NAME: Towel (6/25/03 – 7/15/03)
E-MAIL:
TITLE: More Than A Woman
NOTE: I liked the last chapter although it was rather short. The full details of the story
haven't been explained yet so I realize there are a lot of questions and a few already
figured out answers. The explaining part will come around soon to where people will
know what's going on and who was that twin really. Of course it has to do with the
Sailor Moon storyline, just a little twist. This chapter I'm stepping outside of Minako
once again especially since Nephrite knocked her out. So don't expect much of Minako
as far as I know. I'm taking things back a little bit further. Please keep reading and mail
me comments.
DISCLAIMER: Sailor Moon 1992-2003 Naoko Takeuchi/Kodansha Ltd./Toei
Animation Co., Ltd. Sailor Moon, the Sailor Moon characters, and their respective
names and likenesses are trademarks of Toei Animation Co., Ltd.
THANKS: Naoko
*~*~*~*~*~*~MORE THAN A WOMAN~*~*~*~*~*~*
CHAPTER THIRTEEN: A Battered Women Scorned! Ace and Minako Joint Risk!
Ace's strangled face lifted forward angrily off the floor looking up into the unsettled face
of the general store manager in the gloom of the stuffy washroom. "What do you mean
she's gone!?" Ace demanded angrily. His side bit at him and he lifted a hand to help
press down the pain. His encounter with the Scanner left what felt like a broken rib
although he'd imagined something of the sort to be a little more excruciating linked to a
horrible purple bruise on his left side. A chilling sweat dripped along his face and
between his steadfast eyes which locked in demand upon the tall manager that just barged
into the washroom in a fright.
"You should settle down," lightly insisted the woman who'd helped bandaged Ace's side.
She was a nurse on vacation toward the lake hill town they were near. Ace couldn't
exactly remember her name more than her kindness. A lucky shot she'd been apart of the
team of survivors.
Ace ignored her and the pain, his face squaring up as he rose with that of the distraught
manager. Ace tried to keep his teeth from barring but all he could think about was
Minako being in danger and how he wasn't able to help and how the manager jumped on
her case earlier before she'd disappeared apparently. And now, the news was that she
was gone. What had he done? What had that man so angry at Minako's taking his rifle
to save his life done to her? Or just flat out where was Minako? What did he mean she
was gone? Dead? That wasn't possible!
Ace wasn't thinking. He wasn't focus. He protected Minako because he knew he had to
and now… now…
The bleached blond hair atop Ace's head swished as his arms reached out and snatched a
tuff of the store manager's shirt. Ace put aside the flushed expression of the manager and
tightened his able right hand into the grinding of fabric and pulled the man dangerously
close and asked again where Minako was in a low surly voice that pressed against the
dimness of the room. Threatening the man, instigating that the man had done something
horrible to his friend. And if the answers were right, Ace was prepared to send another
life packing.
"I told you I don't know where she went kid!" the manager held his hands up
protectively, his face squashed with the writings to send Ace a punch. Ace didn't release
and the manager tightened his hands into fist trying now to keep them low at his side
prepared to defend himself from the kid who was appearing as psychotic.
Someone stood to Ace's left. That same woman. The nurse. "That's enough," she spoke
sternly bravely pulling Ace lightly free. Ace released at her tender peeling fingers. It
was almost like a enchantment to have been able to let go with his fiery hands, but never
his eyes. "Nothing's going to happen if you clobber him out from telling us what
happened."
Ace kept his blue eyes planted on the manager hearing the woman's words and nodded
tossing back a stray strand of his newly blond hair. Time was wasting, but the manager
had just stormed in shouting only minutes ago about how there was something going on
down the road. Ace watched the man straighten out his shirt and gave Ace a sharp "keep
your distance" look. Ace returned the look like glue.
"I'm not sure what exactly happened," the man spoke avoiding Ace's eyes and turning
toward the woman instead. Ace read nervousness as his eyes darted along the gestures
and impressions of the manager. "I… I… her and I went to investigate some explosion.
We found the police and paramedic's vehicles at the road and all I remember was some
guy walking through the flames or something." The man scratched his head seemingly
uncertain of himself. "I just can't exactly remember what I saw but apparently it was
enough to have…" he trailed off looking in another direction.
Ace and the woman waited peering up at him.
Finally: "To have what?" spat Ace, he bit down the ripple of pain.
The manager shrugged nervously still keeping his eyes away as he told how he fell out
and didn't remember anything after that except waking up alone on the cold road. It took
minutes before Ace registered that as the truth. He had to re-read ever bit of emotion the
man put into telling his story before accepting that that was what happened. Accepting it
more or less looking into the craggy man who's face seemed riddling.
Ace sighed roughly and folded his arms. All he could see was a picture of his friend,
Minako, smiling and it hurt him to know she wasn't around. He needed her and she
needed him. It was that simple.
"The road his clear now and I don't know how," the store manager spoke to the
frightened crowd who seem to have eased into listening posting for danger. Even after
the monster was defeated everyone was shaken up, too shaken up to really move. No one
had ever seen something as incredible as that. Something straight from hell. It was really
affecting some of them. "Our best chance his to head into town on our on right now.
Anyone with a larger car can take those that can't walk. We need to get to the hospital."
Uproars erupted. Tightened ones
"What about the police!? Where are they?"
"I thought you said we were safe! What's going on!?"
"I'm not going if the girl isn't going!"
The manager shuffled and sighed away a weight and threw his palms up like fire. "ALL
RIGHT!" he shouted not watching Ace move behind him toward the door leading into the
store. "We either stay here and wait, but there's no way we can call anyone out here with
the phones dead! I've already tried again! Why our cell phones doesn't get a signal… I
don't know…"
"Some of them look bad," the nurse added looking over the crowd. Especially toward
those that the Scanner ripped through with little precision leaving them bleeding to their
death. The one that worried her the most and kept most of her attention was the husband
of one of the murdered three, his breathing was swallow from the lost of blood where the
Scanner ripped into his throat. He was just barely alive and the nurse knew better than to
count him as able if help didn't arrive. Then again, in his lost and in his state, he seemed
ready to die as if there was nothing left in the world for him. A few other were in bad
shape, but he was obviously worst.
And then there was the girl who kept pulling out her hair. When the Scanner thrashed
through the store in a heated assault he'd (apparently from her insane babble) touched her
hair. Now the girl rocked on her knees slowly pulling away long strands of black hair.
She had to be watched and quieted of her mumbling as she was slowly losing her mind.
The nurse shook her head pitifully.
The panic grew, and continued and all Ace could do was look into space struggling to
figure out what to do for himself and Minako. He couldn't stick around any longer from
where he stopped at the door and before he knew it he was marching out of the stuffy
washroom with his female friend at his side. Ace had learned, a persistent one obviously.
"Where do you think you're going?" the woman asked crossing into Ace's path getting
over the messy, bloody, thrashed general store before he reached for the phone on the
front counter, she reminded him quickly that it didn't work. The woman looked into
Ace's weary eyes even as he tried to look away stopping enough to hear her out. "I know
you want to help your friend – but –"
"She's out there!" Ace tried not to raise his voice slamming a right fist into a left palm,
the dead phone was sweep behind the counter harshly. It felt good to breath fresh air, and
get away from the panic inside the washroom. Ace had room now, room to think. Ace
was done with laying low and helping those that needed helping inside. He had to
separate himself from all that and find Minako. He gritted his teeth looking at the nurse
overpoweringly. "She needs me. She's out there somewhere, Minako's tough and I need
to find her if she needs help. I was just going to try and call more help then I'm on my
own."
The nurse shook her head slowly. "Yes, the girl's tough but right now you need to be at a
hospital. What can you possibly do bruised as you are? Don't you remember what
happened last time you tried to help her?" She tilted her head trying to get her point into
those distance eyes of his that looked away in shame.
How could he forget? Minako was in trouble and immediately he stormed to her rescue
only to be inhumanly thrown, banged into a wall, and crumbled to the muddy ground.
Still alive and the pain in his side reminded him of every minute. However, there was no
way he was just going to go to the hospital, not without Minako. Not without making
sure she was close by. It was funny how destiny wrote itself. It all started as a camping
trip his parents insisted he not take with his friends along the lakeside. He wasn't from
the hillside town, he was in fact from Tokyo, same as Minako. Whereas she was a year
or so younger. He'd heard the explosion of the yacht yesterday along with his friends;
they didn't get a chance to investigate until the next morning but remained shaken
throughout the night. The lakeside rental harbor was closed by then and the lake was
strangely silent. No one knew, it was as if some sort of magic had wrapped the lake and
only Ace and his boys knew that something was up. Ace really couldn't figure out why
anyone along the coast of the lake hadn't figured it out as soon the following morning
when the businesses opened up, but that was the plan, to find a piece of the yacht as
proof. Remembering how he felt uneasy through their first night, Ace figured by now the
investigation was on with the police once he got onto the lake to start their morning and
first spotted a girl waving from an island of rocks and trees.
But it was Minako. The survivor that was so much more interesting to Ace. He'd
spotted her on the island and knew immediately that yes, she was someone who'd
escaped the possible explosion. Ace did everything in his power to help the girl, to get
answers out of her and she proved more than once that she had some part of the matter.
As of then Ace couldn't let her go for some reason. He reluctantly took her to the shore
and watched her walk away angry with him and his necessary prodding of questions until
she disappeared. Forcing his self to leave her along and toss his suspicion aside he road
back out to the water toward the piece of shipping debris that floated in the water. She
did say she was just camping and lost her boat before, but Ace new that wasn't true. He
just didn't know what to do at that point. Let her walk away, or follow her for more
answers. Toji, Ace's good friend spotted the unease look on Ace's face at his return.
"What's up with the girl?" Toji frowned asking looking at Ace's seamless face. "And
apparently you? You get any answers out of her? Was it her fault?" Toji stood slightly
on his jet ski that bobbled in the water around the burnt driftwood of the yacht.
Ace shook his head unsure watching the thin flapping waves. "I don't know. I feel like
she just knows more than she's telling. I dropped her off at the shore, she should be okay
there."
Ace's other pal Sato was grated by the stranger-girl he followed Ace to the island to
rescue her. "She just has issues," Sato proclaimed casually eyeing the piece of wood
floating above water. Sato adjusted onto his jet ski and looked at the Ace and Toji.
"Should we go ahead and call the police?"
"That's the plan," Toji nodded and turned once again toward the silent Ace; whose eyes
continued onto the drift wood. Toji just couldn't seem to understand why his friend had
such a far away look on his face. As if he was somehow affect profoundly by the
encounter with the girl. Toji tried to register Ace's look as just him thinking,
remembering the plan they made around the campfire but…. "Are you sure you're
okay?" Toji peered up at Ace.
Ace jumped into a nod and sighed heavily looking his friends over. He couldn't deny
them how he was feeling. "I don't know," Ace clarified calmly. "I just have this funny
feeling that that girl shouldn't be so far away from me."
Sato smirked and sat up playfully on his jet ski. "Caught by her huh?" Sato joked
grinning in Ace's direction. "Jesus, you just meet her… you slut you." He wiggled in
isolated laughter.
"It's not like that," Ace replied quickly. It occurred to him that maybe he should head
back to shore and stick by her. The feeling too do so was overpowering. It was a
situation whether she was responsible for the accident or was just a survivor. Any case
she was alone and lied that she didn't tie her boat down at the island for it to have
escaped her through the night. Just something fishy about her all together. She knew
something and she was the only person who seemed to know anything out all alone on
the lake. She could help the police. But was that her intentions?
Ace spun the jet ski into a wide circle and turned back toward his friends at it's
completion. "I'm going to go find the girl again, don't wait up for me. Get to the police
with whatever you find and I'll try to convince her to tell what she knows. We can bring
both sides to whatever happened down there." He jutted his head in the direction miles
down the calm lake. Looking down there he saw nothing and it killed him trying to
understand. WHY was there so little evidence but the piece they've found? No bodies,
not wood, no sail, no nothing! Everything was under water. Even things that should be
afloat! EVERYTHING was under water. It was impossible and looking down the lake
Ace knew and felt something odd going on. It was like magic, like a spell had been cast
to hide the evidence of the yacht's grand explosion. He felt that if he and his friends
hadn't been camping on the lake, then nobody would have ever known.
No… someone HAD to have known and if not now, then soon as they got to the police
and reported it. Then it'd be all over the papers! Someone was responsible, this wasn't
an accident. No, not like this.
"Are you crazy!?" Sato's grin fell snapping Ace from his grim thoughts. "She's probably
the one who done this! You get involved with her you get involved with trouble!" Sato
pointed harshly toward the island. "She was alone Ace! Nobody was with her! How did
out of ALL those people that could have been on that boat she was the only one who
made it!?"
"I know," Ace drew out. He wasn't sure if the girl caused it or didn't but he was going to
find out.
"She could be dangerous Ace." Toji. "We should let the police handle her with what we
have on her. We know how she looks; she can't get far. If you go off following her she
could do something else, to you."
Ace ran a hand through his then dark locks. He was afraid he was going to have to deny
his friends' suggestions and go with his instincts, which eventually lead to more than he
could even conceive possible. "Either way it'd be better if we not lose sight of her," Ace
dejected. "If I get her to talk some I'll know whether she's responsible or not and if she's
not then her and I will catch up to you guys at the police station."
"And if she is," Sato spoke darkly.
Ace didn't want to think about anything dangerous. But the fact remained, if the girl
purposely destroyed the boat and those aboard, what was going to stop her from doing the
same to a boy who knew too much.
"Go," Toji waved a defeated hand. He knew Ace too much. Ace would go anyway. "I
trust you, just be careful. We'll meet at the police station in town as soon as Sato and I
haul in some evidence. In the meantime, try to get the girl to the station also whether
she's responsible or not. She won't go easy." Toji gave Sato a look knowing that Sato
was going to add upon the negative; Toji beat him to it. "But if she gets away that's fine.
She won't get far and we know what she looks like."
Ace had enough. All he knew was how to make things work out as they come. Make
things happen and before long he was thrown into something he'd never imagine being
thrown in once he started keeping alongside the girl known as Minako. He had his
doubts before, serious ones at that and she pulled him through. And he had his usual
taste of a sixth sense to guide him. Still there was some dangerous stuff that Ace got the
feeling Minako didn't even know what was going on. That Minako was being thrown
into the danger unwillingly. Nevertheless, she'd done it alone. She'd got through a lot of
things alone and Ace quickly held himself responsible for not letting her be alone, for
keeping her safe no matter the danger that kept coming ahead.
Minako trusted him and he trusted her seeing the amazing things she was capable of
doing. Now she was missing and he had no choice but to find her.
Ace blinked and eyed the nurse clearing his thoughts. "I need a ride."
She gave him a hard look, seeing she wasn't going to get through to him the woman
offered her keys, taking Ace's hand gently and pounding them into his palm.
Ace couldn't say much as she described her car parked in the lot.
"Take it," she presented trusting him. "That girl saved our lives. If she's in trouble, and
you know how to help, then it's the least I can do." She looked toward the washroom
door. "My job is here to help the others get into town." Back to Ace: "You go do what
you have to do, just make sure you find her. And watch your side."
Ace nodded solidly and quickly headed out with more or less of a plan. Sure he could tag
along with the others and head into town, but his mission was different and it became
clear immediately once he stepped into the dusky orange lot peering pass the gleam
toward the car the nurse described among the many. Investigate the road where Minako
apparently vanished then head to the police station and fast. His friends were going to be
there and that was his best bet to getting started. He could not only be with his friends,
but clear any suspicion, and if Minako was REALLY missing he could have the entire
force on the look out for her. More eyes than he'd have, professional eyes at that. But he
was going to find her.
Still, why was there a tiny part of him telling him to forget about all this? Telling him to
walk away while you can? You've seen what kind of trouble she can attract.
Superhumans, demons, and frustrating scooter rides. So why not just head to the station,
tell what you know, then go home with your friends. They took the other road into town,
now why don't you follow that same road and go home not to look back?
"No," Ace's thoughts caught up with him. "I'm not leaving Minako alone." Finding the
nurses car he quickly piled inside with determination. Find Minako.
Ace was just making out several police cars piled across the road when something in his
head forced him to slam onto the brakes. He stopped to breathe listening closely to what
sounded like a voice. Ace's eyes peered around the car, outside the windows,
everywhere but there was no one and it sounded so vacant and silent as if someone was
calling from a distance.
Knowing this was the spot where Minako disappeared he shut the engine and got out to
take a close look around before calling out her name. Bending to rub his fingers against a
sharp crack in the road was when he heard it more clearly. Someone's voice, female,
male, calling him, telling him, asking him…
Is she safe? the voice asked hissing forward in a crescendo of echoes. So distant, but
solid. So close. Ace stopped to hear it, from inside. It was inside him. In his head…
All Ace could do was look ahead and into the crack that split open the very earth. For it
was happening again…
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
"Thanks again," Rei smiled at the clerk and lifted up two large brown paper bags of
groceries. She gritted for a second at the unexpected weight and didn't resist to wrapping
her arms around the bags and splitting out the door at the second attempt. Outside parked
her small shiny red car her father bought her for her birthday earlier that year. Her long
black braid draped over her back seemed to float in mid air as she pounded toward the car
as fast as she could not to overhaul herself and drop the groceries that she could already
feel slipping from her grasp.
Rei punched pass a little kid with a balloon nearly toppling the little girl over. Her feet
hit squarely into the concrete and her eyes focused ahead over the box of cereal
threatening to cover her path.
Why didn't I just get a cart? Her irritated brain wondered as she hobbled forth letting
loose her grip them rewrapped in a brain trust of despair.
Finally, safe, she dropped the two bags tenderly and took her keys to open her vacant
trunk hurriedly stuffing the groceries inside. Slamming the trunk close she reviewed her
next move which was to head to Southern Fried Chicken Delight and have Makoto fill
her in on any information, from there, she was heading home then back to the Aino's.
Ten minutes later Rei was straightening her skirt as she entered the fast food joint of
Southern Fried Chicken Delight. Her nose crinkled at the enormous smell of frying
chicken. It hung so heavily in the air that she could practically feel it weighting and
sticking against her. Sashaying forward Rei dodged pass an older girl leaving the line
just as Usagi handled the rest of her order.
"Have a nice day!" Usagi waved slightly but the smile was a bit too much. Her dinky
chicken hat nearly crumbling off her head. She quickly reached a hand to settle it back,
sighed heavily, and gave Rei a greeting smile. "How's it going?"
Rei tucked her hair behind her ears looking Usagi directly in the eyes and shook her head
throwing her hands tiredly on the counter. The counter was oily, Rei pulled away in
disgust. "I'm really not sure anymore Usagi," Rei eyeing her nails. "Still nothing on
Minako and I've been trying over and over again."
Usagi sighed again and watching the distant worried look on her friend's face, placed a
hand on her shoulder from over the counter. Usagi and Rei matched eyes. "Don't worry,
Ami's on the trail also. In the meantime I don't think you should work so hard."
Rei wanted to ring off the hook about how they didn't have a choice but saw for once that
Usagi was being gentler about the situation than to deserve Rei coming unglued from the
stress. It was still the same day just later in the afternoon toward dusk that the four of
Minako's friends were making plans leading to this. Unconsciously Rei shivered
remembering how she'd heard someone speaking to her, inside her head, in the worst
way. Telepathically. Telepathy, what her mother had. What probably drove her mother
crazy over the years until it finally caught up with her and murdered her!
"Are you okay?" Usagi bent to peer into Rei's shattered face.
Rei jerked and pulled back off guard and nodded that she was fine.
Before Usagi could object preparing to offer Rei a drink, Makoto came from the kitchen
area with a pointy smile, her and Rei nodding toward one another. All three girls exited
out into the front of the building nestling around Rei's car.
Makoto peeled off her cell phone in the stillness of the air and dialed up Ami. The
brunette looked over Rei and Usagi who watched anxiously hoping that Ami had figured
out something while the other girls were either working or carrying about duties, such as
Rei, grocery shopping which she rarely did. It was a honest pain to do so. That was
Grandpa's duty. Today she just figured she needed to get out of the Hikawa Shrine to
stretched away those worry muscles.
Rei folded her arms and turned her head looking out toward the one of Tokyo's finest
bullet trains in the distance covering high up above the puny streets below. It was
stationed and still at the moment as passengers swaggered out.
Makoto and Ami divulged into conversation for what felt like an hour before Makoto
hung up and turned to Usagi and Rei. Rei could already read the sad expression on
Makoto's face as nothing… as in Ami hadn't came up with anything.
Flinging her arms against her side tiredly Makoto spoke about how Ami still hadn't come
across a connection. She's been looking up reports and found a few recent ones on a
yacht bombing in Ashikaga.
"A yacht?" Rei frowned.
Makoto nodded folding her arms. "Looking over the Internet Ami found some
information on a car manufacture owner named Shinohara having a boating accident out
in Ashikaga during the middle of the night. Or so the police are investigating it."
Usagi asked: "Well how does that fit in?"
Makoto shook her head. Her brown ponytail free from the employee's embarrassing hat
swinging along with her. "I don't know Usagi."
A grime expression lifted onto Usagi's face and she took a dangerous step back. "You
guy's don't think Minako had anything to do with this? You don't think she was…"
Usagi trailed off swallowing… hard.
"No, don't say it and don't think it," Rei said tersely side-looking Usagi. Rei then
reached into her pocket and pulled out the list made earlier from her visions, each girl had
a copy. Rei looked the list over and sure enough there was the word she was looking for.
Besides a little bit of hope. "Well 'car' is apart of the list," she advised still in her rough
voice.
Makoto sighed distraught. "Well that could mean anything," she dejected. "Minako
could have been kidnapped in a car, or driving one, or – wait a minute-"
Rei and Usagi looked up from the list at her and a blazing look struck Makoto's face, but
not yet a smile of some reasoning success. "We four know that Kunzite's, Minako's
mother's boyfriend, had something to do with this right?" Makoto waited for a reply,
whereas Rei nodded, Usagi didn't.
"He took Minako to school but that doesn't mean she-"
Rei shook her head hotly and looked frustrated more at the circumstances than Usagi's
ignorance. "Then where is he!?" Rei spat slapping a hand against the list fiery. "If he
didn't kidnap Minako then where is it to… testify or whatever? He's gone, she's gone!"
"They could have killed him you know!" Usagi added in return desperate to sound like
she understood. Insisting some random manic killed Kunzite and kidnapped Minako.
"You're so stupid you know that!?" Rei shouted. "Why else would a man come out of
know where and disappeared with your best friend!? Because he took her! Face it Usagi,
I don't understand why it's so hard! Kunzite kidnapped Minako and we can't seem to
find either of them because it's true!" Rei let out the remaining air she had left inside her
to continue once she saw Usagi's eyes glass up with tears. Everyone knew Usagi was
having a hard time excepting that Minako was REALLY missing and not just playing one
of her lasting jokes. Deep inside Usagi knew it was real, but she just wanted everything
to be perfect. Perfectly normal.
Makoto gave Rei a daring look as she took Usagi in her arms soothing the blond's head
with her hand.
Rei rolled her eyes. "Well somebody's gotta be hard on her! Somebody's gotta let this
kid know that this isn't a game of ignorant suggestions! That Minako ISN'T playing a
joke! She constantly flip-flops between accepting and not accepting!" Rei's chest rose.
"One minute she thinks Minako's dead, the next she thinks this isn't Kunzite's affair!
She needs to stay focus like the rest of us!"
"She's perfectly focus," Makoto replied angrily, her own face just as red as Rei's. "She's
also scared, like the rest of us."
Rei grinded and turned back toward the exiting bullet train. "Yeah, we're all scared."
Her eyes bashed against those of Makoto's. "But I'm not going to whine and make
excuses! I'm going to find Minako or do whatever I can to help and I don't have time for
Usagi's alternatives here!" Rei's body shifted and her arms gestured out wildly. "The
police have a lead in Kunzite just as we do! We have a little more!" she threw up the list.
"Someone helping Minako is trying to get through to us through me! We need to work,
not play-"
"Okay enough!" Makoto shot her palms up. Usagi slipped from her hold and stood
meekly at her side like a child.
Rei's breathing became weighty as she looked at Makoto a little angered that she'd been
paused.
"Like I was saying," Makoto capped. "Kunzite is our main man but we have nothing on
the list that really points him out… yet! So we should shift our lead because if you notice
on the list there is something about a car AND a boat."
Rei looked down at the list, wrinkled in her hands from her outburst, her body cooling
down. She'd noticed already.
"Ami said the guy was a car manufacture owner," Makoto continued. "Apparently from
the report he was vacationing on his yacht-"
"HOW is this helping," Rei suddenly shot trying to find the connection although she
wasn't feeling what the report had to do with the list. She knew her friends were trying
but she couldn't help but feel like time was being wasted.
Makoto ignored her and continued as best she could. "He was holding some sort of
contest to find his next wife. Most likely some illegal stuff, but this is all we have right
now to start on, connections lie everywhere."
Rei's eyes lifted toward the sky.
"When Ami was telling me about it I wasn't really believing or understanding, but Ami
has a way into the latest reports. A diving team did actually find the remains because of a
group of boys going to the police early this morning about the incident so Ami and the
report claims. But the thing is that this guy owned a car manufacturing factory here in
Tokyo and his yacht was a boat… car… boat…" Makoto searched in exasperation for an
answer.
Rei bit her nail. "Which company was it? Worth checking out I guess."
Makoto shrugged. "Ami said the paper wouldn't say."
"Well I guess should she look into the phonebook-"
"OR," Makoto offered. "Do some more internet research until this thing hits the papers
tomorrow morning. Ami's going to get in a little more and contact us, but right now we
should let her handle that."
Rei frowned feeling how Makoto was giving her a way out. Giving her the hint to go
home and rest and let Ami handle what little they could do at the moment. Of course Rei
wasn't taking it. She wasn't tired. Her friends figured she freaked out from her vision
this morning and should rest, no way. She was going to get her hands dirty and find out
what was going on.
"I'm going to find this factory. This might be the only next led we have whether it's
connected or not. There is no time to waste."
"Rei I really think you should just go home and rest for a bit," insisted Makoto just as Rei
pulled the keys out of her pocket.
"No way," Rei said quickly. "It's a led from when we had nothing. Ami finds a tiny
connection and I'm taking it. She does her thing, I'll do mine."
Makoto stormed toward Rei and demanded to know what she REALLY had in mind.
Rei paused to think looking her friend over. "WHAT I have in mind is to talk to
someone in the factory about this guy." Then something beamed on her. "Wait, you said
he was looking for a new wife!?"
Makoto nodded.
Rei searched around biting at her thumbnail. "If all this connection is true, you don't
think?"
"Kunzite sold Minako to this guy?" Makoto finished with a pale but solid face. "I don't
know Rei, there were more girls onboard but… I really don't know." Both girls got an
off look where they could only image WHAT really happened on that yacht to have had it
blown to bits in an instance. Everything just wasn't right. "Minako's tough, she's alive
Rei. She really is."
"I know," Rei nodded. "That's why we're here to make sure of that and make sure
Kunzite's thrown in jail. And I should get going." Rei opened her door but Makoto
grabbed it and closed it right in her face.
Rei turned sharply to face her.
"There are probably a million car manufactures in the city. We should research a little
first," Makoto jutted a head toward the Southern Fried Chicken Delight building where
Usagi had already huddled inside. "We'll use the phonebook, call around and ask to
speak to this…"
"Shinohara," Rei filled in the name and Makoto smiled. Inside Rei was burning with
delight. Instead of keeping her over protectively away from helping, Makoto was now
opening the doors for Rei to not be weak, but to actually do something more.
The delight didn't last long however as Rei filed behind Makoto struggling to keep her
smile glued. Even as a siren erupted in the pit of her brain and her knees gave way. Rei
tumbled forward into Makoto gripping her head. Makoto startled nearly off balanced
grabbed Rei quickly asking what was the matter but Rei was lost as she could hear that
voice again.
Disembodied deep within the pits of her brain. Crying out, piercing through the
reception…
Is she safe? it asked. Friends of the princess, is she safe?
Rei's eyes pinched tight although there was no pain except for the first pierce of the voice
that she wasn't used to receiving. But she called out, she called out in her own voice that
only Makoto could hear about how she didn't know if she was safe, how she didn't know
anything, replying to the voice in the wrong way, and she knew it.
Makoto gave her friend a bewildering look clenching Rei tightly at a steady. Now unsure
as to why she changed her mind about getting Rei to rest.
"I don't know if she's safe," Rei bellowed hot tears streaming down her face. "I don't
know… I don't know… I don't know…" She couldn't believe it was happening again…!
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
In Minako's dream there was a panther… only… he was white.
White and large and slick, gliding across a field adorned with thousands of white roses
which lifted up like crystals. And she stood in the center of the field and looked out
feeling the soft fabric of her gown holding it as she twirled giggling to follow the white
panther that etched excitingly around her in the field…
And out of nowhere they grew surrounding her…
Four body's seeping from the empty ground like stalks. Merging and taking on shapes,
arms, legs. Their colors blurring into skin, bare skin each one carrying different shades,
each one naked and still growing from the fielded around her. One had long wavy yellow
hair whereas another had the same color hair only shorter. There was one with long
wavy brown hair and another with straight white hair that couldn't be nothing but silk.
Men… all four surrounding her with blank expressions and she could hear and feel the
panther growl not only outside of her, but inside of her as well…
She was frightened and yet, she knew she couldn't let that fright win over her, drive her.
And they spoke… inside her. Neither lips moving nor eyes.
You took everything away from us, coursed the voice of four.
Minako twirled around to look at them all, to map out an escape…
She was surrounded and nothing was in her to change that. Even the crystal-like flowers
felt her agony and began to wither back into the ground.
Then there was one hand, reaching out, touching the top of her head and she looked up at
the hand. His wings spread wide was what she first noticed, and then she noticed it
wasn't a hand but a paw. The paw of the white panther, the panther seemed to smile and
she immediately grabbed the paw and-
Minako's eyes shot open into the face not of a white panther with beautiful blues eyes
winged from the heavens but-
An animal-like scream shrieked from Minako's parted lips as she looked pass what
appeared to be bars at two large familiar insect eyes like black poles leaning forward at
her.
It was a Scanner or as Nephrite explained, a Scutarus. Staring at her beyond steel bars.
Minako scuttled back against the hard cold stone floor until her back slammed into a
matching wall and as her scream seemed to die out did another Scutarus come
brandishing forward at a harden pace slamming it's familiar fingers against the bars and
hissed. Minako's screamed continued and went on as yet another Scutarus hissed and
slammed between it's brothers, and another one, and another one leaving six.
Her voice choked and she was still alive. The steel bars protected her but didn't make her
feel even more comforting as a pair of six Scutarus eyes enveloped her greedily. Maybe
mad that she'd killed one of their brothers. But they looked and looked hungrily at her
and her body burned with fear.
"OUT OF THE WAY!" boomed Nephrite's voice from the hallway pass the massive
blue-skinned creatures. "You filthy incompetent monsters!"
Minako could just see pass the team of Scutarus as Nephrite turned a corner fitting into
her sight of the long yellowy hallway with another Scutarus as his side. But this one
however different, it was pink and it's eye color was purple. Still, just as weird.
Nephrite shot a hand against his long waves and shook his hair out then marched down
the hall of what appeared to be cells toward the team of Scutarus and Minako's prison.
"I said MOVE!" and the six Scutarus got the commanded and gave final hisses toward
Minako then patted like skinless anorexia gorillas in the opposite direction splitting pass
Nephrite and the infamous pink Scutarus. Minako was sick still looking at the pink
Scutarus. Possibly female, she thought.
"Well, well, well," Nephrite's coy smile seemed to take over the entire cell. The pink
Scutarus at his feet shifted behind him as if hiding from Minako's sight. Nephrite's
white-gloved hands wrapped around the bars. "Princess have a good nap?"
"Where am I!?" Minako responded rubbing her cracking throat.
Nephrite gave her cell a playful look then turned back to her. "Jail," he said plainly.
Minako climbed to her feet in the shabby empty cell. Nothing, but three stones walls and
a high barred window against the one wall her back was plastered against. She could feel
the breeze of the night and see tiny flecks of stars. She didn't want to look up too long;
she didn't want Nephrite to sense her hope. The cell held no bed, not toilet, nothing, just
dirt, grim, and cold stone.
Minako didn't make a move to head toward the bars. She didn't want to be anywhere
near Nephrite as she remembered what happened. It almost brought her to tears
remembering how she killed her twin and how she gathered a sense of power to challenge
Nephrite only to have him waver next to her sending a chilling elbow against her temple.
Minako rubbed cautiously at first where the pain should have been only there wasn't any
pain, or reminder of any kind.
"Rapid healing," Nephrite implied. "I bet you don't feel not a thing of pain there. Sorry,
I had to react quickly enough to get you down."
Minako smirked sarcastically tilting her head. "Yes, Nephrite. You're just full of open
ideas." Her mood changed. "NOW WHERE THE HELL AM I!?"
Nephrite made a sadistic tsk-tsk noise waving a finger. "That kind of attitude won't get
you nowhere."
Minako took a lurch forward feeling her hands slip through the bars, but Nephrite was too
fast, he'd already stepped well beyond her reach laughing at her attempt. The pink
Scutarus at his feet backing up fearfully almost running into an adjacent cell.
"I swear you've grown a lot," Nephrite combed back his hair looking her over. "I mean,
since I first meet you. You're a hell of a lot stronger and braver. Not as whiny as before.
Pretty soon you'll get lost in it all and forget where you came from."
"Never," she spat pulling her hands softly against her sides. Minako felt it though, she
felt rage bubbling in her and she wanted to twist Nephrite's neck as he exposed it so
flipping a comb throughout his long hair. "Why didn't you kill me?" Minako offered to
ask. "Wasn't THAT in your plans?"
Nephrite shrugged settling the comb. "Yes it was, until I realized I could still use you a
bit, of course with Kunzite unnoticed."
"Hmph, scared of getting your ass kicked," she funded.
Nephrite didn't reply, just a corner of his lip pulled slightly up.
"I bet," Minako took a slight pace. "That when Kunzite figures out all the stuff you've
been doing behind his back, you're going to get what? Demoted? Perhaps, fried?
Fired?"
Minako struggled to act coolly. If she didn't, Nephrite would instantly read her fear.
"You don't know a thing about the business," Nephrite said calmly.
Minako struck him an eye. "Or do I?"
"Whatever," he waved about his hair. "Kunzite's a fool. I left a good enough trail to
show you've been killed somewhere along the lines of him losing you. With the
advantage of a few trails of me being dead. He's gullible, he won't know what else to
do."
It hit Minako but she didn't let it hit her hard. In a matter-of-fact, she didn't contemplate
Nephrite's nostalgia to make her die without hope. Kunzite Minako realized, had started
all her problems and put her through some rough times; however, he was not as merciless
as the entity known as Nephrite. Kunzite was more involved with the world, Nephrite
seeded darkness. Minako definitely felt in better hands with Kunzite and despite the
situation she missed him. In a sense, Kunzite did care for her no matter how evil and
twisted he was. Nephrite on the other hand was not only evil and twisted, but a creep to
the fullest degree.
Nephrite finally left his hair alone long enough to fold his arms and take another out-
reaching step toward Minako's cell.
"You're in safe hands," he spoke softly as if he read her thoughts. "Kunzite is miles
away so stop hoping."
Minako tried not to frowned and simmer her eyes. But it happened and Nephrite
immediately dipped into her seeking the opportunity at getting inside of her.
"That's right, miles away," he prodded trying to tackle down her hope. Watching her
fury rise. "He'll never find you. No one will and you'll die here as soon as you show me
how to turn the Sword of the Moon into its truest form. Crystal." Nephrite turned on his
heels and started toward the exit speaking, his voice traveling over the room of cells. "In
the meantime take a break, I know you need one." The pink Scutarus quivered at the foot
of the cell and once Minako looked in its direction, it sprinted toward Nephrite who
Minako watched down the hall, kicked the pink Scutaurs and demanded it stay at
Minako's cell and the pink Scutarus rode it's knuckles back toward Minako's cell.
Minako knew then that the monster was afraid of her somehow.
"I'll be back," Nephrite projected taking the corner out of Minako's sight. "I'll give you
two hours to find out how to turn the sword into crystal! If you haven't thought it out till
then…"
Minako didn't know whether Kunzite stop speaking for her to hear the rest, or trailed
away from her earshot. She flopped down onto the stone floor and folded her legs under
her. Her eyes roamed toward the opened barred window behind her then back toward the
pink Scutarus who was huddling against another cell's bars looking at Minako with its
large purple eyes.
Minako sighed, how was she supposed to know how to turn that sword into crystal?
Especially considering she didn't even have it with her. She closed her eyes tiredly and
sighed. She rather think about escape than about some stupid sword. And Minako was
sleepy she knew and growing with hunger.
"Are you really the princess?" a soft femme/childish voice asked.
It was of course the pink Scutarus. Minako opened her eyes and replied tired: "I don't
know what I am let alone who?"
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Continued in…
CHAPTER 14: The Rage of Escape Arises! Minako and the Past!
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Hoped you like this chapter. I especially liked covering Ace's side. I should get a little
more involved with Ace. Boring chapter? Sorry!