02 – Shadows of Grief
Ami found Chibiusa in no time. The small child had this habit of always running to the same park whenever she used to storm off, and this time it was no different. She swung back and forth mellowly on a swing at the middle of the park when Ami sat next to her. The girl appeared to be crying, which did not go unnoticed by the Sailor Soldier.
"Chibiusa" She said in a soft voice. "What is happening?" Ami noticed the shoulders of the girl contracting in pure tension as if she didn't want to have that conversation. Chibiusa sighed, realizing that Ami was really concerned about her.
"I don't think you would understand..." The girl spoke in a gloomy voice. She stared at her friend, unable to hide the conflict in her eyes.
"Why don't you try me, Chibiusa?" Ami was always gentle and caring, and that usually broke through the child's defenses.
"Ami-chan" The child spoke albeit still shy. "In the future, you and the other girls dedicated your lives for the Neo-Queen Serenity. For my mother. You never complained, and I always could see how much you loved your queen."
"Well, she still is Usagi, after all." Ami replied, wondering where this conversation would lead.
"The thing is..." She hesitated once more. In her mind she could see the vivid image of Ami as Sailor Mercury sitting in front of a computer, sobbing. "I always thought you girls were a little lonely." She remembered how future Ami would try to disguise her sadness around Chibiusa, even though she knew it was useless. "And when I saw you with the red-haired boy, I thought that maybe if you two got married, you wouldn't be so alone in the future!"
Ami covered her mouth with her hand, muffling her already discrete laughter. She was amused with the concern of that young girl and also the simple solution she had to that problem. "Isn't it dangerous to try and change the time line, Chibiusa?"
"What do you mean, Ami-chan?" She asked intrigued.
"Well" She sighed, gazing at the sky with wonder in her eyes. Since the time they went to the future to rescue Chibiusa, Ami was constantly studying and researching about time travel and its repercussions. "there's a theory that says that if you change even the slightest thing in the past, you might change the whole future in a drastic manner. If in the future I'm not supposed to be with Andrus, you convincing us to marry might prevent me from being there to protect Neo-Queen Serenity."
"I..." Chibiusa stared down, embarrassed. "I never thought about that."
"It's a risk that I'm sure I wouldn't be worthy of." Ami rested her hand on the girl's shoulder, with a gentle smile on her face. "Besides, it is impossible that I would be this lonely, if you, Usagi and the others are there with me, Chibiusa! Don't you worry!"
"What if it was worth the risk?" The girl still seemed to be tense, even with those calming words from Ami. "Would you take the chance to change the future?"
"You mean like when you came back to save your mother and father?"
"Yes...something like that!"
"Is that why you came back this time?" The worry in Ami's voice was palpable. Chibiusa gulped and stepped down from the swing, turning around to her friend with a sweet smile on her face.
"No! Not at all!" She laughed, holding her hands in front of her. "I'm just wondering if you would have any exceptions for that rule!"
"Well...maybe if it was to save someone dear to me, like Usagi, and I had a real chance to do it, I would risk changing the future for her!" She stood next to Chibiusa. "Just like you did when we first met you!"
"I'm glad to hear that!" They both laughed, although Ami was still a little suspicious. She had the impression that Chibiusa was feeling guilty as her shoulders never relaxed from the tension in their whole conversation even though she was smiling. "So, tomorrow we'll be going to the beach, right?"
"Right!" They walked back to Usagi's house, where Ami dropped the girl off. "We'll meet here early in the morning, don't sleep too much, okay?"
"Don't worry about me!" Chibiusa cheerfully replied. "Worry about Usagi!"
"You're right!" Ami laughed, waving to the girl that was entering the house. "Keep an eye on her for us, okay?"
"Okay!" Chibiusa entered, leaning against the door as she heard Ami leaving. With a heavy sigh she dropped the joyful act, glooming as she gave thought to their conversation. She heard soft footsteps coming from the stairs, and soon after Usagi appeared in the hallway.
"So, how is Mamoru?" She asked in a sarcastic tone that Chibiusa recognized all too well.
"I didn't meet him." The morose voice worried Usagi. It wasn't like her to not talk back. The teasing between the two was already a part of their dynamic. "I ran into Ami-chan and we talked for a while."
"I was going to tell you..." She reached for the girl's shoulders, trying to comfort whatever was troubling her. "Mamoru had to work late so we could go to the beach tomorrow, but you left too fast!"
"That's ok, Usagi!" She stared at the blonde with a sad smile on her face that she wasn't able to disguise. Chibiusa felt lucky, for a moment she almost gave away that she wasn't really going to see Mamoru.
"Are you alright, Chibiusa?" The small girl turned around and hugged Usagi tight. Caught by surprise, Usagi couldn't do much but react to the hug, with an instinct that her future child needed the tightest hug possible.
"Of course!" Chibiusa let go of her future mother, with a calmer expression across her features. "I just missed you all!" She went up the stairs. "I told you: the future is nowhere as exciting as this time period!" In a second, the girl was already in her room.
The pressure was too much for Chibiusa to handle. She felt alone and she knew it was because she wasn't trusting the other girls to help her. She felt like crying, she felt like screaming in agony. But she didn't concede to her feelings. She wasn't a small kid anymore, she couldn't cry. So why was it so hard to control her tears?
A faint light shone in a corner of the room that startled the girl. Upon closer examination she could see there was a ball in the shape of a cat's head, and the light was coming from its eyes. "Luna P!" She held the ball tight, embracing it in a hug. "What are you doing here?"
The light coming from its eyes projected an image against the bedroom wall. Sailor Pluto appeared from the image and she didn't look very happy. "Small Lady" She spoke in a scolding voice. "What are you doing in the past?"
"I had to, Puu!" She stood up defiantly. "The future is still wrong!"
"Small Lady, what you are trying to do could change everything we fought for!"
"Ami said the same thing." The girl bowed down her head with a defeated look on her face.
"I can't believe she let you go to the past!" Sailor Pluto puffed, incredulous with all that was happening.
"No, I mean present Ami, not future Ami, they have no idea I'm gone!" Chibiusa stared at Pluto, thinking about what to say. "I'll try to come home before they even notice I went back in time. I actually gave much thought about what I'm doing, Pluto! I'll try to change this with little consequences to the future!"
"That's not how it works, Chibiusa!" Setsuna called her by the nickname she gained in the past. It was her way to let the child know she was talking at the same level. She wasn't the guardian of time at that moment, she was her friend Setsuna. "If Ami talked about that with you, she must have told you that even the minimal change could have gigantic consequences."
"I'll risk it, Puu!" Chibiusa was determined. All she had to do was remember the sadness upon everyone's face and she was sworn to never back down. "And I hope you can forgive me!" The image disappeared, leaving the girl all alone in her crusade. She tried to sleep so the morning of the trip would come faster, but her mind wouldn't give her peace. She eventually fell asleep due to exhaustion.
In an alley far from there, protected by iron gates with inscriptions in bold letters that said "Prince's Alley", an incantation was about to be reunited. Annis and Atropos were the first to arrive, going to their haven, a deserted pub, immediately after the fight against Sailor Chibi Moon.
"We shouldn't have run away, Annis!" Atropos was annoyed with their retreat. She tapped her feet with anxiety as she waited for the others to arrive. "We could defeat the Sailor Soldier and probably the demon as well!"
"Why are you so obsessed with it?" The blonde witch spoke in jest, as she sat next to Atropos. No regular human being could enter the Prince's Alley, as it was covered in heavy magic that shadowed it from the regular world. Any person that came across the Prince's Alley would immediately forget it and go on their way. It was a sanctuary for all sort of magical beings, and even creatures from other dimensions would gather around in one of the shops in the alley.
"She is obsessed" A voice could be heard from the back of the pub, as a Witch arrived. "because she knows what that demon is capable of." The woman with long green hair said in a neutral tone. She was young but had a mature gaze upon her eyes, as if she had seen too much in this world and maybe some others. "And even you have some knowledge about his powers, Annis!"
"Merel!" Annis said, crossing her arms in front of her chest. She was about to tease the green haired woman but gave up as she couldn't think of a sneering comeback. "Welcome!"
"Thank you, old friend!" Merel smiled as she noticed Annis was still trying to think of a way to provoke her. "So you're the prodigious witch I've been hearing of!" She turned to Atropos, greeting and confusing the young woman.
"I had no idea I was famous." Atropos said, suspicious.
"Our leader has had her eyes on you since you first showed yourself, Atropos." Merel had this look upon her face as if she was inspecting or measuring Atropos at every single moment.
"I was thinking..." Annis interrupted. "Where exactly did you come from, Atropos?"
"I..."
"She is from England." Merel answered as she sat on a bench, waiting for something or someone. "I still can't pinpoint exactly from which part. It's not anywhere I have ever seen or been to!"
"What is this all about?" Atropos asked, annoyed by the interrogatory and by how they appeared to be trying to confuse her. "What exactly is your power, Merel?"
"I can read minds." Those dreaded words made a chill run across Atropos' spine. "Is not like I can help it, but I can contain it enough. I'm trying to figure you out without going in too deep. All the voices in my head could make a huge damage. For you and me!"
"I..." Atropos felt really bad. She seemed to know all too well what was like to have a power that felt like a curse. "I didn't know! I'm sorry!"
"You are" The green haired witch laughed, enjoying the genuine feelings she could sense in the younger witch. "And you are also scared we won't be able to stop this 'demon' in time."
"I almost killed him once!" Annis sat beside Merel, bothered by the waiting. "I surely can do it this time!"
"What a surprise!" A woman revealed herself from the shadows. She had purple hair and a luscious smile upon her face. She was accompanied by two owls in her shoulders. "Annis is talking about the murder of children once more!"
"Circe!" Annis greeted the witch with warmth. Atropos noticed how they appeared to be good friends by the way they spoke to each other. Even though she was new at this, she realized by herself that people around her could put up a facade whenever it was convenient. It seemed like one of those situations, as she could also sense some tension between Annis and Circe. "You're late! Where are Cassandra and Morgana?"
"I am here!" Morgana spoke, as she entered the pub. She had long red hair, green eyes, and dressed in a long red dress with a hooded dark cape. Beside her stood a woman with the same attire, but with inverted colors. "And so is my sister." Cassandra just nodded shyly while they joined the rest of the witches. They appeared to be twins, with the only difference between them being the hair length, as Cassandra wore hers very short.
"And the coven is whole once more." The seventh voice is heard among the witches, but no seventh witch could be seen. A thin fog surrounded the six witches, and it seemed that a part of their essence joined the dazing smoke. In the center of the room a cloaked woman appeared: the leader of the Incantation.
"High Priestess!" All witches took a knee, saluting their leader. Atropos hesitated but soon followed.
"War is about to begin, my dear witches!" The woman pulled down her cloak, revealing her face. She was beautiful, with long and wavy dark hair that reflected a peculiar purple shade. "It seems that the Sailor Soldiers are already aware of our presence."
"The small one appeared unexpected, master!" Annis justified the situation. Atropos noticed how nervous she was, even though she had already proved to be very powerful. She registered that for further references.
"It's not a big deal." The High priestess spoke in a soothing voice, calming down the other witches. "They would have to know sooner or later."
"So what will be our course of action?" Merel inquired. Atropos realized by the look on her face that the witch wasn't able to read the High Priestess' mind. She also noticed how that was reassuring for the leader of the incantation.
"Infiltrate the city. You are all very different in your powers and approach, so I'm sure you'll figure out if you'd rather find the Soldiers' identity and take them by surprise, or if you'd want to get their attention directly."
"You know it!" Annis said in a malicious voice. Atropos was rather creeped out by how thirsty for blood that beautiful blonde woman could be. She knew their survival depended on that, but she felt no pleasure on having to kill young women like themselves. Witches and Soldiers. For Atropos they were two sides of the same coin. Was it really impossible to live peacefully? Her mind drifted for the visions of the demon destroying every single one of them. She already had her answer.
It was morning. Chibiusa was atthe beach with the girls, Mamoru and Andrus. They were having fun, much like the diary said they would have. She ran around, bathed in the sea, and played with all her friends. All her worries had gone for that while.
"You look better than yesterday, Chibiusa!" Usagi said in bliss, happy that the child no longer seemed so tense and preoccupied.
"Nothing like a good day at the beach, huh?" Makoto laughed as they almost got knocked down by a furtive wave. Chibiusa also smiled with joy, shutting her eyes for just a second.
When she opened her eyes, she found herself in the middle of the ocean. The beach was much too far. "Wait...what happened?" She gasped, struggling against the current and swimming back to the sand.
As she got closer, she could see the skies turning gray. And when she actually got back to the beach, it was darkened and ominous. The atmosphere was familiar, and the dreadful feeling taking hold of her took her back to memories she would like to never relive.
Silver points appeared in the sky, and, at first, she thought they were stars. It was too early for that to be true, though. Upon further inspection, she realized the dots were actually ships in the shape of diamonds. The vessels of the Black Moon clan, the enemies that attacked her in the future and made her go back to the past for the first time.
"No!" She cried. "They can't be here! We defeated them!" One of the ships got closer and a red-haired man with a brown vest and green military pants stood outside, facing the girl.
"Finally found you, rabbit!" Rubeus laughed defiantly. She could see the rest of the Black Moon clan behind him. Esmeraude, Demande, and Saphir all stood menacingly, all waiting for the chance to destroy her.
She woke up in a sweat and a high pitched cry that she wasn't able to contain. Usagi was next to her and stood there in silence with worried eyes. Chibiusa panted, trying to regain control.
"Are you okay?" Usagi asked. Chibiusa gripped the sheets tightly in her hands, still shaken by the dream.
"I...I had a bad dream!" She sighed, faking a smile. "I'm glad you were here to wake me up!"
"You wouldn't wake up when I called you, so I entered to see if everything was alright."
"Oh no!" She looked at the clock at her bedside, realizing she overslept. "We are late! They are going to leave without us!" She tried to stand up and leave the bed, but her feet got entranced by the sheets and knocked her down head first on the floor. Usagi tried not to laugh, helping the girl up.
"Well, you look a little better, after all!" She was able to contain her laugh up to that point, as Chibiusa went downstairs in a haste. "Don't worry too much, they won't be here for at least another ten minutes, just hurry up and you can get ready in time!"
"Thanks, Usagi!" Chibiusa hurried with her breakfast, getting scolded by Ikuko Tsukino, Usagi's mother. She gave thought to that dream at every moment she could. Did it mean anything at all? Should she be worried? It's not like she didn't have enough on her mind.
Ami, Minako, Makoto, and Rei, along with Andrus were already together and heading to Usagi's house. Some, like Andrus and Minako, were sleepy as it was still very early, others, like Makoto and Rei, were energetic as usual.
A voice from afar caught their attention. At first they didn't recognize what were the words spouted, but it surely sounded like it was calling for them, or at least one of them. As they turned around, they could see a boy about their age running towards them. He had long dark hair and wore beaten up jeans with a black jacket. Finally they could understand what he was saying.
"Kino-senpai!" He called for Makoto. As he caught up he bent down to recover his breath. "I can't believe it's you!"
"You..." Makoto failed to recognize the boy. Upon further inspection, as he turned his head up, she finally realized who it was. "Jinchuu!"
"Jinchuu?" Minako said with a snarky smile on her face.
"I mean," Makoto corrected herself in a haste. "Ukematsu-kun!"
"You look great, Makoto!" His familiarity was nerve-wracking to Makoto. Jinchuu was her kouhai, her underclassmen, from before she moved to Juuban. She never would expect to see him at that moment.
"Guys," She decided it was best to introduce him already, before anyone would get the wrong idea. "This is my neighbor from the time I lived in Shounan!"
"I'm Jinchuu Ukematsu!" He introduced himself with a large grin upon his face. The rest of the group proceeded to present themselves as well, amused to that turn of events.
"Would you mind if we meet at the station?" Makoto surprised everyone with that statement. Whoever that was, he should be somehow important to her. "It's really been a long time since I last saw you!"
It took Chibiusa exactly twelve minutes to get ready and join Usagi outside. It was just in time, as the rest of the gang had barely got there. They cheerfully greeted the late duo, while Rei teased them for the delay.
"Is everybody here?" Usagi asked, realizing that Makoto was yet to arrive. "Where's Mako-chan? Did something happened to her?"
"Oh, yeah!" Andrus had a malicious smile upon his face, to which Ami promptly noticed and patted his back. "You could say that!"
"Stop it!" Ami scolded the boy, who was having fun with the situation. "While we were coming here Makoto met a former kouhai from before she moved to Juuban, she told us to meet her at the bus station so she could have a chance to catch up with him."
"He seemed like a good guy!" Andrus said.
"You're saying that because he has long hair like you used to!" Rei noticed the similarities between the two boys right away.
"And because he is a ball of energy, just like you, Andrus!" Minako helped Rei as they both teased him.
"I'm a fireball!" He said, crossing his arms as he pouted. He was, after all, very fond of the nickname Ami had given him. "It's really uncool of you to tarnish my respect for Ukematsu-san!"
They started going to the bus station, where they would meet Makoto. Andrus walked beside Ami, watching Usagi and Chibiusa with a slight concern. "Ami-chan" He caught his girlfriend's attention. "Doesn't Chibiusa look a little burned out?"
"Oh, Usagi told me she had a bad dream, so that's why she got late." Ami pondered, thinking about their talk in the night before.
"Maybe I can be of some help." The boy wondered if he could use his powers in that situation. It had been a long time since he last hopped inside a dream, and he only did it when there was actual danger lurking around.
"I don't think it'd do any good, Andrus." She spoke with a little joy in her voice. She admired how he was worried about her friend and also willing to help. "Sometimes we need bad dreams to help us cope with something, and maybe that's what happened."
"You seem to have some idea of why it happened."
"Yeah, some idea..." It was just a hunch, after all. Chibiusa wouldn't tell her more but Ami suspected that it had something to do with the talk they had.
They met the flustered Makoto at the bus station along with Jinchuu. When they arrived, Makoto immediately dispatched the boy. She knew they would provoke her for meeting him right before their trip to the beach. No matter how they would look at that situation, it seemed like two lovers departing.
"Oh, Makoto! You're so naughty!" Usagi hugged and teased her. "Is that such a forbidden relationship that you have to hide it from us?"
"N-No! I've always seen Jinchuu as a little brother for me!" The girl said as she tried to hide her embarrassment. "It's just that Jinchuu was always shy around many people!"
"Oh, Makoto!" Minako followed Usagi's antics. "You're blushing so hard! I wonder if there are any mixed feelings for any of you!" As Makoto stood silent they all figured there might have been some true to that statement. She just looked down as if a sensible topic had just come up. As the bus departed, they dispersed their attentions.
It took a while, and the bus was a little more crowded than they'd expected, but eventually, they got to the beach. The refreshing breeze, the bright sun and the soothing sound of the waves crashing against the white sand seemed to wash away every single worry of that group.
"Ahhh" Andrus inhaled with a large grin on his face. He stretched himself in a lazy manner. "This is awesome!" It felt like home. Since he was a child he loved the beach, and whenever he was in Brazil he would spend most of his time going to the beaches. He let himself go, falling on the sand on his back.
"I didn't know you liked the beach that much!" Ami crouched beside him, amused by the unquestionable joy he displayed. "Do you want to stay here while I go check our hostel reservations?"
"Can I?" He gazed at her and his eyes shone with the possibility of enjoying the beach. "I mean... no, don't worry! I'll go with you!"
She laughed, pushing him back to the sand when he tried to get up. "Stay here, fireball!" Their eyes locked and they exchanged intense stares that neither had expected. She knew he wanted to hold her and kiss her right there, but contained himself due to their company. He could see in her eyes that she wanted to leap into his arms and squeeze herself tight against his body, but contained herself, as it was expected of her. It took them a few seconds to get full control of themselves, and Ami just pecked his forehead with a subtle kiss. "I'll be right back!"
His heart was beating fast as he watched her go. Her blood boiled in a manner she never experienced. "I'll be waiting!" He raised his head as to watch her go, and when he turned it back to the beach, he could see all girls staring at him with mocking smiles in their faces, as they judged the boy. "What?"
"I think I should go with her." Mamoru said. He enjoyed how Andrus would get over flustered with the girls' mockery, as it meant he wouldn't be their target. He also was glad that Ami's relationship was going well, as he cared deeply for all of those girls, not only Usagi. "The reservations are in my name, after all."
Ami entered the medium white house by the beach that opened its doors to rent a couple of its rooms for travelers. It was cheap and would suffice for the two nights they would be spending at the beach. An old woman with an easy smile greeted her as she walked inside the building.
"Good morning!" The young girl said. "I'm with the Chiba group that reserved two rooms." The woman went through a dusty book, searching the pages for an awfully long time.
"Ha!" She spoke, after some time. "Found it!" She turned the book over to Ami, showing a line below the name 'Chiba, Mamoru'. "Sign here, darling! I'm also going to need some identification of the person that made the reservations!"
"That would be me!" Mamoru arrived, reaching his wallet and handing his id to the old woman.
"Right on time, Mamoru!" Ami spoke with a satisfying tone in her voice. She admired how the man usually predicted those kinds of situations, being always ahead in his actions. He took the book in his hands and signed the registration of the rooms.
"So," He said, while the old woman searched for the rooms' keys. "You and Homura seem to be getting along well, right?"
"Y-Yeah..." Ami blushed. It was part of her shy nature to get embarrassed whenever the red-headed boy was brought to the conversation. "I'm actually a little surprised with that!"
"So am I!" Mamoru laughed discretely. "I mean, Andrus appears to be a great guy, but I never thought you were into the 'bad boy' type!"
Ami shrugged, not sure on how to respond to that remark, as it appeared to be coming out of nowhere. "He's not like that at all, Mamoru! You should take this chance to get to know him better."
"I might!" He leaned upon the counter and handed the registration book to the old woman. "Last I saw him was when he woke up from his coma. I actually didn't get to talk that much to him. So..." A strange atmosphere seemed to be forming around Ami and Mamoru. The girl felt restless for a while. "...What do you two talk about?"
"Wh...what?" Ami was caught off-guard. It was the first time Mamoru ever displayed such concern for her personal life. "Well, we...we usually talk about school stuff, and..." She didn't really know how to answer that question, and the sudden embarrassment taking hold of her didn't help at all.
"It seems so shallow." The man was blunt, rude even. Ami felt at a loss for words. "Don't you think?"
"I..." She never gave that much thought about her relationship with Andrus. It just felt really good around the boy, but, confronted with those words, she realized it couldn't actually match the level of intimacy and intensity Usagi and Mamoru had.
"What am I talking about?" He laughed, laying a hand on her shoulder. "You should have fun while you're at it, right?" He left, not even giving a chance for her to reply. As soon as he went back to the beach, the sudden oppressive feeling weighing over Ami's shoulder seemed to wane. It was odd, and the anxiety would take longer to disappear from the girl's mind.
She sat on the bench at the reception, covering her eyes with her hand. Was that how everyone saw her relationship with Andrus? Was everyone that surprised that she could date a former Yankee? Would the girls be counting down how long could the two of them could stay together? Tears rolled down her face, caring little for how much she tried to conceal them.
"Why are you crying?" She heard a voice beside her. It was silky and smooth, with a genuine care that surprised her as she realized she couldn't recognize the person that spoke. She turned her head and saw a girl with short dark hair, a sullen expression across her features, and black eyes that looked like big marbles. "Is everything okay?"
"Yes...it's..." Ami brushed the tears away from her face, trying to get her act together with a forced smile. "It's nothing, really. Don't worry about me!"
"You have a good fake smile." The young woman said, gently smiling back. "Are you crying for that red-headed boy that arrived with you?"
"I..." She hesitated. It was weird to open up to a random stranger, but it felt harder and harder to resist by each second that passed. "...kinda..."
"He looks dangerous." There was something suspicious about that girl, Ami thought, but she couldn't tell what. Maybe it was the clothes she wore, too cliche for a trip to the beach, with a straw hat strapped and falling to the nape of her neck. Maybe it was the soothing sound of her voice that entranced Ami.
"I heard it before." Ami sighed, leaning her head back on the bench. "And I'm sure he heard it millions of times."
"You're worried about him?" The girl asked with such genuine surprise, that, for a moment, it made Ami's heart lighter.
"Why wouldn't I?" Ami laughed. "He might look dangerous, and I can tell you that he is strong, but I care a lot for him! He is not just my boyfriend, he is a dear friend!"
"But what if he is not what he seems to be?" Those words triggered some memories on the blue soldier's mind. She was the mysterious girl at the school, the day Usagi, Minako, and Andrus took the recovery exams.
"Wait, aren't you also a student at Juuban High?" Ami asked. "I remember seeing you there once, but...it's a little cloudy!"
"I..." Atropos was in shock. It shouldn't be possible for her to remember, she made sure of that. Annis did warn her not to get involved, though. "Yes...actually!"
"So that's why you think he is dangerous!" Ami felt a little more relaxed, which Atropos noticed but couldn't figure out why. "Andrus had a rough start at our school, and word got out that he was a delinquent, but I was there, and I can assure you it was all a misunderstanding!"
The witch sighed, it fitted nicely with her cover, so she went along with Ami's train of thought. "Yeah, that's why I thought he was a scary guy! It was weird to have just transferred and see that alarming fellow!" She tried to come across as transparent and direct, but Ami could only smile with the awkwardness of that girl. "But you're so inclined on defending him, doesn't that get tiresome?"
"Well, isn't that expected when someone is wrongly accused of something?" Ami's speech was becoming bothersome to Atropos, worrisome even. Still, she admired the blue haired girl more and more as they talked. The fierceness of her beliefs, the kindness and openness she showed towards her, it all felt new and refreshing to the witch.
"Maybe you're right." Atropos stared at the house's exit, with a goal set in her mind. "I..." She shrugged as if there was some conflict in her mind that she was trying to brush away. She remembered the visions, the demon that burned down her hometown. "I have to go!" She stood up in a haste, walking away.
"Wait!" Ami called for her. "I really have to thank you!"
"For what?" The witch halted, with a surprised look on her face.
"Talking to you made me feel better!" She rose and walked to the dark-haired girl. "I'm Ami! You're staying at this hostel as well, right? Please come meet me and my friends later at the beach!"
"I..." Atropos was in a pinch. She had to flee before it became too late. She didn't want to get involved. She should have followed Annis' advice. Those were the lies Atropos told herself and was more than willing to believe at the moment. Still, she felt attracted towards that young woman. She had to save her from the demon.
"I'm sorry, I don't even know your name..."
"A..." She gasped and gagged, a cold sweat ran down her spine. She meant to bolt away from the place, but was paralyzed by that situation. A warm hand reached for her shoulder, and she could see the green haired witch standing right beside her. She dressed in a swimsuit that matched the color of her hair, which Atropos thought it was a little too revealing, and didn't seem to match the witch's personality at all.
"Come away, Melinda!" Merel said, in a soft voice. "We have to go now."
"Oh!" Atropos, in her thoughts, thanked the witch, only later wondering if she could have read her mind in that situation. "I'm sorry, I was caught up in a conversation with Ami..."
"I'm the one that has to apologize." Ami intervened, bowing her head slightly towards the two witches. "I bothered Melinda with my worries and troubles, I didn't mean to hold her up from any obligations!"
"Oh, children!" Merel said, only afterward realizing she didn't look that much older than the other two to talk to them like they were kids. "Let's stop with the apologies, I'm glad our Melinda made a new friend!"
"Then..." The blue soldier hesitated. "...would you meet with us later?" Ami asked Melinda, who shyly stood next to Merel.
"Y-yeah...I'll do my best to meet with you!" The two witches walked away, leaving a carefree Ami behind. When they were far away they assumed their battle vests, which looked eerily derived from the Sailor Soldiers' battle suits, only with darker colors and different bows and themes.
"Melinda?" Atropos said, discontent, as she crossed her arms.
"Ah, I love that name!" Merel said with a large smile on her face. "I love fake names! They hold no power at all, and are so fun! Isn't that why you chose the name Atropos?"
"And watch should I call you, then?"
"Jennifer!" She didn't even give any thought before replying, entertained as she was. "But, Atropos, why did you ask me and Cassandra to manipulate the girl's thoughts to distance her from the demon, if you were going to go there and make their bound even stronger with that talk?" Cassandra made herself visible to the duo. She had a shy nature that was always accentuated whenever she was far from her twin.
"It was fun to mess with that man's paranoia as well." The red-headed witch had a dour raspy voice, as a faint smile rose upon her face. Merel would read Mamoru and Ami's thoughts and Cassandra would use her powers to act upon them to create a state of paranoia and sadness, whichever emotional specter she felt was proper to the situation. That conversation, though, held no interest for Cassandra. She bowed her head to the other two witches, and, just like she appeared, she suddenly faded away, leaving no trace of being there at all.
"I..." Atropos sighed. That outcome wasn't part of her plan. She wanted to get rid of the boy as soon as she could, trying to hurt those girls the least as possible. "I just couldn't stand to see her suffering like that, especially for that monster! I just didn't think she could care so much for him!"
"She does care." Merel spoke, as she had read Ami's mind with more interest than other targets. "And she was very glad that you were around, Melinda!" She teased, expecting to see what kind of reaction Atropos would have.
"I...I know that!" The witch replied, trying to contain her embarrassment. "She told us before we left, remember?"
"I do, but it could be just out of her politeness. In her mind, she was really glad someone like you, willing to listen, arrived at the exact moment!"
"So what?" She tried to sound angry, but it was worthless around a mind reader.
"You could take this chance to make a friend, Atropos." Merel slowly turned into a green smoke, until she disappeared completely, leaving the witch alone. "I know how much you wanted one!"
Atropos snapped her tongue, letting a soft smile rise on her face as she realized the green witch was trying her best to take care of her.
Next: Sweet Pretender
