto.
They were wonderful beings, your parents, and even though I've turned into a spirit and made a way about that restaurant, longing for a day where you'd come back for the last time, it was such a miracle you've made it here."
Makoto closed her eyes and sighed at the echo in her mind.
They were really in the outskirts of the nearby forest, and with the dim buzz of the city right near by, the brunette was thankful construction for it had stopped right here. Her grandmother had a soothing, warm voice, someone you could come to and cry for days and nights on end and the older woman wouldn't aggravate you for anything in the world. Smiling up at the tree, Makoto wrapped her arms around her great grandmother and wished she was someone who her grandmother could be proud of.
"I am proud of you, Makoto. As a chosen one of mother nature, I've had the great fortune to watch you and know you were safe, with each and every battle as a senshi and warrior to your Princess. Your parents would be so happy to see you as you are now. Independent, loyal, a good person. And as for your friends, they're the most wonderful friends you could ever have. That goes doubly for Ami-chan."
Flushing slightly, Makoto wondered at her great grandmother's knowledge.
"Spending how many decades as a Healer and Shaman and growing older as a tree root leaves you with mind benefits that are suitable to knowing my relatives. Don't worry, Makoto. Be yourself, and you'll find all the comfort and happiness you're looking for everyday. She's good for you, Ami-chan, and so are the others. It makes me so happy to see you all grown up and responsible."
A bit overwhelmed by her guardian, Makoto could only hug her more strongly as the words of acceptance and praise flowed through her. It had been so long, all her life and more that she'd yearned to know more about her family and ties with blood relatives, and her pact as a senshi and lover to nature only enhanced the connection between her great grandmother and her. Slowly drawing away, Makoto looked up into warm green eyes that shone with tears.
"I'll bring them over, Grandma, and you can meet them. I-I know that you might want to pass on right now, but it would make me so proud for me to introduce you to them."
Makoto yelled happily as a tree root suddenly came to life and swapped at her playfully. Jumping up and dodging the attack easily, brunette laughed and gave her great grandma a sweet peck on her cheek before taking off. Hurriedly stumbling over the other twigs and leaves of the forest, Makoto didn't see the dark figure that burst out of the undergrowth with a sinister sneer in those dark black eyes.
"So you really found your great grandmother after just walking into a nature's park restaurant? That's so cool, Mako-chan! Did they have any yummy snacks?"
Makoto grinned over at Usagi's drooling face. Nodding, the brunette led the way to the outskirts of the forest, Rei and Minako trailing behind and getting into a small game of foot tag. Ami had wandered off right after Makoto had left, supposedly interested in a cheap peddler who had carried a lot of rare books with him to sell. Lightning wielder wondered how the others hadn't done the same.
"Yeah, they had really yummy snacks, Usagi-chan. There were bark cookies, tea-leave biscuits, and iced tea."
While there HAD been those things on the menu, Makoto knew they were delicious in-of-itself, proof being her own cooking. Surely her great grandma held the secrets skills of cooking just as she held her own original style. If anything, it should even be more and Makoto was determined to glean any other information out of her wise guardian before her spirit passed on. Another five minutes passed and Makoto started to wonder if they were lost. It hadn't taken that long when she'd ran back to their original spots, and it was a bit unnerving when a tree root seemed to slither over her foot on purpose. Darkness was closing in, and the brunette could only figure it had to do something with the trees that were crowding in, since the evening couldn't have passed that fast.
"Grandma?"
Her voice echoed within the lone forest, and Makoto started to worry when nothing answered. Her grandmother had told her she was of the forest, and assuming that meant part of the whole forest and other trees would be her ally, then this couldn't be happening. Suddenly, Rei placed a hand on Usagi's shoulder and Minako's arm, drawing them both to a halt. Makoto turned at the loud rustle of leaves and looked at the miko, her dark eyes expressive and careful as they roamed the forest around them.
"Thunder, something's wrong with this forest. There are multiple spirits darting around and they aren't dangerous, but they're saying there's something wrong and dangerous lurking about."
"Should we transform?"
Minako's voice was intent, and Usagi touched her hand to Makoto's back in a silent plea for understanding before she raised her henshin stick.
"MOON CRYSTAL POWER, MAKE UP!"
Though aching at the thought her grandmother might have something to do with this or they'd be disrepecting nature's forest, Makoto shook her head and transformed along with the others. She was sure Ami would recognize the sudden shift in the air, and the brunette realized that if the smallest of the senshi were there, Sailor Mercury could easily tell them what was wrong.
They continued to walk on even as it got darker, and not before long the air started to reek with some awful stench.
*squelch*
Lifting her foot, Makoto stared at the pulsing guck on her shoe. Turning, she watched as Sailor Mars and Sailor Venus retreated back a couple of steps as Sailor Moon stepped in it, too, where it instantly hardened.
Sap, Makoto realized, recognizing the now-familiar fermented scent of the dead tree before her, covered in boils. Something was familiar about it, too. . .
"Makoto. . . R-Run!"
"Grandma!"
Her great grandmother's voice was weak, and as Makoto looked closer in the darkness, she realized the great tree was blistered in the sap boils and oozing the hardening nutrient onto the forest floor with upturned roots. Her unasked question of how was this happening was answered when a lithe figure that looked like a dark mushroom plant stepped out from behind her grandmother's dying body.
"Touching, tree-hugger. DIE!"
The youma had a raspy voice and an even raspier tongue. Its breath was the foulest thing Makoto had ever smelled, and with her feet sap-hardened to the forest floor, Makoto had trouble keeping it away when the thing tottered over to her mockingly and evaded her slowly-moving hands.
She'd been drugged, Makoto realized.
And Usagi wasn't, not yet, anyway, since their Princess was yelling her normal punishment for evil and waving happily at the large tree in front of them, acknowledging her grandmother's blood relation to one of her closest senshi. It was the fumes, and if Usagi, Rei or Minako got a sniff of that. . .
"Don't smell him!"
Black eyes narrowed into evil slits and the youma sneered, revealing cracked upper lips sliding away to show off some very yellow fangs. Makoto could only watch in detached fascination as her vision blurred and five youmas split into six more and the backhand that was coming would not be merciful to her cemented feet.
*slap!*
"Sailor Jupiter!"
Her friends' echo was one of fear, and Makoto tried to keep herself from falling or she wouldn't be able to stand later in the hardening sap. Drunkenly clutched at the youma's hand as it descended to whip her cheek a raw red, Makoto could only blink in disoriented thought as the force of the blow knocked her clean off the ground and into another demented tree, its roots reaching up and entangling itself into her legs and ending each root with a stab to her flesh, where it started to drain her power.
She would never do drugs, ever, Makoto promised to herself as the feeling of nausea joined in with her current aching head. Her grandmother split into a proud but weary grin as Makoto sent out her last thought, and then she was immersed in black unconsciousness.
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"Thunder, wake up! THUNDER! THUNDER! Don't do this to us, you've got to WAKE UP! Grrr. . . Usagi-chan wants to eat dinner and you've got to cook for her!"
Makoto grumbled angrily at the echoing voice inside her head. It sounded a lot like Rei, and at her current condition, Makoto didn't feel like facing Rei awake, much less angry. Yet when she realized she couldn't raise her right hand to flail it around and hit the angry miko, Makoto's eyes snapped open. The scene before her wasn't good.
"Grandma!"
Somehow they had all been captured and were now being sucked of their energy. Each one of them was positioned to a tree and surrounding the large oak that housed her grandmother's spirit. The tree was in boils, but seemingly more alarming, it was bleeding sap and hardening the ground faster than ever, their senshi powers aiding in its evil build-up. Usagi was to her right, still dreaming and drooling over cooked mushrooms in fried stir-fry, boiled soup, chopped-up yumminess and salad. . .
Makoto felt her face split into a grin when the youma paled a bit, his dark features becoming lighter in the evil night air.
"Yeah, that's right, pot-head, I'm gonna chop you up and eat ya fer dinner when this is finished."
Black eyes turned on her and Makoto grimaced as she felt the frigid poison of his breath on her face. Not breathing for minutes were her specialty, and Makoto got another backslap for her defiance. Rei and Minako started yelling insults, and the youma hobbled away to give them a piece of his fist.
"Supreme THUNDER!"
Lightning crackled through her and Makoto relished the feel of her power. Dimly she wondered why the others weren't attacking with her and directed a pure blast over to the youma heading for Minako, Rei struggling hard to get the mushroom's attention.
"Mako-chan, DON'T!"
Enraged, Makoto shot back as her attack zoomed around the base of the oak tree and headed towards the youma. Rei wasn't making any sense, and if any power was sucked from them any more, then they'd detransform and go back into their civilian mode. If that happened-
"NOOOOOOO!"
Eyes wide as Minako threw her Love Me Chain from her wrist and intercepted her bolt of lightning as an attack, the Love Me Chain used as a rod to contain the electricity, Makoto yelled out as Minako absorbed her attack, screaming her pain.
"WHY? Minako-chan, what are you DOING!"
The earth rumbled underneath them and Makoto saw the oak tree struggle to uproot itself from the hardened ground. Scars were lashed around the base and upper top, and Makoto suddenly stared as the truth hit her. There were burns all along the roots, and that meant all attack used would go directly to her grandmother's body.
"No. . ."
Whispering her shame and regret, Makoto yelled to the stars, her power being drained and tears falling from her eyes as lightning screamed itself throughout Minako's spent body. The youma only laughed in sinister plot.
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"Usagi-chan, Minako-chan, Rei-chan. . . Mako-chan. Where ARE you?"
Ami walked through the large city of the town square, consistently checking each aisle and market as she browsed through. It was nearing dark, and the blue-haired girl had more than once consulted her communicator. Nothing. Seemingly the others had left in a group and transformed, but the simple bleep and then disappearance of that signal left her no ground to start. Surely there hadn't been any youma attacks in the town square, but Ami had checked the surrounding hills and various caves around town and came up with nothing.
There was a feeling in her gut, something churning, but the genius had nothing to go off, nowhere to look except a big city that was in tourist season. It didn't help that fireworks had started early and people were running around everywhere and reweaving their groups after they'd broken up again and again.
Shaking her head, she looked towards the sky and felt a brief surge of love power. Flushing at the fading feeling, Ami stared at the sky again and watched a flicker of blue-white lightning surging down from the sky.
. . .
There wasn't any forcasts of rain or thunder, and less chance of lightning. The fireworks couldn't make that straight a line, either. Suddenly, it hit her.
"Mako-chan. . ."
Ami broke out into a dodging run towards the deserted part of the city where there was a small bushel of trees that could somehow be called a forest. She would start there.
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"As much as this is fun, watching you struggle against the roots of your heritage, YOU should now have detransformed! Why? WHY haven't any of you lost the will to LIVE?"
"B-Because there's still punks like you roaming around the world and making a sick drug of yourself to other people."
Makoto's head hung low but she made sure the youma heard her, raising her voice high and strong. The mushroom had long ago stopped hitting them, but the slow but sure drainage of their power had taken its toll and now all of them could hardly move. It didn't help that their attacks didn't work and instead directed themselves at Makoto's grandma in the middle. The oak tree had long ago revived itself but the senshi could tell it wasn't of good spirit. Makoto's grandma was only now a slight husk inside the powerful tree, barely functioning against the evil aura surrounding it.
Wondering how they would ever get out of this, Makoto raised her head and glanced over at Rei. The miko was well aware of her taisan attack in human form, but knew Makoto held her grandmother too dearly to chance any attack ridding the oak tree of her grandmother's spirit. Glancing once more at the powerful oak, Makoto grit her teeth.
She'd dealt with so many partings in her life, one surely couldn't mean any more.
But this was blood.
". . . Sailor Mars. . . do it. I've told her all I need to, she's seen us, do it."
The Senshi of Fire raised her head and stared defiantly at Makoto. With a tired flip of her long black hair, Rei shook her head.
"No."
Minako stared over at Makoto, too, tears in her eyes.
"She's the only one who's family, real blood family, Mako-chan. Don't throw this away. There's all the chances in the world. When it comes morning-"
"You'll all be dead. I'm not like any of the other youma you know, girlies. I'm going to drain you of every speck of power you have and then poison your throats before that sun comes up. If I don't get every speck of your power, I'll still slit your throats and slowly take over this city and town."
The youma was listening.
Watching.
And so Minako and Rei grit their teeth and lowered their heads once again, determined to wait it out. Usagi stirred beside Makoto and their Princess jerked awake, her eyes groggy.
"So h'ngry. . . M-Mako-chan. . . bark cookies. . . tea-leave biscuits. . . b-bark. . BARK COOKIES! 'M HUNGRY!"
And Usagi started flailing, jerking around in her half sleep and biting at anything she could. The tree holding her started to howl in pain and flailed itself, and Usagi started biting even harder, eating the tree's roots and freeing herself. With a rabid blink, the blonde realized what she was doing and nervously laughed, going ravenously with another chomp to the tree and spitting it out.
Staring, Makoto could only laugh as Usagi took the root she'd chewed off and started hitting the tree with it, holding it off as their Princess delicately ripped her tiara from her forehead and swirled it about her finger, the tiara glowing in moon's pure power and lighting up the whole expanse of forest.
"Moon. . . Tiara. . . ACTION!"
And the swirling golden orb sparkled magically as it cut Makoto loose, spinning around and freeing a chuckling Rei and Minako and wildly boomeranging it back to Usagi. Yet at the last minute. . . the tiara started heading towards the oak.
Helpless to take or make any attack, Makoto could only watch as Minako tried to lasso Sailor Moon's tiara. It was apparent it would be too late, and Rei hurriedly whipped out her taisan, haphazardly throwing it at the oak tree.
It was only a moment, but for that moment Makoto felt the world shatter into a million pieces as her grandmother's spirit burst from the oak tree and out into the night sky. Sailor Moon's tiara slashed an orbiting turn into the old, dry oak and power erupted from that, too, right back into their respectable bodies.
Makoto felt a zap of electrical outlet flood into her, but it didn't erase the fact that she had no power to accept her grandmother's abrupt leaving Earth and the world of the living. It hadn't been fair, it wasn't. . .
"Mercury! BUBBLES! BLAST. .!"
There was a dim shout of her best friend's attack, but Makoto couldn't pay full attention as the mushroom youma jumped to his feet and pounced towards her, his rabid mouth opening and the black eyes gleaming evil as his fangs flashed yellow in the light. Wielding her rage and hate and loss, Makoto drew her hand into a fist and collected all the thunder and lightning she had in her body.
"I SAID I'D FRY YOU, EAT THIS, BASTARD!"
Drawing her fist up to shove it into the youma's horrid mouth, Makoto screamed her rage and let it all out, let it all go, let the youma who stole everything from her just burst. It hurt, this hurt, why, why, this shouldn't be happening. .!
"JUPITER. . . THUNDER. . . DRAGON!.!.!"
And suddenly hands were around her, holding her, containing her, and Makoto screamed her rage, at the close proximity of- of. . of. .!
"Mako-chan, stop! MAKO-CHAN! STOP! MERCURY BUBBLES, BLAST!"
That voice was in her head, all around her, soothing her somehow but it still hurt, she wanted to rage, it just tore her apart, it was so loud, everything was burning, down, down. . .
"Mako-chan."
Silence.
Electricity sparked once through her, and Makoto opened her eyes, looking around and meeting the destruction around her. Trees were on fire, everything was burning, and those eyes, those eyes. . .
Makoto felt as if she'd break when she looked down and into those trusting blue eyes, so honest and blue.
"Ami-chan."
"I'm here, Mako-chan."
And she was. The smaller girl had her hands around her waist, and Makoto jolted as she realized Ami had conducted all of her electricity, had just held her as everything around her happened, calmed her. . . And they were floating.
It was true.
Looking around, Makoto realized the bubble they were in had risen up into the night sky and the fireworks were all around them, reflecting a rainbow of colors on the flexible glass of the breathable-bubble. Looking up into the sky, there was a myriad of shining stars and Makoto felt tears come to her eyes as she glanced down at the light-filled town and the burning forest below just coming to an extiguished dry. Ami had probably taken care of that before she'd come up here.
". . . I'm sorry, Ami-chan. I told her she'd get to meet you all, and I. . . I didn't wait for you to come with us. I was selfish, and I just needed you to meet her, and. . . I. . ."
Makoto leaned on her friend, soaking the shoulder of the blue-haired girl with her hot tears that sparked on contact with their fuku. In a moment of shy knowing, both detransformed and there was a warm feel of skin on skin and contact before clothing covered them once more. Makoto cried, hugging Ami as the bubble still held them up above town, just hovering among the fireworks and reflecting the moon.
"I-I'm so sorry, Ami-chan, I'd j-just met her, an- and-"
"Oh, stop crying, Makoto. You've chosen your best partner ever, she's cute AND has a good brain on her. Really. You know I love you more than anything, even if I couldn't get to say a proper goodbye. I'm sorry for worrying you, but Ami-chan's going to be there for you always, and that's good enough for me to know. I love you, Makoto, but remember, you're never alone."
Jerking at the soft voice of her grandmother, Makoto looked around with red-rimmed eyes and started laughing at the soft scolding she got. Her great grandmother was floating in a seperate bubble, bigger than theirs, and Makoto could see her clearly now. And old woman, she had those same green eyes and soft smile, knowing and proud. Taller than Ami and topping right under Makoto's nose, silky white hair fanned out around her in a peaceful aura.
Sniffing, Makoto held Ami close and nodded at her grandmother, closing her eyes in a tight squeeze.
"A-Ami-chan, thank you."
That loving hold on her waist, and Ami nuzzled into her neck, blushing softly.
"Your grandmother is nice, Mako-chan."
"I am, but strict, too. I don't mind you two sharing kisses or whatever, but I do want you to be married when you go about doing the tango on a bed. Or any flat surface, for that matter. Legal and in love, got it?"
Flushing white-hot red herself, Makoto couldn't help but laugh.
"Grandma!"
"Oh, I know you young people. Going on about how they'll be together forever but breaking up the next week after they get under each others' skirts."
This time Ami wiggled in embarrassment, and Makoto laughed louder. Leaning down to kiss the soft crown of blue curls, brunette gently inhaled her love's scent and nodded.
"I promise, Grandma. And I'll never leave her, I swear. Only if she wants me to."
A nod from the old woman, and the purest smile. Almost crying, Makoto smiled as she remembered that's exactly how her mother had looked when she was happy. Shuddering, she looked at the full moon above her and then to her grandma.
"I give you two my blessing, and my daughter and her husband would absolutely second me on that. Ami-chan, it was wonderful meeting you. Please take care of my grandaughter. Same goes for you, Makoto. I love you, little Zeus."
Nodding tearily, Makoto held Ami and cried a little more as her grandmother winked and kicked the base of the bubble she was in and she faded into a golden-green version of herself and continued floating up into the heavens. Calming down now, Makoto noticed their own bubble had descended right above the middle of a lake, where right underneath them the water was sending in orbiting ripples on the calm waters.
"Ami-chan, thank you so much."
Still hugging her best friend, Makoto wondered at the warm emanating from the blue-haired genius. She really was one-of-a-kind, and even though Makoto had promised her grandma, she needed closure and sureness that she wasn't the only one in this relationship. Gently tipping up that cute chin, Makoto grinned at that sweet smile and lowered her head a bit, scootching closer and loving the pulse in those warm blue eyes. There was a shiver, and Makoto held Ami tighter, nuzzling the cute nose with her own.
"I'm so glad you got to meet my grandmother. And even though I met her myself only this day, I'm respecting her wishes."
At that, Ami's smile turned into a sweet grin of her own. An eyebrow arched cutely and Makoto shuddered herself, loving the warmth and softness of the small girl as she pressed closer.
"What wish is that?"
Looking up towards the moon, Makoto grinned and tweaked a lock of blue hair.
"Well, in my own words, I'd say that any time you wanted to stop our relationship, you could just burst this bubble that we're both floating on."
Ami giggled, then, and pressed closer, warm breath on Makoto's cheeks, her nose, her chin, and then her soft, soft lips. Blue eyes explored the excitement and love in electric green, and Ami slowly shook her head as she leaned on her tiptoes and lowered the bubble into the water. Makoto noticed and grinned, her hold on the smaller girl tightening.
"Mako-chan, Mako-chan, you know you're my first kiss?"
There was a violent shudder and Makoto gasped as water seeped into the bubble in a warm liquid, warming her toes and breaking the bubble, where they both fell into the water, laughing as they flopped around to keep above water, Ami treading like a mermaid, elegantly more so better than Makoto. Grinning over the the blue-haired girl, Makoto wildly grabbed at her and pulled her close once more, bringing them both to shore and holding Ami up with her height by the banks.
Warm, shivering, and wet, and Makoto slowly lowered her head, gently touching lips to Ami's and parting, smiling against that cute, soft mouth and lowering herself again. Soft sweetness spread through her core and Makoto groaned, closing her eyes at the electric heat coursing through them both and making them tingle all the tips up and down where they stood, embracing in loving liplock.
"Ami-chan, I want to be your only kiss. Please, would you go out with me?"
Blue eyes twinkled in warmth, and Makoto smiled at the slow and easy way Ami tiptoed back up her body, stealing another sweet touch to her lips before giving her a wet hug. Grinning, the blue-haired girl winked and nodded.
"My pleasure to share bubble space with you, Mako-chan."
Rumbling her approval, Makoto and Ami just stood in the water for a good twenty minutes more exploring their boundaries of bubble space that it presented. So far, close proximity to each other and their love was definitely good.
They had forever to love each other, after all.
A/N: The places were something I really couldn't handle, so I took the most familiar-sounding name and put it in for a district. Very irresponsible, I know, but let me tell you- google maps and the whole internet was very helpful. ^^ Hope ya enjoyed! XD ((That ended WAY too away from the real plot! XD Heh, I thought it was cute, so I guess I enjoyed the way it turned out. ^^))