Chapter Three: Untold Truths
Jadeite leaned against the wall of an empty strategy room, his arms crossed, his features set in a contemplative stance. His next mission strategy meeting with his subordinates was to start in less than an hour, but his thoughts were still clouded with the appearance of the unknown Guardian opponents. He'd never heard of them before until last week, but their interference had twice been a success on their part, despite their obvious lack of coordination and experience.
This Sailor Moon; despite her tendencies, her power was formidable indeed.
Then there was the masked man; Jadeite fumed at the lack of data on him. He had yet to show any signs of magical abilities, but there was an air of superiority in him that he couldn't deny.
And then another Guardian showed up; empty eyes that studied him, observing everything that was him.
He had to destroy them. Before more appeared. Before Queen Beryl demanded his presence. Before his honour as a Shitennou was absolutely crushed.
He noticed the presence of one of his brothers in the room before he even showed himself. Nephrite stepped out from the shadows, the amber trim of his uniform signifying his leadership over the North American territory.
"Such a calm demeanour does not befit you, young Jadeite," Nephrite remarked teasingly.
Jadeite briefly flicked a look of annoyance at the older General.
Nephrite cocked his head curiously. "No temper tantrums?"
He scowled, moving over to the round table to review the map of his past missions. Though the search for the Silver Crystal was still unfruitful, energy-stealing missions had been very successful in the southeast countries of Earth. But the human population there was small compared to the mainlands of China and Japan. He had to concentrate his attacks in those two countries in order to meet his energy quota to avoid Queen Beryl's attention.
Yet the Sailor Guardians in Japan was becoming a significant problem. There were even a couple of incidents in China that required his attention. His subordinates were strong, but they were hardly intelligent enough to conduct investigations. He was undecided in what he should do; finding the Silver Crystal first would redeem him in Queen Beryl's eyes, but not meeting the energy quota again would cost him his life. And then there was his personal vendetta against the Sailor Guardians who had humiliated him so.
He would have to change his tactics if he wanted to fulfil all three objectives.
Nephrite slid himself onto the table, covering a portion of the map. Jadeite glared up at him, ready to strike down a hundred insults. He paused at the look on Nephrite's face.
"Regulus," he said carefully, "is one of my best soldiers. But I have no need for him at the moment."
Jadeite closed his eyes and clenched his fists, anger boiling inside him. It shamed him that he had been reduced to this by mere little girls.
"No," he said eventually. It took all the control he had not to spit it out. "This is something I have to do on my own."
Nephrite didn't remove his gaze off him.
Jadeite met his gaze, and raised his fists. "I will end this with my own two hands."
Finally, Nephrite nodded. Without another word, he left Jadeite to his own mullings; an understanding millennia old exchanged. The Shitennou were proud warriors; nothing was worse than losing that pride.
Usagi shuffled in her seat on the hill's park bench. The area was quiet, and unlike most other parks, this place was least visited by drunkards because of its relative isolation. They had needed a quiet place to talk, one far away from civilisation and somewhere Luna wouldn't be able to reach easily.
Usagi checked the time again: half-past twelve. She was still too early.
There was a sound of something hitting metal behind her and she quickly turned around. A figure leapt from the railings, twisting in mid-air to land nimbly in front of her.
"Wow," she whispered.
"Tsukino-san," Ami said, de-transforming, "I didn't expect you to be early."
She laughed off the implication of that statement. "Luna fell asleep after I fed her her favourite crab, so I just ran out."
Ami nodded and took a seat on her right. "It is probably for the best."
Usagi slid over to give the other girl more space on the bench. "I haven't seen you since that day. How are you coping?"
Ami leaned back on her hands. "For the most part, I am still stunned that I am supposed to be some sort of Guardian of Mercury. One day, I was…human. And I don't know what I am now."
"I know the feeling." Usagi sighed. "And worse, it actually feels right. Like nothing about me has actually changed."
"Like we were born for this," Ami said softly.
"Yeah."
For a while, they sat in silence. Out of the corner of her eye, Usagi studied Ami, marvelling at how mature the other girl appeared despite being the same age. Dressed in slimming black jeans with a white blouse under a light blue cardigan, her casual sneakers were the only things that indicated a teenage side. Although Usagi still felt horrible that she wasn't good enough to save her before she awakened, she was somewhat relief to have such a reliable ally. While she didn't know what to do, she felt Ami would soon be able to find the answers.
"Ami—ah, sorry." Usagi swallowed. "May I call you Ami?"
"It doesn't matter to me."
"Oh." Usagi chided herself; she was probably thinking too hard about it.
But Ami tilted her head, staring at her. She seemed to have noticed the hurt in her voice. "What I meant was, I am used to first-name basis usages, but understand Japan's culture to be different. Thus, either way is fine with me."
Usagi started. "You're not Japanese?"
"I am, but I have been following my mother to scientific conferences abroad since I was a child. Speaking on a first-name basis is common there."
"Okay." Usagi absently scratched at a non-existent itch. "And you can call me Usagi, too."
"All right. So, Usagi, what was it you wanted to say?"
"Um, well…" She took a deep breath. "Just that… I'm sorry I couldn't save you."
"What do you mean? You killed the Youma."
"No, I mean, I couldn't save you from all this. This new life."
Ami leaned her head back, gazing up at the stars above them. It was a warm, windless night. The lights from the city were dim at this time; the stars sparkled in the relative darkness of the earth. "What's done is done."
Usagi hugged her knees to her chest, careful not to topple over on the other side. "I wish I can take it as well as you. I think I'm still in denial of this whole thing."
"You can try to make a list of the pros and cons. I did that, and it has helped."
She snorted. "Oh, I can think of a whole heap of awesome pros. The con is that I may die. What do I do then?"
"Apply weights."
"Huh?"
"For some people, the pursuit of knowledge far outweighs any risk of death." Ami smiled softly. "You just have to find something good you can do with this power that you are willing to risk your life for."
Usagi sighed again, hiding her face behind her knees. "Luna said something similar before."
Ami didn't reply immediately; when she did, it was a different topic. "Do you trust Luna?"
"No."
"Put away your biases for the moment and answer honestly."
"I don't think she means any true harm," Usagi reluctantly said. "She seems to want to keep us alive, at least."
"Hm."
"What about you?"
"I think she is keeping things from us."
"Like what?"
"That is what I would like to know," she replied. "What has Luna told you about the enemy? Dark Kingdom?"
"Nothing."
"Hm."
"To be fair, I never asked, or listened to her," Usagi said quickly. "In any case, their actions alone have to put them on the evil side. Otherwise, we'd be the evil ones."
"And Guardians?"
"Something like magical soldiers with the power to protect innocents and fight evil."
"And what do we, as Guardians, do?"
"Protect the innocent and fight evil."
"Specifically."
"Don't know."
"How many of us are there?"
"Don't know."
"Is Tuxedo Mask one of us?"
"Don't know. But Luna doesn't seem to know him."
"Sailor V?"
Usagi lifted her head. Since finding out about the world of Sailor Guardians, she'd been asking her classmates more about the mysterious Sailor V. No one had any useful answers besides that she fought for justice and was rumoured be working for the international police.
"Do you think she is?" she asked.
"She kind of fits the description," Ami replied, then her lips curled into a half-smile, "but I can't imagine that there is a Guardian of V."
A joke!
Usagi laughed. "The Guardians of the Moon, Mercury and V. We'd make an awesome trio."
Ami let a small smile out. Almost immediately, she frowned, looking away. "So basically, you know nothing specific."
Usagi shook her head. "Sorry. Maybe we can get Luna to spill everything tomorrow."
"I will leave that to you, if you don't mind. There is something I want to do instead, so I need you to keep her occupied for at least an hour. Around midnight should suffice."
"Why?" Usagi asked curiously. "What are you going to do?"
"Obtain separate data. That way, we can compare notes to see if Luna is telling the truth."
"How are you going to do that?"
Ami looked thoughtful. "The night before we met, when I was leaving Crystal Seminar, I saw a black cat sneaking into the arcade. Now I know it was Luna. She was doing something in there; I want to find out what."
"I've been to the arcade many times," Usagi said, before realising how embarrassing that sounded. In a meeker voice, she continued, "I've never seen anything unusual. Motoki-oniisan even lets me go into the backroom but there's nothing there. Luna does seem to visit that place a lot though."
"It is worth checking out."
"Ami?"
"Yes."
"Aren't you afraid?" she asked. "You seem so confident."
Ami held up her left hand, stretching out her fingers. She seemed to be seeing something Usagi didn't. "Maybe it is because I have a stronger understanding of my new abilities. And I quite like it—the improved stamina, higher dexterity, strength rivalling professional athletes, accelerated self-healing. In my case, I find the power to control water fascinating."
As if to prove her point, bright blue light enveloped her body, and she was transformed. Waving her fingers, tiny drops of water began to form over the palm of her hand, hovering like a tiny cloud.
Usagi gushed in awe, eyes wide. "How are you doing this? It's only been two days since you awakened. I can't even transform without shouting that stupid phrase."
"I have been told that I spent an unhealthy amount of time studying something when I get obsessed," Ami admitted. "This realisation did not come easily, and the practice was almost painful. Here is what I found out about our powers: our magic relies strongly on focus. With a strong focus, you can transform without using the phrase; but so far, it seems impossible to use magical attacks in civilian form. Once transformed though, our focus gathers more efficiently and easier into our attacks. Additionally, saying the transformation and attack phrases aid immensely in our focus, making it seem instinctive. However, my pen and your brooch do seem vital to the transformation process. I have yet to be able to transform when it is not on my person."
"Damn, you really are a genius," Usagi said, waving her hand through the cloud. "You found out all this in just two days?"
"Actually, there is more." Ami flicked her wrist, and a bright light appeared before her, fading away to reveal a small glass screen. Usagi peered closer, thinking of all the sci-fi films she'd seen with their super computers and holographic screens. "Apparently, I have some fascinating tech to go with magic."
"No fair." Usagi pouted. "Why do you get all the cool stuff?"
"You can't play games on this, Usagi."
"Never mind me then. Please continue."
Ami covered her mouth with a low mumble.
"I have yet to determine whether this tablet is an item of magic or advanced technology. It seems to be a supercomputer, but I can't find a motherboard or chip anywhere. The programs loaded on it seem to be made for analytical and recording purposes only, perhaps also some manipulative hacking, though I haven't had the chance to test that. It seems to obtain data from my own observations—literally from the thoughts in my brain. It can also obtain data from outside sources and I suspect highly illegal hacking is involved there."
Usagi frowned. "That's bad, isn't it?"
"I did a search for the government's military passcodes—"
"Ami!"
"It was just as an experiment of this computer's abilities." She waved a hand nonchalantly. "Besides, no one even noticed I was there."
Usagi huffed good-naturedly. Despite some questionable decisions, Ami was doing her best to ease their situations, and for that, she could never be worried about the girl.
"Also, there is this." Ami swung the hand holding the computer down, aiming for the edge of the bench between them. The tablet passed through the stone bench undamaged. "Selective intangibility. Durability is not a problem, because it can never be damaged."
As Usagi gaped, she sighed. "I think I am a thousand years too early to understand this technology."
"Is that all?" Usagi finally exclaim sarcastically.
"One more." She tapped one of the studs on her left ear, and a blue visor flashed across her eyes. "Basically, it makes up for my bad eyesight, and then some."
"That's it, right?" Usagi was surprised that she was actually getting envious of Ami, even though her toys were the product of the damned Guardian magic. "Nothing else to surprise me with?"
"No more items," Ami said. "I do have some information about the enemy, but while we are on the topic of powers, I want to know more about yours."
"I throw tiaras like a boomerang that slice through Youma. My hair bun ornaments sometimes scream in a very high pitch. I have this little mask that kind of lets me see through things. Luna gave me this pen that can supposedly disguise me as another person; I haven't tried it yet. That's all."
"All right, first things first." Ami tapped on her computer. "Can you activate your tiara attack for me?"
"What?"
"Power it up," she explained. "You don't have to throw it. I want to get a read on its energy level."
Usagi transformed, at first trying without the transformation phrase. Ami was very patient with her attempts, but she gave up soon enough.
"How is it?" Usagi asked excitedly, replacing the tiara.
"I can't say exactly," Ami said. "The only comparison I can do is with my own, but I can only make miniscule droplets of water—fog, in other words. It is weak, more for defensive uses. Nevertheless, the level of your attack does seem very high."
"As long as it gets the Youma, I'm happy."
"Now, your hair ornaments?"
Usagi looked away sheepishly. "I don't know how they work."
"Well, what were you doing when they activated?"
Usagi couldn't bring herself to look at Ami; she could feel her face warming up, her cheeks reddening. Twirling her index fingers together, she answered softly, "Crying."
She could feel Ami's eyes on the back of her head.
"Well, I think asking you to cry for me would be socially unacceptable," was all she said. "I will just take note when it activates again."
There was a clear sigh of disappointment when she made that choice. Usagi flinched inwardly, a little afraid of this mad-scientist-like side of Ami.
"Let's move on to the final business before we adjourn." Another play with the computer, and an image was projected in front of them. Usagi recognised the young man in front of her, crouched in animalistic fury. "This was the best image I could get of him. Through the computer's visualisation,"—the image changed into a natural-looking form of Jadeite—"I have estimated his height to be around a hundred and seventy-five centimetres and his age to be around twenty. I couldn't get an energy reading off him, but it is a safe bet he is commanding the Youma, hence he should be more powerful."
Usagi stared at the image, feeling a little sad. "He looks so human like that. What drove him to such evil?"
Another image appeared next to it, this time of Jadeite in casual clothing, a nice, genuine smile on his face.
"Warren Ishikawa," Ami stated. "Six months ago, he was reported missing. There had been no sightings of him since."
"What do you mean?"
"I am not sure." Ami rubbed her chin in contemplation. "It could be a coincidental doppelganger; or Ishikawa turned to the enemy. Considering that there are at least four of them, by his title, it is a good place to start with the identification process."
"And then what?" Usagi's voice grew louder; she swallowed before continuing but she couldn't remove the shakiness in her words. "Fight?"
"I don't know." She closed her eyes, pinching the bridge of her nose. "I am just as averse as you are to this supposed destiny of fighting evil. But the sad fact is, the enemy is operating throughout Tokyo, if not worldwide. We might come across them again. I just don't want to be forced to fight them unawares. Death is all too real in this situation."
Usagi knew Ami was right. As much as she hated to admit it, it was because she wasn't prepared that she failed to protect Ami even though she had told herself she would. Despite how Ami hid her emotions well, it was obvious she did not want to be a part of this destiny. But unlike her, Ami was better at prioritising even in the worst situation.
She decided she would too.
The other girl had put away her computer and was back to staring at the skies. Her hands rested by her side, supporting her weight against the bench as she leaned back. Usagi reached out for her hand, then pulled back at the memory of Ami jerking away the last time she'd touched her. Perhaps Ami didn't like being touched by people, was her thought. Usagi took her hand anyway, figuring her point wouldn't get across without the show of sincerity.
Ami gasped, her balance gone with the sudden removal of one supporting arm.
"Usagi, what are you doing?" She frowned.
"I will protect you," she said firmly, fixing her gaze into the other girl's eyes.
"Pardon?"
"I know I haven't proven myself to be reliable or strong-willed," she began earnestly, "and I'm clumsy, dumb and a cry-baby. I told Luna that I'd never let her awaken other Guardians, and I failed miserably. I wanted to save you from going down the same road as me, but I was too slow. I—"
"I don't think you are helping yourself as much as you think, Usagi," Ami interrupted. She arched an eyebrow, but didn't continue. Or pulled her hand away.
Usagi pretended to be offended. "You just ruined the start of a good moment here."
Ami was unperturbed, as she always was. "And?"
"And I think that it's so admirable that you're trying so hard to give us the best chances at staying alive," she continued. She tightened her grip on the other girl's hand. "I want to do my best too. I want to contribute. I'm not smart like you, but I have stronger attacks. So, basically, all I'm saying is… You do your thing the way you want to; just know that you're not alone. I'll be there to protect you."
She expected Ami to be happy, to express some relief at her heartfelt proclamation. She expected Ami to agree enthusiastically, to profess the desire to work together. She did not expect the removal of her hand, no matter how gentle it was.
Ami stood up, holding her hands behind her back. She didn't look at Usagi when she spoke monotonously. "Perhaps you shouldn't think that way."
Usagi jumped to her feet. "Why not? We're in this together, aren't we?"
"But for very different reasons." Ami faced her again, tilting her head slightly to the side, casting her profile into the shadows. "You are using your powers to protect other Guardians from awakening; I just want to stay alive. If a potential Guardian were to be attacked, you would charge right in, no matter how disadvantageous the circumstances against the enemy. I would most likely run, especially if I think the enemy is stronger than I can handle. You are a kind and caring person, Usagi. I am selfish. We can work together to understand what's going on, but I am afraid that is as far as I am willing to go."
Usagi had to bite her lower lip to keep it from quivering. Her eyes were brimming with tears and she quickly turned her head downcast. She could not blame Ami; but that did not stop her from feeling all the more lost.
What was she to do when she couldn't do it alone?
The ringing of the school bell was faraway and dull. By the time she had registered it, it had already stopped and the scrapes of chair against floor and chatter had replaced it. Ami slowly opened her eyes, blinking away the haze of sleep. The teacher was reminding students of the end-of-topic test in two days' time, her words falling on semi-deaf ears.
Ami lifted her head, idly scanning the board for the day's homework assignment. All around her, snickers and glares of malice could be seen a mile away. The school's leniency with her was infamous among the students. It was tolerable that she, at least, was studying something before; now, to fall asleep in class and be let off by the teacher, many students thought it fitting to openly show their contempt.
She ignored them all. People who would rather demoralise another than better themselves were beneath her. She gathered her things, then headed to the restroom. She was no stranger to the occasional all-nighters with a book, but four nights spent experimenting with her newfound powers was both physically and mentally draining.
The restroom was empty. Most were either off to club activities, extra classes or home. Ami made her way to the middle sink, setting her bag on the space between the taps and the mirror. Turning the cold water on full blast, hoping that the sound provided extra stimulus to drive away the sleep, she bent over, cupping palmfuls of water. A single splash wasn't enough, but before she could repeat the action, she felt a hand at the back of her head.
It was all she could do to hold her breath in in time before her head was shoved into the sink, under the cold blast. She closed her eyes against the water, bidding her time until her aggressors were satisfied. It didn't take long before she was released, and they left, wicked laughter trailing them through the door.
She kept her drenched head over the sink, droplets of water slowly dripping down around her face. It was neater this time; she could possibly save her uniform from getting wet. Her belongings, though, were not as fortunate. Notebooks, pens and papers lay strewn about the floor and sink; wet, stepped-on.
She breathed a sigh of relief that at least her tablet was undamaged.
Usagi waited by the gate again, this time having the courtesy of staying away from the opening. She checked the time again, frowning. She was sure Ami hadn't passed by, and she had practically run out the moment the bell rang, so she couldn't have missed her.
She gave a wave to a few passing friends, but her eyes never left the high school's main door. Was Ami involved in club activities? She realised she knew almost nothing about Ami. She didn't even know her contact number. They had so far communicated only once with each other at school, away from Luna's prying eyes.
"Yo."
Someone stepped into her view, dressed in a dull green uniform of a school she didn't recognise. Usagi cranked her neck up to the face that towered over her. Wavy dark brown hair weaved from a ponytail, accentuating the beautiful rose earrings that caught her eye.
"Yes?" She couldn't stop herself from gaping at the sight of this tall, stunning girl.
"I need to get to the middle school student coordinator's office." The girl's slightly gruff voice brought her out of her stupor. "Could you help me out?"
Usagi gave her best, albeit roundabout, direction to the office.
The girl frowned. "So… I take—"
"Ami!" Usagi plastered a grin on her face, waving her over. She faltered when she saw Ami's state. "Oh my god, what happened? Here, take my handkerchief."
Ami brushed her damp fringe from her eyes in annoyance, accepting the offer with thanks. She frowned as she tapped the side of her head, tilting it.
"Yeah." The other girl whistled. "What the hell happened to you?"
"I took a dip in the pool."
"With your bag?"
"Of course. It is the new trend."
"And here I thought you had a little accident with a water fountain."
"That happens sometimes too."
"You like water a lot, huh?"
"It is a secret quirk of mine. Don't tell anyone," Ami replied wryly, yet with an absolutely vacant face.
"I actually think that's an interesting story to tell."
"You won't be helping anyone, so don't." She returned the handkerchief. "Usagi, I will be going off first."
"What, wait," Usagi called, confused. "What about last night?"
Ami stopped, tapped on her ear again, then turned around. "Tomorrow at lunch. Block F's rooftop."
"Ah…" Usagi was torn; her eyes flickered between the two girls.
The taller one smiled kindly. "Thanks. I think I can get there on my own. That way, right?"
Usagi visibly paled when the girl pointed at a completely wrong direction. She didn't know she was that horrible at giving directions.
"Shit." The girl grinned sheepishly. "Well, I'll find it eventually. Go after your friend."
Ami had already disappeared around the other side of the school wall.
Usagi smiled, putting her concerns for Ami aside—for now. "Hey, don't worry," she said cheerily. "Just follow me and we should have no troubles."
"Should?"
"I mean, none! No trouble at all. I definitely know my way around the school. Yeah." She laughed, slightly embarrassed. "Anyway, I'm Tsukino Usagi. Are you transferring to this school?"
"Yeah, I am. Kino Makoto. Nice to meet you."