A/N: Special thanks to mandarin13, misako princess, NikkiBC, Chichiforever, and slightxjaded at fanfiction dot net AND smokingbomber, chaoticwisdom (she's actually on both sites I think…), Sandreline_Moon, Algae, and kurai_no_tenshi at Archive of Our Own for your encouragement, appreciation, and thoughts! Right after a detailed review I'm so motivated to dive back into the writing of the next scene!
I actually did proofread this chapter! But I proofread it myself right after I had finished (actually caught some things), so I probably still missed a few stupid mistakes. Please forgive! And enjoy!
Chapter 11: Reunion
"I just love the way her hair curls," the red head sitting beside her chattered. "Do you think she wears curlers every night?"
Makoto nodded absently, barely listening to her lunch companion.
"I don't know if I could take the time to do that every night," Naru said with a sigh.
Makoto still didn't comment, not able to bring herself to care about how much she looked, or didn't look, like Ginga Natsumi. Instead, the dozing blunette on her other side stole her thoughts and attention.
Rumor had it that Mizuno Ami was sleeping through class and forgetting to do homework assignments. Makoto didn't doubt the rumors, not when Ami could barely stay awake during the lunch hour. But she also couldn't get her genius friend to talk either. The girl insisted that everything was fine and that nothing had changed.
Makoto snorted at her own thoughts. She hadn't known Ami for long, but she knew that this level of constant fatigue was not normal. Not normal for anyone.
Then there was Usagi. The girl hadn't stepped foot on the high school campus in over four days. She supposed that her friend might be home with some awful stomach bug or something, but Naru could not confirm this, so the tall brunette could not rationalize away her growing anxiety.
"Still…" Naru continued. "Maybe I could…"
"Naru-chan," Makoto interrupted, "Have you heard from Usagi-chan?"
Naru answered the question with a sigh, her eyes dropped to her twiddling thumbs. "No. I called her mom, but Usagi wasn't home."
"Did she say where she…?"
"Usagi-chan!" Naru exclaimed leaping to her feet, seizing their suddenly not so absent friend in a breath ending hug.
And Makoto too, suddenly found her elusive smile.
"Where have you been Usagi-chan?!" Makoto demanded, taking her turn at an enthusiastic embrace, which hopefully took the sting out of her question. "We've missed you!"
"Hi Naru-chan, Mako-chan," Usagi said softly. "I'm sorry I've been so absent. Just been dealing with some things."
"Want to talk about it?" Naru offered eagerly.
Usagi shook her head gracefully with a small sad smile. "Maybe later," then she turned to a sleepy Ami. Naru's face fell, but she quickly erased her disappointment from her face.
"Hey Ami-chan!" the blond greeted brightly.
Ami turned blue sleepy eyes upward and gave a small smile before sleep captured her again. Usagi and Makoto both frowned.
Usagi sat on the ground again and prodded the blue-haired girl into a semblance of alertness, and the four girls chatted away.
It almost felt like things were normal, but Makoto was not fooled. Ami was still exhausted, Usagi distant, and Naru tried – unsuccessfully, in Makoto's opinion – to hide her own hurt. Makoto herself felt the distress and worry that her friends were not okay. She needed to do something!
"How about we have a slumber party tonight at my place?" she burst into the conversation.
"Is it your birthday?" Naru asked brightly.
"Nope," Makoto said brightly. "Just wanted my place to be more lively and warm for once."
Naru laughed and turned to the others. "That sounds like fun! What do you all think?" she said, echoing Makoto's invitation.
Usagi smiled, but it didn't reach her eyes.
Ami didn't seem to even comprehend the question, her eyes remaining unfocused and lost.
"Ami-chan?" Usagi asked, her voice dripping with concern. "Are you alright?"
"Huh?" the other girl started, her eyes focusing on her friends.
"Ami-chan! You're burning up!" Makoto noted, with a hand on her friend's forehead.
"I'm fine!" the other girl snapped shrugging off the concerned hands. "I just don't want to go to your stupid slumber party! I have better things to do."
And with that Ami jumped to her feet, suddenly seemingly alive and alert with energy and left them all with her usual dignified grace.
Makoto turned confused eyes towards her other two friends. "What was that about?"
"I don't know…" Usagi commented softly, rising to her own feet. "But I'm going to find out! Ami-chan!"
Naru sighed at Usagi's departing figure.
"What's wrong Naru-chan? I thought you would be thrilled to see Usagi again."
"I am! It's just…" the girl trailed off staring at the ground. She began absently plucking up blades of grass and throwing them aside.
"It's just?" Makoto prompted when Naru did not continue.
Watery eyes looked up and met her own. "Promise me you won't be angry?"
Makoto nodded without a second thought.
"I miss having Usagi all too myself," she admitted. "It used to just be the two of us. And now our friend group has just exploded with you and Ami, and now, sometimes Minako. It's nice!" she insisted. "It's just… she used to tell me everything."
"You think she's not telling you something now?"
"I know she isn't. Something's going on and it's killing her! I'm so worried and I want to be there for her, but I'm just also so angry with her! Why doesn't she trust me anymore?"
"Perhaps she has a good reason for not sharing," Makoto tried to assure her. "She doesn't want to burden you." But the brunetted didn't really buy that explanation herself and it felt hollow even to her own ears.
And if Naru said something was going on with Usagi, then something was most likely going on with Usagi. The red head had known the girl longer than anyone. Which begged the question, what was going on that Usagi no longer confided in her oldest friend?
"That's what I keep trying to convince myself, and if she said that maybe I could respect it. But she insists nothing is happening. She's lying to my face. I feel like… I feel like I've lost her. And yet… I still worry and… I still want to help," Naru choked out through her sudden tears.
Makoto enveloped the other girl in her arms and rocked her back and forth as her sobs intensified. Why would Usagi hurt her friend this way?
She thought of the visions Rei had shared with her and suddenly worried that whatever Usagi was involved in could be dangerous. Makoto had to figure out what it was. She wouldn't be able to sleep at night if her friend was in danger and she hadn't done all she could to protect her.
…
Usagi had combed through the entire school grounds both inside hallways and classrooms and every inch of the exterior with no sign of her blue haired genius friend. A few inquiries revealed that her peers were eager to gossip about the model student turned delinquent.
The blond frowned at the descriptions, more worried than ever and angry with herself for her extended absence. How could she not have known that something was bothering her friend? Even a week or two before, her Ami's performance and habits had started to slip. Why hadn't she tried more?
Perhaps you had other things on your mind. She dismissed the thought intent on being there for Ami at least in this moment while she could.
A group of students near the school gate and informed her that Ami had just marched boldly through the school grounds, blatantly cutting the rest of the day. Usagi followed her example, more determined than ever to find her friend.
She made it to the park before she realized that she really had nothing to go on. Where would Ami go if she wasn't at school? There was the library and cram school, but somehow she doubted that Ami would frequent either location with the way she had been behaving today.
She wandered almost aimlessly through the park, lost in her thoughts when a familiar baritone laugh stole her attention. She whirled around, her vision filling with none other than Chiba Mamoru and his companion – the gorgeous Ginga Natsumi with her absolutely perfect hair and make up. Seriously, there was not even one fly away hair out of place. And her deep maroon eyes just seemed to sparkle with depth and mystery. Even her school uniform seemed to accentuate her curves in a way that if flattered no one else attending the high school.
"Mamoru-baka!" she yelled at him marching over to the couple, frustrated anger pumping through her veins.
He jumped, startled at her presence. "Odango," he greeted with a smile. "Beautiful day isn't it? Would you like to join us?" he said patting the grass beside him.
"What has happened to you?" she asked sadly, ignoring his companion completely. "You're some kind of delinquent now? Or is it a play boy?"
"Just enjoying the weather," he said defensively.
"Right. Clearly you're enjoying the 'weather'," she bit back coldly. "What about your scholarship? What about preparing yourself for med school?" she entreated.
He blinked at her in confusion, remaining silent.
"Well?" she demanded furiously. How could he let some girl distract and consume him so completely?
Especially a girl that was not her. Not that she would ever intentionally pull Mamoru away from his studies. That would be pulling him away from his dreams.
"How did you…?" he started to ask.
"Mamoru-kun is his own person!" Natsumi barked back at the same time. "He doesn't have to answer to you! Or anyone else! Who are you, his mother?"
"No… I just…" she spluttered, trying to catch Mamoru's eyes. But he had once again become focused on the girl between them. "Ugh! Nevermind, I don't have time for this! Have either of you seen Ami?"
"Mizuno-san?" Natsumi repeated with narrowed eyes. "I think she went that way," she pointed back the way Usagi had come.
Usagi grunted in acknowledgement before setting off in the indicated direction, unable to bring herself to thank her red-headed… nemesis, her mind filled in, when she truly wanted to strangle the other girl.
…
Minako walked down the Tokyo sidewalk at a leisurely pace munching through a toasted wheat bagel. She was so incredibly late to school that it didn't matter. Her mother would kill her later, but right now the older woman was out of town and wouldn't know that her daughter had stayed up until five in the morning pouring over scribbled nonsensical notes in her notebooks that just kept appearing there.
Messages like 'Hikawa Shrine – Friday 7:00 PM', 'Duty to protect', and 'You are their leader' had a habit of popping up in her notebook. She had no idea who could be writing the notes. She originally suspected a classmate was messing with her, but the messages always seemed to appear at night.
Could she be writing them herself?
But then, where had the Sailor V manga come from?
So she had stayed up all night hoping to catch the gremlin in action, but it had just been her and Artemis curled up on the bed throughout the whole night.
Slightly creeped out, she hadn't been able to sleep anyway. Well, not until sometime after five. So was it really a shock that she had managed to sleep until almost noon?
What was the point in even going to school today, she thought through a yawn.
She meandered past the park, and passed by a girl in an identical blue school uniform as her own who had fallen asleep on the bench.
That girl had the right idea, Minako thought to herself as she forced herself to continue on toward the school building.
She turned back with a doubletake, the other girl with her blue hair reminded her of Usagi's friend, Mizuno Ami. But there was no way the academically focused girl would be caught outside during school hours.
She glanced backward doubtfully. Maybe that was Ami. She turned back to check on the girl when a boy approached her stealthily from behind, covering her eyes.
The dark-haired boy was Ginga Seijuro. That meant, the girl was definitely Mizuno-san. What was going on?
Minako darted behind a tree to watch the exchange.
Ami's usually serious face lit up in a smile as she pulled his hands from her eyes down into her lap.
"Seijuro-kun! How did you find me?" she greeted.
"I heard you had stormed out of the building," he admitted. "I wanted to make sure you were okay."
"Never better, now that you're here!" she insisted brightly pulling him down into the seat beside her, entwining her fingers through his own. The couple fell into quiet whispering with the occasional shared giggle or laugh. His fingers seemed to trace patterns on the back of her arm and hand.
They looked adorable, and genuinely sweet on one another.
But the hairs on her arms and neck bristled. Something about it was just wrong…
"Mizuno-san!" Minako greeted as if she had just happened upon the couple. "What are you doing out here?" She grabbed the other girl's hand and forced her to her feet. "I thought I was the only one who was ever this late to school!"
The blond then broke into a run dragging the blushing blunette behind her.
"I will see you later Siejuro-kun," the other girl called back through a giggle.
"I would love that," he loudly agreed.
Minako urged both girls into a faster sprint, vowing to herself to talk to Usagi about Seijuro after school, certain that Ami would be more receptive to the concern coming from her closest friend.
…
She stood alongside her three sisters in arms. Her golden counterpart gestured a command.
She nodded stiffly to her commander and friend, acknowledging the order before stretching out her hands to the senshi on either side. She directed her fiery energy to one hand to bond with her smooth and collected icy sister. The crackling pulsing in her other hand signaled that the daughter of Zeus had joined their link seconds later.
Their golden leader was the last to bring her warm glowing light to the circle. Then moonlight caressed her sizzling skin adding even more engery to the collection of raw elemental power that roared through and beyond their veins.
The daughter of Aries prayed it would be enough to protect their charge.
Either way, it would cost them everything…
Rei shook herself out of the vision and glared at the Sacred Fire that danced before her mockingly. Why did it show her the same vision again and again? She wanted answers and explanations! It had never failed her before. Why was it being so difficult now?
"It has already given you the answers you seek."
Rei jumped a mile at her grandfather's voice, her heart suddenly pounding.
"Grandpa! Don't do that!" she admonished. "Why...?" she started to ask. He never interrupted her meditations, but then what he said registered. "What do you mean?"
"You keep seeing the same vision," he stated as if it was fact. How did he know that?
"You meditate for hours longer than usual and you come out of it frustrated and less centered. This is unhealthy granddaughter."
"But…"
"It is also unproductive," he continued before she could object. "If the Sacred Fire has given you all that it has to offer, you must now redirect your attention to the actual world around us in order to understand the wisdom the fire has granted you."
"You're saying you want me to get off my ass and spend sometime outside?" she summarized with a grin.
His serious demeanor dissolved into his usual humor. "Something like that," he agreed.
"Fine! I will take my aggravating and impatient self from your presence for the afternoon," she grumbled feeling slightly guilty for having rubbed both her grandfather's and Yuichiro's nerves raw all week.
"Rei-chan, I offer you this advice because it is good advice," he insisted. "I have long ago learned to tolerate your bouts of temperamental tantrums," he said with a straight face.
"Tantrums?" she repeated in disbelief. "Tantrums?"
But he was laughing as he departed unphased by her objection. She sat for another ten minutes glaring at the unhelpful fire before admitting that her grandfather was most likely right. He usually was when it came to matters of spirit.
One of his more irritating qualities.
So she ended up wandering down the temple's steps into the "world" has her grandfather referred to life outside the shrine, with no destination in mind. Just breathing in the fresh cool air of early spring. The quiet afternoon slowly morphed into the bustle of passing traffic and increasing density of pedestrians as she walked away from the temple's natural refuge and into the heart of the city.
Suddenly a pair of blond pigtails stood out a dozen meters ahead as the girl darted around a corner and the miko sped up to follow knowing instinctively that the mysterious girl that knew her name could shed light on the 'answers the fire had already given.'
A firm hand on her shoulder stopped her in her tracks just as she made it to the corner. The raven-haired girl whirled around to face a different blue-eyed blond with a red ribbon in her hair wearing the blue uniform that signified she attended the same high school as her quarry.
"Why are you following her?" the blond demanded, with hard eyes. Eyes filled with duty and burdens beyond her years.
Rei felt dizzy as her the vision that plagued her surfaced in her mind again. She stared at the cold blue eyes before her with sudden recognition.
"It's you!" Rei greeted, suddenly delighted. "You're the last one!"
"Last one what?" the blond questioned in confusion, her hostility suddenly lessened.
"You're in my visions," the miko admitted softly expecting the other girl to bolt.
The blond actually loosened in relief, "You're having them too?"
Rei froze for just a second before her heart leapt with hope. Makoto had heard her out, but this new girl might actually believe her.
"What have you seen?" Rei asked barely able to suppress the urgency with which she needed to know.
"I don't know… it's in pieces. There's a girl – she makes me think of the moon. I'm supposed to protect her."
"We are supposed to protect her," Rei corrected.
Minako nodded acknowledgment, not questioning the addition of this stranger. "There's four of us," she said hesitantly.
"Yes! We're in the snow and ice at night with the moonlight. We face an army."
"But we lose," the blond concluded sadly.
Rei nodded. "I think that we do, but maybe we don't have to again."
"Again?"
"I think it's happening again. Now."
The blond nodded in agreement. "I'm Aino Minako by the way," she said with a slight bow of her head and a friendly smile.
"Hino Rei," the miko filled in immediately. "I work for my grandfather up at the Hikawa Shrine."
"Did you say Hikawa Shrine?"
"Yes… why?"
"It's nothing… it's just it has been… uh… suggested that I head up there to make some sense of all this."
Rei laughed. "I was just kicked out of the shrine for the exact same reason! Perhaps we were meant to meet!"
"Most likely," Minako agreed. "So why were you following Usagi?"
"She's the key to all this," Rei insisted. "I think she's the girl we have to protect. Meeting her triggered my first visions and she's been central to a lot of them. But now we've lost her."
"Nonsense! If I know that girl at all she's heading to the arcade to get a milkshake after a long day!"
…
A/N: This chapter fought me tooth and nail! (Hopefully, the only evidence of that is the length of time it took to update!) So many times during my writing process I had to stop and start a scene over because the characters weren't acting like themselves! But a few full nights of rest helped me recreate the scenes in all their magic! Thanks for your patience and continued support! I'm SO excited about the next two chapters as I've been working on and building towards them since I started this story! **SQUEALS**